Approach and methods in social sciences

Teacher(s)

Dejean Karine; Lenel Emmanuelle (compensates Marquis Nicolas); Marquis Nicolas;

Language

French

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

The course (5 ECTS) is part of the methodological stream The learning outcomes pursued are as follows. Having reached the end of this course, the student must be able to: 1) At the theoretical level: a. mastering the epistemological, theoretical, methodological and ethical foundations of the social science approach b. having a first look at the whole collection of data collection methods 2) At the level of techniques and tools: a. Mastering the techniques of reading and critical comparison of texts (or other resources) b. Mastering the lineaments of searching bibliographic resources 3) At the implementation level a. Being able to formulate a starting question and a research question b. Being able to realize a state of the art c. Being able to mount a problematic d. Mastering some tools related to group work and oral presentation of work

Content

This teaching includes both lecture and practical work activities. They are complementary and only partially overlapping.
1) The lecture will follow 3 themes in parallel :
1. The social science research approach
2. Practical skills for the social science student's job
3. Some epistemological debates in the social sciences
2) The practical sessions will be prepared by the students. This preparation will consist of reading chapter 4 of the book Pratique de la lecture critique en sciences humaines et sociales, following certain modules of the MOOC ‘Louv23x: Pratiquer la méthode de recherche en sciences humaines et sociales’ and carrying out exercises and performances.
The aim of the practical sessions is to enable students to learn and practise the stages of the research process:

1. TP1: Carrying out a bibliographical search on the library's computer databases
2. TP2: Comparison of articles
3. TP3: Individual feedback on intermediate written work and advice on how to continue group work
4. TP4 : Audition of the groups 
5. TP5: Development of a research problem
6. TP6: Individual support for final written work

Teaching methods

The role of the teachers (and assistants) is to transmit the subject, the mastery of the techniques and tools, to allow the putting into practice of these last ones by means of scenarios and resolutions of exercise carried out in TP, and accompany, during the ad hoc devices, the students in the realization of the various services.

For this EU, the role of students and the related expectations are as follows. At university, there is freedom for students to attend or not the classes. Teachers and course assistants obviously recommend maximum attendance at class sessions as well as practical assignments. Except in cases of force majeure, non attendance and its potential consequences are therefore entirely the responsibility of the students. In the same way, everyone is free to organize his study and his time during the quadrimester. Here again, the course's staff and assistants recommend a verification of ongoing understanding AND gradual construction of successive works. Finally, the teaching of the methodology can only develop its full potential if the students are actively and autonomously involved in the reading and other tasks they will have to carry out prior to the sessions on the one hand, and in the context of the final work, on the other.

Evaluation methods

The EU assessment in June consists of two parts: 
1) An individual written exam based on the lecture, which accounts for 1/3 of the final grade.
2) Group work (4 students), which accounts for 2/3 of the final grade. It includes :

• An oral presentation of the progress of the intermediate work (3 points)
• Intermediate written work (5 points)
• Final written assignment (12 points)

Marks for the intermediate and final papers are divided into two parts: an individual part (each student's critical comparisons and appendices will be marked individually) and a collective part (all other parts will be marked collectively). The use of generative AI is tolerated for the formal correction of papers (but not for the production of content) and must be clearly indicated. The originality and personalised nature of the papers will be taken into account in the marking.
In June, students are not permitted to hand in work on their own. Nor is it permitted to repeat all or part of an assignment produced (for DMSS or other UEs) in a previous year, even if it was produced by the student(s) concerned.

Bibliography

Les ressources obligatoires pour cette UE sont au nombre de 3 :
1) Les slides présentés au cours (moodle)
2) Le chapitre 4 de l’ouvrage suivant : Marquis N., Lenel E., Van Campenhoudt L., Pratique de la lecture critique en sciences humaines et sociales, Paris, Dunod, 2018.
3) Les articles sur moodle

Teaching materials

• Pratique de la lecture critique en sciences humaines et sociales (Marquis, Lenel, Van Campenhoudt, 2018)

Faculty or entity

> ESPB