Investigating and Explaining Society - Institute for Governance ...

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Unit Description Contemporary societies are characterised by major transformations affecting the way we live, work, interact with each other. Information is produced at a dizzying speed yet at the same time it has never been easier to spread misinformation. We are more connected with our family and friends because of digital technologies but this also means we live in bubbles and have less idea about the worlds others inhabit. There are many other pressing issues that contemporary societies are confronted with including climate change, structural ine-quality, racism and the global pandemic. To address these and many other challenges, we need to equip ourselves with skills that en-able us to think critically and systematically. We need to separate facts from fiction to de-velop informed and creative solutions to shared problems. This unit invites students to learn about different ways of investigating and explaining soci-ety. It introduces ten key principles of social science research to guide our efforts to under-stand and ultimately improve contemporary societies. Each week, we will focus on one principle and show its application in practice. Our hope is to encourage the next generation of social scientists to think critically about our taken for granted assumptions, learn to gather and interpret evidence that shape our decisions, and maintain intellectual curiosity in pursuing valuable lines of enquiry. Lectures will be delivered using different multimedia formats. We will use a mix of expert conversations, ‘research in action’ demonstration cases, and panel discussions featuring ex-perienced and renowned social science researchers from around the world. All lectures will be pre-recorded and run for an hour. Tutorials are two hours long, with activities designed for students to apply the concepts, approaches and methods introduced in the lectures.

Learning Outcomes After successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Formulate, conceptualise and operationalise research questions, 2. Describe and understand basic research approaches in the social sciences, 3. Evaluate the soundness of various research designs and discern the implications of using

different forms of information, sources and methodological approaches in conducting research,

4. Understand professional and ethical norms and key debates regarding the conduct of research,

5. Harness and maximise the format and communicability of research findings.

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Unit Content and Resources

Week Date Lecture Content Assessment

Week 1 2 August Welcome to Investigating and Ex-plaining Society!

Week 2 9 August Principle 1: Good research begins with good questions

Assessment A starts As-sessment C starts

Week 3 16 August Principle 2: Good research requires good design

Assessment B starts

Week 4 23 August Principle 3: Good research builds on previous body of work

Week 5 30 August Principle 4: Good research reveals patterns of behaviour

Week 6 6 September Principle 5: Good research requires a sharp eye

Week 7 13 September Principle 6: Good research requires attentive listening

Week 8 20 September Lecture free period

Week 9 27 September Principle 7: Good research makes the familiar strange

Week 10 4 October Principle 8: Good research respects human dignity and safety

Week 11 11 October Principle 9: Good research defends the truth

Week 12 18 October Principle 10: Good research has im-pact

Week 13 25 October Summary and Reflections

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Unit Content

and Resources

WEEK 1 — 2 AUGUST 2021

Welcome to Investigating and Explaining Society!

Lecture Content Lecturer

Why should we investigate and explain society? How can we go about it? On this first day of this unit, we will discuss these ques-tions, and provide an overview of ‘Ten Key Principles of Good Re-search’ we will be examining throughout the semester. We will also introduce the teaching team, share their stories and what drives them to conduct social science research.

Hans Asenbaum

Nicole Curato

Selen Ercan

Nick Vlahos

Short Videos: Introductions by Unit Conveners

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PRIN CIPLE 1

Good research begins with good questions


What is a research question, how is it different from the questions we ask in our daily conversations? How do we make sure that we formulate a good research question? This lecture will focus on dif-ferent types of research questions, consider the qualities of a good research question and outline the necessary steps to develop it.

Selen Ercan

Short Video

Formulating research question Ariadne Vromen

Required Reading

Wayne, C. Booth, Colomb, Gregory G. and Williams, Joseph M. (2008) “From Topics to Ques-tions”. Chapter 3 in The Craft of Research. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press (3rd edition), pp. 35-49.

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PRIN CIPLE 2

Good research requires good design


How do we move from a good research question to a feasible re-search design? Planning is vital in any kind of social research and it requires some decisions to be made. The research consists of several components or phases. For good research, it is key that these com-ponents are well aligned. This week we will focus on the type of de-cisions we need to make when designing research projects and out-line the major components of good research design.

Hans Asenbaum

Short Videos

Methods chat: What is positivist research? Jill Sheppard

Demonstration case: The power of interpretivist research Carolyn Hendriks

Required Reading

Schwartz-Shea, Peregrine and Yanow, Dvora (2012) Wherefore Research Designs? (Chapter 1) in Interpretive Research Design. Concepts and Processes. London: Routledge, pp. 15-23.

