module
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
SPA2005: Asking the Right Question: Surveys in the Social Sciences
This module descriptor refers to the 2023/4 academic year.
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following themes:
- The history of surveys throughout the development of social science
- Using secondary survey data for new research questions
- Modes of surveying
- The principles of survey design
- Question wording and ordering
- Measuring concepts across cultures, languages, genders and other varied groups
- Sampling procedures across populations
- Analysing survey data
- Sources of bias
- Statistical power
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Teaching and Learning | 22 | Weekly two-hour lecture/seminar |
| Guided Independent Study | 44 | Assigned reading and seminar preparation |
| Guided Independent Study | 40 | Research and reading for reflexive survey design |
| Guided Independent Study | 44 | Research and reading for essay |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
- ELE – Faculty to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages