ECTS credits ECTS credits: 3
ECTS Hours Rules/Memories Hours of tutorials: 3 Expository Class: 9 Interactive Classroom: 12 Total: 24
Use languages Spanish, Galician
Type: Ordinary subject Master’s Degree RD 1393/2007 - 822/2021
Departments: Political Science and Sociology
Areas: Sociology
Center Faculty of Political and Social Sciences
Call: First Semester
Teaching: With teaching
Enrolment: Enrollable | 1st year (Yes)
- To make informed and critical use of scientific evidence in public management.
- To train for the design and execution of social research, identifying the most appropriate techniques for the objectives pursued.
- To provide knowledge on methodological tools and techniques for the diagnosis of social problems and policy evaluation.
- To train for the elaboration of research reports, as well as to train and motivate the use of a rigorous and adequate technical language in them.
- To provide students with the ability to analyze data extracted from the social reality in a complex and critical way, proposing possible solutions to the problems and/or needs detected.
- To provide students with the necessary skills to be able to interpret social research, being able to identify and analyze possible biases, errors or low quality indicators.
- To provide the basic skills for students to be able to draw conclusions and write a research report for the transmission of information to third parties.
- To make students aware of the importance of quality and ethics in social research: anonymity of research subjects, cross-validation, triangulation, level of relevance, use of appropriate statistics, confirmability, transferability, reliability, resonance, security, over-interpretation, under-interpretation, etc.
Objectives related to the mastery of learning tools:
- To enable students with the acquisition of the specific competencies of social research practice, both in terms of the theoretical design of a research, as well as the development and implementation of fieldwork.
- To provide students with the knowledge that will allow them to identify, manage and transmit scientific information: citing sources, databases, computer support programs, etc.
Objectives related to values and attitudes:
To encourage teamwork, which is a highly positive aspect as it helps the university student to internalize the values of dialogue, respect and tolerance; at the same time to learn how to manage potential conflicts, and to acquire -and strengthen- communication and negotiation skills, which are increasingly demanded in the working world.
1.- Scientific methodology: introductory notions. Understanding and explanation. Differences and similarities of classical methodologies. The complementarity of qualitative and quantitative: triangulation and the new Multimethod Research designs (nesting of techniques, QUAL and quant, QUANT and which, QUANT and QUAL, etc.).
2.- The research report. Parts of a research report. Scheduling and phases of applied research. The description and interpretation of data. Communication and writing of results and conclusions.
3.- The quantitative methodology. Sources of data. Collection and treatment of data. Graphical representations. Design. Probabilistic and non-probabilistic sampling. Samples: theory and design. Survey technique and questionnaires. Field work. Practical skills of implementation of techniques in quantitative methodology. Biases and limitations of quantitative research.
4.- Qualitative methodology. Designs. Sampling in qualitative research. Qualitative techniques: in-depth interviews, focus groups, ethnography, discourse analysis. Analysis in qualitative research. Quality in qualitative research. Practical skills of implementation of techniques in qualitative methodology. Limitations of qualitative research.
Basic bibliography:
Alvira Martín, F. (2000). La encuesta: una perspectiva general metodológica Nº35 | Cuadernos Metodológicos. Centro de investigaciones sociológicas
Azofra Márquez, Mª J. (1999). Cuestionarios Nº26 | Cuadernos Metodológicos. Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas
Baelo, M. y Haz-Gomez (2019). Metodología de la investigación en Ciencias Sociales y Jurídicas. Tirant lo Blanch.
Camarero, L.(2015). Análisis estadístico para investigación social. Garceta
Denzin, N. K. y Lincoln, Y. S. (Coords.). (2012a). Manual de investigación cualitativa. El campo de investigación cualitativa (Vol. 1; C. Pavón, Trad.). Gedisa.
Denzin, N. K. y Lincoln, Y. S. (Coords.). (2012b). Manual de investigación cualitativa. Paradigmas y perspectivas en disputa (Vol. 2; C. Pavón, Trad.). Gedisa.
Denzin, N. K. y Lincoln, Y. S. (Coords.). (2013). Manual de investigación cualitativa. Las estrategias de investigación cualitativa (Vol. 3; V. Weinstabl y S. M. de Hagen, Trads.). Gedisa.
Denzin, N. K. y Lincoln, Y. S. (Coords.). (2015). Manual de investigación cualitativa. Métodos de recolección y análisis de datos (Vol. 4; R. Molina-Zavalía y E. Méndez, Trads.). Gedisa.
Denzin, N. K. y Lincoln, Y. S. (Coords.). (2017). Manual de investigación cualitativa. El arte y la práctica de la interpretación, la evaluación y la presentación (Vol. 5; M. E. Cazenave, Trad.). Gedisa.
