| Unit name | Digital Methods and Data Skills |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SSLFM0002 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Miss. Wang |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Social Sciences and Law Faculty Office |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
The proliferation of new and emerging digital technologies and data are not only transforming the social world, but also how social science research is done. The aim of the unit is to provide students with the knowledge, skills and confidence to explore, plan and use digital technologies in their own domains and social science research contexts. The unit will develop students’ knowledge and understanding of digital research practice through a mix of formative and summative activities designed to develop their critical thinking skills about how digital methods may be applied to their own research interests. The unit will provide methods training and skills development as applied to both theoretical and practical aspects of digital research including: digital research design and data management, ethics and legal issues, working with new and emerging data formats and platforms, and communicating research outcomes.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit is part of the core South West Doctoral Training Partnership training and Faculty-level training in research methods for postgraduate research students. This research methods training is designed to develop students’ research skills, so that they can design and conduct high-quality research in their area of interest.
This unit will equip students with core digital methods and data skills training, which is essential for globally competitive social science researchers. In terms of the research methods training, it is underpinned and supported by Introduction to Research Methods in the Social Sciences and will complement learning across advanced elements of the methods training (Advanced Qualitative Methods and Advanced Quantitative Methods). The unit also fulfils core digital methods and data skills training requirements for students on the SPAIS MSc in Digital and Technological Society, programme from 2025/26 and may be expanded to other relevant Masters programmes in future.
Overview of content
This unit will focus on how ‘the digital’ is transforming social science research across two key areas: 1) digital methods, data and skills as instruments for studying the social world and 2) digital technologies and data as objects of research. The unit covers a range of methods and considerations for using online/digital technologies to generate, collect and analyse social research data, including: the basic components of designing digital research; analysing and working with digital data; and communicating research. The unit will integrate practical skills training with substantive reflections on the implications of ‘the digital’ for the social sciences, including the role of theory in digital research, and the ethical and legal issues.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
The focus of learning activities will be placed on students’ abilities to effectively communicate the rationale behind their application of digital methods, as well as the process and outcome of the project. The unit will therefore not only provide training in technical skills for digital research but also introduce students to new ways of thinking with the goal of building their confidence to continue using and expanding their application in their own research domains and interests.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:
The unit will engage students across a variety of teaching methods, including lectures; seminars, ‘labs’ and skills development surgeries; and independent/self-guided learning (using online learning platforms designed to develop core digital skills). Lectures and core readings will provide the foundational content delivery mechanism; however, a significant portion of the unit will be allocated to supporting the practical work of planning, learning and applying digital methods.
Across the unit, students will work towards designing and developing a mini digital research project (on a topic of their choosing), providing an experiential learning environment for learning how to plan a set of defined goals, problem-solve, adapt and respond to challenges encountered when applying digital methods to social research. Peer and group learning (in the form of ‘critical friends’ or lab partners) will form a key aspect of digital skills development, as well as providing mechanisms for students to work collaboratively (and in interdisciplinary ways) and develop their abilities to effectively communicate research findings and feedback to peers. Formative exercises will provide ‘low risk’ opportunities for students to engage with skills development, receive feedback and develop their thinking throughout, building towards summative assessments at the end of the unit which communicate their project findings.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Students will keep a digital research diary to document their engagement with unit materials, seminars and lab activities throughout the unit. The diary will be used to enable formative feedback on research design plans from peers (‘critical friends’) and staff. (ILO 1)
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
- A 2500 word technical report (75%) (ILO 2, 3)
AND
- A poster on research findings (25%) (ILO 1, 4)
- Presentation of the poster (must pass: pass/fail) (ILO 1, 4)
When assessment does not go to plan
Where students are eligible for reassessment, submissions will be a new piece of work that take the same form as the original assessments, with the added caveat that live poster presentations will not be possible. Instead, students will be asked to submit a short five minute presentation of findings to accompany a digital poster submission.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. SSLFM0002).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
