西南财大社会研究方法课程简介.docVIP

PAGE  PAGE 6 An Introduction to Social Research Methods for Business – Syllabus and Schedule Taught by Professor Patricia Fosh [PF] and Dr Christopher T Husbands, Emeritus Reader, London School of Economics and Political Science [CTH] This course lasts three intensive weeks from 14 October to 3 November 2013. The classes meet in the evening, divided into two sessions on each occasion: a.18.30–19.40; b.19.55–21.05, although there can be some flexibility and also except the weekend sessions, for which more informal arrangements will be announced later. The final formal meetings will be Workshops meeting in a computing laboratory. The course is intended to offer a thorough introduction to the basic methods of social research that may be used in business. Almost all these techniques may be used in all social research – indeed, some such as the experiment could be used in any empirical research – but the course concentrates on research for business purposes. Because teaching of the course is concentrated into a short period, topics are introduced briefly in the lectures, but the workshops provide the opportunity for practical experience in some of the techniques that are discussed. We are conscious that students will not be working in their native language and have tried to ensure that the syllabus and the manner of introducing the material acknowledge that fact. We also recognise that the course contains a large amount of material to be absorbed in three weeks and we have sought to devise the syllabus also to accommodate that fact. There will be extensive handouts (in English) to accompany most topics. Two computer packages are used to introduce students to practical data analyses. These are SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), originally an American computing package that has been available in various versions from the late 1960s, that will be used for quantitative-data analysis; and NVivo, originally an Australian computing package that is widel