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PRIN CIPLE 3

Good research builds on previous body of work


Good research stands on the shoulders of giants. We advance knowledge by building on an existing body of literature, locating our work in research traditions, and engaging in on-going debates. This lecture will focus on the importance of literature reviews in the research process and outline different ways of undertaking litera-ture reviews. We will also look at how literature reviews can be used as a research method in their own right.

Hans Asenbaum

Short Video

Research Story: Literature Review Nicole Curato

Required Reading

Durant, Ben (2014) “Doing quicker literature reviews. Four ways to better exploit digital era capabilities”, LSE Blog, December 8.

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PRIN CIPLE 4

Good research reveals patterns of behaviour


This week we will start exploring a range of qualitative and quanti-tative research methods and data gathering techniques when we seek to investigate and explain the social and political world and re-veal patterns of behaviour. We will explore the examples of both traditional and innovative techniques of gathering and analysing data gathering including survey research, experiments and Q meth-odology. We will hear from a number of experienced researchers about the methods they use for revealing patterns of behaviour and discuss questions around generalizability of these patterns.

Selen Ercan

Short Video

Demonstration case: Spotting patterns in qualitative research Hendrik Wagenaar

Required Reading

Braun, Virginia and Victoria Clarke (2006) “Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology”, Qualita-tive Research in Psychology 3(2):77-101.

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WEEK 6 — 6 SEPTEMBER 2021

PRIN CIPLE 5

Good research requires a sharp eye


This week we will focus on the importance of having ‘a sharp eye’ for conducting good research and consider visual methods social science researchers use to investigate and explain society. These include methods such as photo elicitation, or analytical approaches such as dramaturgy which are used to understand and make sense of the im-ages, artefacts or nonverbal performances. We will hear from some of the leading researchers in the field about the ways they work with visuals and what a critical analysis of visuals can reveal about the so-cial and political topics under investigation.

Selen Ercan

Short Videos

Guest Lecture: Visuals in Social Science Research Roland Bleiker

Demonstration Case: Photo Elicitation Pia Rowe

Required Reading

Doerr, Nicole and Milman, Noa (2014) “Working with Images”. In: Della Porta, Donatella (ed.) Methodological Practices in Social Movement Research. Oxford Scholarship Online.

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PRIN CIPLE 6

Good research needs attentive listening


How can social scientists effectively listen while conducting re-search? How can we analyse not only what people say but also their silences, hesitations, and glaring omissions? This week, we are go-ing to discuss some important theoretical ideas and consider vari-ous applied practices of listening. We will particularly explore at-tentive and deep listening skills required for better explaining and investigating society. We are going to hear from researchers who have deployed innovative techniques to listen to people, the envi-ronment and institutions.

Nick Vlahos

Short Videos

Demonstration case: Listening to the environment John Dryzek

Demonstration case: Listening to institutions Kerry McCallum

Required Reading

Bennett, Katy, Cochrane, Allan, Mohan, Giles, and Neal, Sarah. (2015). “Listening”, Emotion, Space and Society 17: 7-14.


Lecture free period

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PRIN CIPLE 7

Good research makes the familiar strange


“Familiarity is the staunchest enemy of inquisitiveness”, argues so-ciologist Zygmunt Bauman. In this week's lecture, we will learn how to challenge our taken for granted assumptions and make the fa-miliar strange. But what exactly does this mean? This week’s lec-ture discusses how 'making the familiar strange' is both a research ethos and a methodological practice.

Nicole Curato

Short Video

Demonstration case: Ethnography for the internet Annisa Beta

Required Reading

Hochschild, Arlie Russell (2016) “The American Right: Its Deep Story”, Global Dialogue 6(3)

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WEEK 10 — 4 OCTOBER 2021

PRIN CIPLE 8

Good research respects human dignity and safety


Researchers have ethical obligations. No study is worth risking the safety and dignity of researchers and their participants. The practice of research, however, is often messy. Inevitably, social scientists will encounter moral dilemmas and ethical issues, which have no easy answers. In this session, we will discuss the ethics and politics of so-cial research and directly learn from researchers’ experiences in managing these dilemmas.

Nicole Curato

Short Video

Demonstration case: Researching domestic and family violence Hayley Boxall

Required Reading

Ndlovu-Gatsheni, Sabelo (2017) ‘Decolonising research methodology must include undoing its dirty history,’ The Conversation. September 27.

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PRIN CIPLE 9

Good research defends the truth


Good research defends the truth. Or a version of it. We now live in a world where the value of truth is undermined by disinformation, gas-lighting and systematic disinvestment in social research. How do we investigate society in this context? This week we will explore the rela-tionship between facts and values, politicizing truth, and examine the role of truth in addressing transgenerational injustices.

