Module overview
This module will develop the skills of the student as a social researcher to conduct in depth analyses of secondary, large scale datasets, leading up to the use of these techniques in the final year dissertations and ensuring that students have appropriate employability skills with regards to question formation and analysis. The module will start by revisiting how to specify a research question, looking back at the discussions in previous modules on this topic and using those principles to focus on the questions that would lead to more advanced methods of analyses to be applied. Following this, the module will focus on the development of an analytical strategy before exploring the forms of regression analysis (acknowledging that other forms of analysis are available). It will look at the common issues with datasets, such as the application of survey weights and what to do with missing data (and what not to do).
The module will use real large scale datasets (from DHS, UK Data Service etc) for students to work on, necessitating students to engage in ethics for secondary data analysis from the data supplied and within Southampton. This will be managed through module level ethics processes with the module lead signing off the ethics.