With an emphasis on ability and accomplishment this course aims to provide students with basic knowledge and skills in social research methods so that they can analyse questions in policy and management. Students will be required to devise innovative primary research questions, to collect and interpret data and to contribute constructively and creatively to paired and small group work tasks. Particular emphasis will be placed on the critical evaluation of both published research and raw data as presented in a variety of formats. Students will be able to describe and relate various methodological positions, to justify the rationale for conducting primary research and to compare and contrast different types of research.