Nick Vlahos

Short Videos

Globalization’s Discontents Joseph Stiglitz

National Truth and Reconciliation commissioner discusses impacts of residential schools

Marie Wilson

Required Reading

Kaebnick, Gregory E. (2021) Science Doesn’t Work That Way. Boston Review. April 30.

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PRIN CIPLE 10

Good research has impact


What counts as impact in research? Should researchers even strive to make a political impact? In the final substantive lecture of this se-mester, we examine how social science research ‘can make a differ-ence’ by examining different ways in which research can reshape our societies. We revisit classic debates about objective and value-free research as well as innovative ways in which social scientists disseminate their research findings today.

Nicole Curato

Short Video

Demonstration case: Activist research Kehinde Andrews

Required Reading

Mackay, Fiona (2017) “Jane Mansbridge - A Quietly Dangerous Woman”, Dangerous Women Project. 8 March.

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Summary and Reflections


Roundup: Teaching team on the 10 key principles of research

Hans Asenbaum, Nicole Curato, Selen Ercan, Nick Vlahos

Roundup: Students on the highlights, challenges, and adventures of Investigating and Explaining Society

TBC

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Assessments Assessment Overview

Description Value Due Date Learning Outcomes

A Develop a research question 350-500 words

20% 20 Aug (23:59) 1, 2, 5

B Design a research project 12-15 slides

40% 24 Sept 2021 (23:59) 1,2,3,4,5

C Review a research paper 1,800- 2,000 words

40% 29 Oct 2021 (23:59) 1,2,3,4,5

ASSIGNMENT A

Develop a Research Question

Value 20%

Format requirements Minimum of 350 words, maximum of 500 words. 12-point font, single spaced.

Due date 20 Aug (23:59) Task: Research questions are key to conducting good research. The research question orients the social scientist during the entire research process and hence needs to be well crafted. This assignment requires you to watch a short video on one of the three topics we provide, summarise the content of that video, and develop a research question on the topic. See the example we provided on the Canvas site for further clarification.

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There are 4 steps to this assignment. Step 1: Watch one of the following videos and write a brief summary of its content.

a. Topic: The crisis of democracy and new forms of citizens’ engagement Video: How to restore trust in politics, The Economist (8:09)

b. Topic: The spread of disinformation in public sphere Video: Misinformation about COVID vaccines is putting Australia’s diverse communi-ties at risk, ABC News (2:07)

c. Topic: The rise of far-right extremism Video: The far right and mainstream Australian politics, Guardian (3:45)

Step 2: Briefly describe what the video is about (like you would to a friend who hasn’t seen it). You should give an overview of who is in the video, what is the topic, what are the issues being pre-sented, and what do you think is relevant about the video. Write in complete sentences. Step 3: Develop a research question related to the issues presented in the video. Keep in mind that the question needs to be relevant and should be aimed at finding out something new. Indi-cate what type of research question it is based on lecture material. For guidance on what counts as a good research question, see Week 2 lecture on ‘Good research begins with good questions.’ Step 4: Discuss the significance of this research question. What would you like to uncover by studying the question? What benefit will answering this question generate for society? What new insights will research on the question produce? Your submission should follow the following structure:

1. Overview of the video 2. Research question and a brief statement about its type and source 3. Broader significance of the research question

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GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

• Read the rubric before writing the assignment.

• The written submissions must be between 350 and 500 words.

• The uploaded document must be formatted as a Word document.

• Adopt academic standards when developing this paper – do not plagiarise any material!

• Use APA citation style (see UC Referencing guide).

• Please submit your assignment only through Canvas. If you do not submit via Canvas, you will be ineligible for your mark.

Rubric for Assignment A

FAIL PASS

Criteria

No

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Poor

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Pass

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Overview of the video:

Does the overview include a coherent summary of the video? (e.g., what is it about, who is in the video, what are the issues being presented, and what is relevant about the video?)

0 1 2 2.5 3 4 5

Research question:

Is there a clearly formulated research question re-lated the topic(s) covered in the video? Is the type and source of the research question provided?

0 1 2 2.5 3 4 5

Broader significance of the research question:

Is there a clear demonstration of what makes this question relevant and what it aims to achieve?

0 1 2 2.5 3 4 5

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Quality of writing:

Is the writing clear, and correct? (e.g., grammar, syntax, use of complete sentences, punctuation and spelling, and adherence to the prescribed word count).