Díaz de Rada, V. et al. (2005).Internet como modo de administración de encuestas Nº59 | Cuadernos Metodológicos. Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas
Díaz de Rada, V. (2005). Manual de trabajo de campo en la encuesta Nº36 | Cuadernos Metodológicos. Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas
Flick, U. (2012). Introducción a la investigación cualitativa (3ª ed.; T. del Amo, Trad.). Morata.
García Ferrando, M. (1982). Socioestadística. Alianza.
Rodríguez Osuna, J. (1993). Métodos de Muestreo. Casos Prácticos Nº6 | Cuadernos Metodológicos. Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas
Ruiz Olabuénaga, J. I. (2007). Metodología de la investigación cualitativa (4ª ed.). Universidad de Deusto.
Saldaña, J. y Omasta, M. (2021). Qualitative Research. Analyzing Life. Sage.
Valles, M. S. (2003). Técnicas cualitativas de investigación social. Reflexión metodológica y práctica profesional (3ª reimpr.). Síntesis.
Verd, J. M. y Lozares, C. (2016). Introducción a la investigación cualitativa. Fases, métodos y técnicas. Síntesis.
Zapata, R. y Sánchez-Montijano, E. (2011). Manual de investigación cualitativa en ciencia política. Tecnos.
Additional bibliography:
Arroyo, M. y Sábada, I. (Coords.). (2012). Metodología de la investigación social. Técnicas innovadoras y sus aplicaciones. Síntesis.
Bernard, H. R., Wutich, A. y Ryan, G. W. (2017). Analyzing Qualitative Data. Systematic Approaches (2ª ed.). Sage.
Flick, U. (2014). La gestión de la calidad en Investigación Cualitativa (T. del Amo y C. Blanco, Trads.). Morata.
Flick, U. (2015). El diseño de investigación cualitativa (T. del Amo y C. Blanco, Trads.). Morata.
Herzog, B. y Ruiz, J. (Eds.). (2019). Análisis sociológico del discurso. Enfoques, métodos y procedimientos. Universitat de Valencia.
Mannay, D. (2017). Métodos visuales, narrativos y creativos en investigación cualitativa. Narcea.
Olivier de Sardan, J-P. (2018). El rigor de lo cualitativo. Las obligaciones empíricas de la investigación cualitativa. Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas.
Saldaña, J. (2021). The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers (4ª ed., rev. y ampliada). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Core competencies:
CB1 - To possess and understand knowledge that provides a basis or opportunity for originality in the development and/or application of ideas, often in a research context
CB4 - That students know how to communicate their conclusions and the knowledge and rationale behind them to specialized and non-specialized audiences in a clear and unambiguous manner.
CB5 - That students possess the learning skills that allow them to continue studying in a way that will be largely self-directed or autonomous.
General competences:
CG1 - Acquisition of high-level knowledge, tools and resources to meet the research and professional expectations of students and society regarding the organization of local government and innovative public policies.
GC3 - Ability to make critical reflections and analysis on the social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgments in the field of local government management.
GC5 - Ability to apply the knowledge acquired in a specific work or in a process of original research.
CG6 - Ability to retrieve and analyze information from various sources, which allows to design, create, develop and undertake innovative projects in the field of local public management and social sciences in general.
CG8. Act autonomously in the evaluation of socio-political events, foresee their possible scenarios of development, and adopt the relevant measures to take advantage of the opportunities and synergies in which the local administration may be immersed.
CG10. Develop strategic thinking to define problems, diagnose and structure analysis and action objectives in the fields of local management, consultancy and research.
Transversal competences:
CT3. Critical reasoning skills
CT8. Competence to search for and manage information and data.
CT9. Commitment to quality, rigor, responsibility and honesty in the development of the work, as well as in its results.
CT10. Ability for self-directed learning and autonomous work in the field of social sciences.
Specific competences:
CE1. Know and apply the methodology and design of empirical research in the social sciences, as well as its main qualitative and quantitative techniques.
CE2. To acquire theoretical and applied knowledge of research techniques and diagnostic tools, in order to be able to prepare scientific, technical and consulting studies and reports in the field of Local Administration and democratic innovation.
CE10. To acquire the ability to locate, select and evaluate information, statistical, documentary and bibliographic sources of utility, interest and application to the field of innovative local public management.
CE11. Ability to design, analyze and evaluate innovative policies, projects and programs to promote an efficient and citizen-friendly government and public management.
Lectures (9 hours): In them the contents of the subject will be explained. They will assume an expository-participative methodology allowing and encouraging the participation of the students in the course of the class.
