| University | University of kent (UOK) |
|---|---|
| Subject | SOCI6014 Applying Social Research |
SOCI6014 Applying Social Research: Retrospective Ethics Review Essay (University of Kent)
| Awarding Institution | University of Kent |
| Module | SOCI6014 Applying Social Research |
| Discipline | Criminology and sociology, research methods |
| Assessment Type | Critical essay (research design and ethics) |
| Length | 2,000 words (+/- 10%) |
| Referencing | Harvard |
The SOCI6014 critical essay asks criminology and sociology students to look back at a published study from the module reading list as if they were sitting on a research ethics committee. Studies such as Humphreys’ Tearoom Trade are popular choices because they raise sharp questions about covert observation, deception and privacy, but the same review steps apply to any listed study.
The Task
This assessment requires you to critically evaluate the research design and ethical decisions made in one of the studies on the list provided (see the module reading list). Approach the task from the perspective of someone doing a retrospective ethics review on the study.
Points Your Critical Essay Must Address
- What are the research questions that this study seeks to address? (This should be your introduction.)
- What are the philosophical underpinnings of the study?
- What methods does the study use?
- How well do the methods fit the research questions and the philosophical position of the study?
- What ethical issues does this study raise?
- How do the author(s) address the ethical issues? How well do they address or account for them?
- How would you address the ethical issues raised by this study?
- Would you give this study favourable ethical opinion? Justify your answer. (This should be your conclusion.)
Structure and Referencing
- Write a conventional critical essay rather than answering each point as on an ethics review form, so that your argument can develop.
- Support your points with examples from the chosen study, through quotations or paraphrasing, acknowledged and referenced in Harvard style.
- Stay within 2,000 words (+/- 10%).
Need help with your SOCI6014 critical essay?
A strong SOCI6014 essay links each part of the study together: the research questions explain the philosophical stance, the stance explains the choice of methods, and the methods create the ethical problems you then judge. Avoid listing ethics principles in general terms. Instead, show exactly where consent, deception, confidentiality or harm arise in the study, how the researcher justified those choices at the time, and what a modern review panel using ESRC or BSA guidance would require. Finish with a clear yes or no on favourable ethical opinion. Our sociology assignment help can guide your critical evaluation, and our essay writing service supports structure, word count and Harvard referencing. More briefs from this university are listed under University of Kent assignment questions.