0 1 2 2.5 3 4 5

Total 20

ASSIGNMENT B

Design a Research Project

Value 40%

Format requirements 12-15 PowerPoint slides

Due date 24 Sept 2021 (23:59)

Task:

This assignment builds on Assignment A. Now that you have crafted a research question based on the video you watched, we now challenge you to further develop that research question to a research design. Instead of writing a paper, we want you to create a PowerPoint presentation that succinctly captures how your research question can be answered.

There are three steps to this assignment:

Step 1: The videos we asked you to watch in the previous assignment is only a teaser. Now, we want you to read a review article that further expounds on the scholarly literature related to the video you watched. The review article will help you prepare your slides and understand the broader context and significance of the project you design.

a. Topic: The crisis of democracy and new forms of citizens’ engagement Review Article: Chwalisz, Claudia (2019): “A New Wave of Deliberative Democracy”, Car-negie Europe.

b. Topic: The spread of disinformation in public sphere Review Article: Lazer, David et al. (2018) “ The Science of Fake News”, Science 359 (6380): 1094-1096.

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c. Topic: The rise of far-right extremism Review Article: Lösel, Friedrich, et al. (2018) “Protective Factors against Extremism and Violent Radicalization: A Systematic Review of Research”, International Journal of Devel-opmental Science 12 (1-2): 89-102.

Step 2: Design a research project responding to the research question you have formulated for Assignment A. You can further improve or change the question based on the feedback received from your tutor, but your topic should remain the same.

Step 3: Prepare 12-15 PowerPoint slides to present your research design. Your slides must contain a clearly formulated research question, provide information about the type(s) of data you need as well as how you will generate and analyse this data (see Week 3 lecture) and follow the struc-ture below:

1. Title: Include a captivating title along with your personal information and date (1 slide) 2. Introduction: What is the research topic? What is the broader context of this topic? (1

slide) 3. Overview of the presentation (table of contents) (1 slide) 4. Setting the scene: Why does this research matter? (1 slide) 5. Research question: What is the central research question? Optional: Several questions

(up to 3) or lead question with sub-questions (1 slide) 6. Data: What kind of information do you need to respond to this question(s)? (2 slides) 7. Methods of data generation: How will you gather this information? What do these

methods involve? (2 slides) 8. Methods of analysis: How will you analyse this information? Why are the methods you

have chosen the most appropriate for the research question(s) you want to answer? (2 slides)

9. Expected outcomes of the research (s) (2 slides) 10. References (1 slide)

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• Read the rubric before preparing your assignment

• You should use PowerPoint slides (min 12, max 15) to prepare your project design.

• Uploaded document must be converted into a pdf document.

• You are encouraged to use images as part of your presentation. Try to make the presenta-tion visually appealing as well as interesting and coherent.

• All information must be captured on the slides – notes pages should not be used.

• Use bullet points to make the presentation concise but try to make the presentation under-standable for someone who doesn’t know the topic.

• Add 8 to 10 references.

• Adopt academic standards when developing this presentation – do not plagiarise any ma-terial!

• Use APA citation style (see UC Referencing Guide).


• See the template on Canvas for an illustrative example.

Rubric for Assignment B

FAIL PASS

Criteria

No

atte

mpt

Poor

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Nee

ds im

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Pass

Cred

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Dist

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Hig

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Research question:

Is there a well thought out, clearly crafted research question (covered in Week 2)?

0 1 2 2.5 3 4 5

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Method(s) of data generation:

Does the research design include method(s) of data generation and explain what it involves? (covered in Week 3)?

0 1 2 2.5 3 4 5

Method(s) of data analysis:

Does the research design include method(s) of analysis and justify the need for these method(s)? (covered in Week 3)?

0 1 2 2.5 3 4 5

Composition:

Do the research question, method(s) of data generation and method(s) of data analysis correspond to each other? Do they fit together?

0 1 2 2.5 3 4 5

Description of expected outcomes:

Does the research design clearly formulate expected outcomes of the research project?

0 1 2 2.5 3 4 5

Visual appeal:

Is the presentation visually appealing? Is it visually clearly structured? Does it contain images where appropriate?

0 1 2 2.5 3 4 5

Presentation/communication style: Does the presentation have a clear flow? Is it systematic and coherent?

0 1 2 2.5 3 4 5

Quality of writing/referencing:

Is the writing clear and correct? (e.g., grammar, syntax, punctuation and spelling, correct? Are there 8 to 10 references?)

0 1 2 2.5 3 4 5

Total 40

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ASSIGNMENT C

Review a Research Paper

Value 40%

Format requirements Minimum of 1,800 words, maximum of 2,000 words. 12-point font, single spaced.

