SIW4210 Knowledge Production in Social Sciences - Quantitative Methods Course description

The teaching consists of lectures, seminars and tutorials related to the coursework requirements. Students are expected to play an active role.

The assessment consists of a four hour school exam.

A student who has completed the course has the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge and skills:

Knowledge

The student has

• thorough knowledge of the research process
• advanced knowledge of quantitative research designs: their appropriate use as well as strengths and limitations
• thorough knowledge of important concepts such as measurement, reliability, validity, and generalization.

Skills

The student can

• relate research processes to scientific theory and ethical principles
• apply research methods in a reflective manner and appropriately choose methods that are relevant for different kinds of research questions
• use relevant methods for producing, analyzing and interpreting diverse types of empirical data (e.g. surveys or register data)
• use univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis techniques
• understand inferential statistics
• evaluate research based on quantitative methods in terms of methodological quality and appropriateness

General Competence

The students are

• familiar with, and critically reflect on various consequences of research
• able to use ethical judgement regarding one’s own position as a researcher and how participation in research can intervene in people’s lives.
• familiar with and can adhere to ethical regulations such as: correct and complete source information, informant anonymisation, confidentiality, researcher responsibility.

The course consists of lectures and seminars, where students actively participate in group work, practical exercises and group discussions.

Students are awarded grades on a descending scale from A to E for pass and F for fail.

The school exam is assessed by an internal and an external examiner. External examiners assess a random sample consisting of at least 25 per cent of the exams. The grades given for this sample provide a basis for the internal examiner's assessment. The external examiner will also assess individual exams where there is doubt about giving a grade of pass.

Dag Jenssen

None.

After completing the course, the student should have the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• has advanced knowledge of global health problems and global health policy
• has thorough knowledge of theories, ethics discussions and empirical methods in the study of health care systems, illness and disease in populations
• can apply scholarly theories and methods to new areas in international health policy

Skills

The student can

• analyse and deal critically with various sources of information about the global health situation and main challenges to health and health care
• analyse and deal critically with the relationship between culture and illness
• evaluate research methods and strategies in investigations of population health
• apply relevant theories and arguments in debates on health inequalities
• apply relevant health policy theories to evaluate health challenges
• apply relevant theories and evaluate the role of organisations in international health policies

General Competence

The student can

• apply his/her knowledge and skills in new areas in order to carry out advanced assignments and projects in international health policy
• communicate about academic issues, analyses and conclusions in international health policy, both with specialists and the general public
• contribute to new thinking and innovation processes in international health policy

The course is organised into a series of lectures and seminars. Students are expected to play an active role. Students will also be required to present papers, and discuss course themes during lectures and seminars.