Interactive classes (12 hours): a series of practical exercises of social research design will be proposed to the students so that they can put into practice the theoretical skills explained throughout the course. Researchers will also be invited to present their studies and the difficulties they may have encountered in conducting fieldwork. In addition, role-playing games may be developed to put into practice certain skills and/or abilities important for social research.
Tutorials (3 hours): these will supervise the progress of the work to be done by the students or solve any doubts that may arise.
The final grade will be the result of the sum of the following items:
1. Final exam: There will be an exam on the contents taught throughout the course that will account for 30% of the grade.
2. Continuous evaluation:
2.1. The students will carry out an individual work on a free topic negotiated with the teachers. This work will consist of the realization of a small investigation applying some of the techniques seen throughout the course. The grade assigned to the work will represent 60% of the grade.
2.2. The compulsory attendance and level of participation of the students -both through written and oral assignments that will be proposed throughout the course-, will represent 10% of the final grade.
A minimum of a 4 must be obtained in both the exam and the work to be evaluated in this subject.
In the case of students who have been granted dispensation from attendance, they will be evaluated by means of the final exam (70%), to whose grade will be added the grade obtained in the practical work (compulsory work and text reviews, 30%).
In relation to the rules of permanence of students will be regulated in Article 5.2 of the Regulations on Permanence in the degrees and Masters of the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC).
Fraudulent performance of exercises or tests (Normativa de avaliación do rendemento académico dos/as estudantes e de revisión de cualificación - Aprobada en Consello de Goberno o 15 de xuño de 2011 e modificada o 5 de abril de 2017). The fraudulent performance of any exercise or test required in the evaluation of a subject will imply the qualification of failure in the corresponding call, regardless of the disciplinary process that may be followed against the offending student. It will be considered fraudulent, among others, the realization of plagiarized works or obtained from sources accessible to the public without reworking or reinterpretation and without citation to the authors and sources.
Class attendance: the program of the subject will be adjusted to what is specified in the “Regulamento de asistencia a clase nas ensinanzas oficiais de grao e máster da Universidade de Santiago de Compostela”, approved in “Consello de Goberno” on November 25, 2024. In this sense, attendance is compulsory, it is part of the continuous evaluation, and you cannot miss more than 20% of the classes without justification.
Following the recommendations in this Master's official report, students are assigned 50 hours of autonomous work, plus 21 in-person hours (divided between lectures, seminars, and laboratory work).
- It is recommended that students bring the material up to date and review the material and notes provided, especially before the practical exercises.
- Students are also advised to keep their knowledge of English up to date. As well as some of the systems for referencing bibliographic citations in academic papers, with special reference to the APA7 system, of which a summary will be provided through the virtual classroom of the subject for the realization of the final work of evaluation of the subject.
- It is recommended to dedicate time to the work to be done from the beginning of the subject, since this is laborious and takes quite some time, so if everything is left for the end then there will not be time to finish it in conditions.
- It is recommended to make use of the tutorials both for the supervision of the progress of the work, as well as for the resolution of doubts about the theory explained during the lectures.
- It is recommended to ask in the classroom the doubts that can arise to the students since that will make the class more bearable for all.
- It is recommended to participate in class to make the classes more interactive and less arid.
Students are strongly requested to have a proactive -and participatory- attitude, to make the evolution of the classes more bearable; especially when performing practical tasks or exercises, to solve all the doubts that may arise, and to create a relaxed atmosphere in the classroom.
The work and / or practices must be delivered in due time and form within the deadlines set by the teaching team, if any of these circumstances do not concur, penalties may be applied on the grade or not be evaluated. The teacher reserves the right to establish extraordinary deadlines for the delivery of work, if necessary, for duly justified reasons.
Carlos Lubian Graña
Coordinador/a- Department
- Political Science and Sociology
- Area
- Sociology
- Phone
- 881815145
- carlos.lubian [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: LOU (Organic Law for Universities) PhD Assistant Professor
Ignacio Elpidio Dominguez Ruiz
- Department
- Political Science and Sociology
- Area
- Sociology
- ignacioelpidio.dominguez [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: Intern Assistant LOSU
| Wednesday | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00-11:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Galician, Spanish | Seminar 2.2 |
| 11:00-12:00 | Grupo /CLIS_01 | Spanish, Galician | Seminar 2.2 |
| Friday | |||
| 12:15-13:15 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Galician, Spanish | Seminar 2.2 |
| 13:15-14:15 | Grupo /CLIS_01 | Galician, Spanish | Seminar 2.2 |
| 01.14.2026 10:00-12:00 | Grupo /CLIS_01 | Seminar 2.2 |
| 01.14.2026 10:00-12:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Seminar 2.2 |
| 06.15.2026 10:00-12:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Seminar 2.2 |
| 06.15.2026 10:00-12:00 | Grupo /CLIS_01 | Seminar 2.2 |