Logic of Social Inquiry, 7.5 credits
Den samhällsvetenskapliga forskningens logik, 7.5 hp
771A11
Main field of study
Computational Social ScienceCourse level
Second cycleCourse type
Single subject and programme courseExaminer
Peter HedströmCourse coordinator
Peter HedströmDirector of studies or equivalent
Karl WennbergCourse offered for | Semester | Weeks | Language | Campus | ECV | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F7MCD | Master´s Programme in Computational Social Science | 1 (Autumn 2018) | 201834-201838 | English | Norrköping, Norrköping | C |
Main field of study
Computational Social ScienceCourse level
Second cycleAdvancement level
A1XCourse offered for
- Master´s Programme in Computational Social Science
Entry requirements
A bachelor's degree or equivalent in the humanities, social-, cultural-, behavioural-, natural-, computer-, or engineering-sciences.
English corresponding to the level of English in Swedish upper secondary education (English 6/B).
Intended learning outcomes
After completion of the course, the student should at an advanced level be able to:
- describe and critically examine common modes of social inquiry used within the social sciences;
- appraise the role of micro-level social processes in explanations of macro-level outcomes, and critique explanations of macro outcomes on this basis;
- critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of computational social science as compared to other approaches to social research, relating computational approaches to micro- and macro-levels of analysis;
- identify and formulate research questions that can be answered with the tools of computational social science;
- critically analyse and integrate knowledge gained through readings and discussions, and express this knowledge in class and in writing,
- describe the ethical principles regarding the production and presentation of original social research;
- account for and apply the rules for the treatment of academic references and the principles of source criticism.
Course content
This course provides an advanced introduction to the logic of inquiry and research design in the social sciences. The readings cover issues ranging from the nature of scientific explanations and causal inquiry to the variety of research methodologies available to social scientists. After introducing and critically examining the most important modes of social inquiry currently in practice, the course focuses on computational social science, its defining characteristics, and how computational approaches can improve our understanding of the complex social processes through which macro-level social outcomes are brought about, and by which they can be explained.
Teaching and working methods
The teaching consists of lectures, readings, and seminars. Homework and independent studies are a necessary complement to the course.
Language of instruction: English.
Examination
The course is examined through written assignments, active participation in seminars, and a written individual final assignment. Detailed information about the examination can be found in the course's study guide.
Students failing an exam covering either the entire course or part of the course twice are entitled to have a new examiner appointed for the reexamination.
Students who have passed an examination may not retake it in order to improve their grades.
Grades
ECTS, ECOther information
Planning and implementation of a course must take its starting point in the wording of the syllabus. The course evaluation included in each course must therefore take up the question how well the course agrees with the syllabus.
The course is carried out in such a way that both men´s and women´s experience and knowledge is made visible and developed.
Department
Institutionen för ekonomisk och industriell utvecklingCode | Name | Scope | Grading scale |
---|---|---|---|
ESSX | Essay | 7.5 credits | EC |
Books
ISBN: 0521792290, 9780521792295, 0521796679, 9780521796675
ISBN: 0199215367, 9780199215362, 9780191550577
ISBN: 0199215367, 9780199215362, 9780191550577
666-687 Brückner, H Surveys
ISBN: 9780521593199, 9780521596879, 0521593190, 0521596874
Sørensen, A Theoretical mechanisms and the empirical study of social processesISBN: 147367347X, 9781473673472
ISBN: 0395615569
ISBN: 9780123694898, 0123694892
Articles
https://archive.wired.com/science/discoveries/magazine/16-07/pb_theory
http://vermontcomplexsystems.org/share/papershredder/epstein-complexity-1999.pdf
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs42001-017-0006-5.pdf
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0735275117725766
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01621459.2016.1141684
This tab contains public material from the course room in Lisam. The information published here is not legally binding, such material can be found under the other tabs on this page. Click on a file to download and open it.
Name | File name | Description |
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Reading List_18.08.28 | Reading List_18.08.28.pdf |