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Analytical Methods and Research Design (856L1)

15 credits, Level 7 (Masters)

Spring teaching

On this module, you’ll develop the core skills required to become an applied researcher in your discipline. The module is designed to strengthen your ability to work with complex data and apply analytical techniques commonly used in PhD level research across the social sciences.

You’ll learn how to:

• Work effectively with large and complex datasets.

• Apply key data handling and data management techniques used in social science research.

• Explore different forms of data, including:

  • Textual data

  • Spatial data

• Create clear and impactful data visualisations to communicate research findings.

By the end of the module, you’ll have a strong foundation in managing and analysing a wide range of datasets, equipping you with the practical skills needed for doctoral research.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 30 hours of contact time and about 120 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2026/27. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.