This module aims to:
Introduce the general principles of quantitative research design;
Explore, critically, a range of quantitative research designs and design related issues that the researchers likely to encounter in developing an effective quantitative research programme, e.g. response bias, sampling related errors, data validity and reliability, develop the research instruments;
Introduce a range of descriptive and inferential quantitative methods, their underlying principles, suitability and purpose and the research designs where they are likely to be employed;
Enable the students to obtain working knowledge of SPSS and an introduction to other popular statistical packages such as AMOS and STATA to handle survey data and to conduct, interpret and report quantitative data analyses;
Provide a knowledge to evaluate better the methods and statistical analysis from published research papers and reports;
Develop skills in accessing, downloading and analysing secondary data;
Discuss the issues related to longitudinal data analysis and interpretation.