ANTH2231: Anthropological Research Methods in Action

• Doing Anthropological Research (ANTH1101) OR Social Research Methods (SOCI1321)

• Research Project Design (ANTH2187) AND at least 40 credits in any other Level 2 ANTH modules

• None.

• To provide students with opportunities for inquiry-based learning by addressing key anthropological themes and issues beyond the classroom.
• To develop and apply research skills relevant to different sub-disciplinary areas of anthropology.
• To build on methods training received on the Level 1 module Doing Anthropological Research by giving students practical experience of conducting field-based research, and prepare them for the Level 3 Anthropology Field Course module.
• To introduce key principles of research design, data collection and analysis that will support the development of independent projects in the Level 2 module Research Project Design and third year Dissertation.

• A series of field trips and practical activities exploring how our relationships to society, culture, the environment, and the past play out in specific local contexts, with a special focus on the north east region.
• Development of data collection skills via anthropological fieldwork and/or online surveys.
• Management and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Practical experience of applying anthropological approaches and knowledge via fieldwork and/or online research.
• An appreciation of the appropriateness of different fieldwork research methods to specific lines of anthropological enquiry.
• Understand the relationships between anthropological method and theory.

Subject-specific Skills:

• Conduct anthropological research using a range of appropriate fieldwork techniques.
• Analyse and interpret anthropological data.

Key Skills:

• Thinking creatively and independently about how to apply anthropological perspectives in real-world settings.
• Understand the process of fieldwork and how to draw on an appropriate range of methods.
• Design and carry out online surveys.
• Work with others in collaborative activities.
• Maintain and present a detailed record of research through verbal presentations and writing.

• The primary mode of learning involves inquiry-based activities conducted during day trips to various locations of interest and/or through online research.
• Each field trip and practical assignment will be preceded by an orientation lecture introducing the research context and tasks.
• Additional lectures will help frame the aims of the module and contextualise it within the wider curriculum, develop general themes and connections between activities, and provide guidance on assessments.
• Each field trip and practical assignment will be followed by a workshop focusing on data analysis and interpretation, with the aim of supporting the write-up of research reports. The workshops will also provide students with an opportunity to reflect on the experience of conducting research and the lessons to take forward.
• Guided readings and other relevant learning materials will provide context and background for the assignments as well as supporting the development of research skills.
• Assessment is through a portfolio of research reports based on fieldwork conducted over the course of the module, designed to evaluate the extent to which students have achieved the learning aims of each activity.
• Assessment for Field Course preparation is through submission of a summative assignment as specified by the requirements of the different Field Course locations.

Students will present research findings and preliminary field reports in the workshops, receiving feedback from the module tutors and peers.

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