Course Overview

This course aims to introduce the foundations of social research to students. It discusses the philosophy of social research, research design, the assumptions and approaches adopted in social research. It also familiarises students with different theoretical, conceptual and practical issues involved in conducting and completing social research.

Course Objectives

The course will help students to gain understanding and knowledge in:

·       The nature and role of research

·       School of thoughts and different approaches in social research

·       Research concepts and theories: constructing a frame for analysis

·       The development of a research proposal

·       Techniques in reviewing and using literature

·       Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research designs

·       Exploratory data analysis and inferential statistics

·       Rules of citation and referencing

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

Upon successful completion of the course, the students will able to:

·       Understand and appreciate a variety of approaches to research;

·       Criticise research approaches, designs, results and implications;

·       Design and conduct social research using appropriate tools and procedures for data collection and analysis;

·       Write a research proposal;

·       Identify research goals, proposals, findings, and recommendations.

·       Assess research projects and publications related to the built environment and develop policy briefs from the research project or profession research proposals independently.