Due date 29 Oct 2021 (23:59)

Task:

Write a review paper (1,800-2,000 words) evaluating one of the following research articles/re-ports based on the 10 Principles of Good Research we covered throughout the semester.

In your review paper, you should explain the extent to which this research article/report con-forms to these principles, emphasising their strengths, weaknesses, and limitations, and pro-vide suggestions on how the research presented in this article can be improved.

Please choose only one of following research articles/reports to evaluate in your review paper drawing on the 10 Principles of Good Research:

1. Repucci, S. and Slipowitz, A. (2020) Democracy under lockdown: Impact of Covid19 on the global struggle for freedom. Washington DC: Freedom House.

2. Bleiker, R., Campbell, D., Hutchison, E. and Nicholson, X. (2013). The visual dehumani-sation of refugees. Australian Journal of Political Science, 48(4): 398-416.

3. Tiller, E., Fildes, J., Hall, S., Hicking, V., Greenland, N., Liyanarachchi, D., and Di Nicola, K. (2020) Youth Survey Report 2020. New South Wales: Mission Australia. (Note: Read pp. 1-38 only)

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• The assignment follows a template, which is provided on the Canvas site.

• Read the rubric before writing the assignment.

• We prepared answers to FAQs on the Canvas site.

• Written submissions must be no more than 2,000 words.

• Uploaded document must be formatted as a Word document.

• Adopt academic standards when developing this paper – do not plagiarise any material!

• Use APA citation style (see UC Referencing Guide).


Rubric for Assignment C

FAIL PASS

Criteria

No

atte

mpt

Poor

atte

mpt

Nee

ds im

prov

emen

t

Pass

Cred

it

Dist

inct

ion

Hig

h D

istin

ctio

n

Understanding of the report:

Does the review paper provide a clear and fair summary of the research paper?

0 2 4 5 6 8 10

Demonstration of understanding 10 principles:

Does the review paper demonstrate an understanding of the ‘ten key principles of good research’ presented in the unit?

0 2 4 5 6 8 10

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Critical engagement with research paper/report:

Does the paper weigh the relative merits and shortcomings of the research article/report in relation to the ten key principles?

0 2 4 5 6 8 10

Quality of writing/referencing:

Is the writing clear and correct? (e.g., grammar, syntax, punctuation and spelling, correct referencing and adherence to the prescribed word count).

0 2 4 5 6 8 10

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Teaching Team

Nardine Alnemr is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Deliberative De-mocracy and Global Governance, University of Canberra. She researches how algorithms in online communication affect deliberative democ-racy. Her research interest also includes digital rights. She tweets @nnmer

Hans Asenbaum is a political scientist and political theorist focusing on radical democratic politics, identity, and inclusion. He employs qualita-tive research methods to make sense of political participation, social movements, feminist and queer politics, and democratic innovations. He is particularly interested in empirical methods for developing polit-ical theory in an open and participatory manner. He tweets @Hans_Asenbaum.

Nicole Curato is a prize-winning sociologist specialising in ethno-graphic research methods in field sites recovering from tragedies caused by disasters, armed conflict, urban crime. Aside from her aca-demic publications, Nicole has lent her expertise in media outlets in-cluding The New York Times, BBC World Service, and the ABC, among others. She conceptualises and hosts programs for CNN Philippines and has worked on documentaries featuring her work in conflict zones and slum communities. In this unit, she brings not only her research exper-tise but also her experience in curating digital content for specialised audiences. She tweets @NicoleCurato.

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Selen Ercan is a political scientist with extensive experience in design-ing and undertaking research projects in both Australia and overseas drawing particularly on interpretive research methods. She has pub-lished widely in the areas of democracy and multiculturalism and won awards for best publications. Her recent work focuses on the crisis of de-mocracy and the potential of democratic innovations in addressing this crisis. She tweets @selenAercan.

Anne Jedzini is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance, where she undertakes research on the institutionalisation of deliberative power-sharing arrangements between citizens and politicians in Australian local governments. Anne possesses theoretical and practical knowledge about conducting qualitative research in Social Sciences, especially on participatory action research; a method she has used during her master’s studies at the La Trobe University. Anne has also worked as Senior Research Assistant collecting and analysing qualitative data for various other projects. Most recently, she was involved in a large-scale research project, Australian Citizens' Jury on Genome Editing, where she was responsible for project management and data collection. She tweets @AnneNygaardJed

Nick Vlahos is a political scientist specialising in the interconnection be-tween political economy, decentralization and democratization. Nick’s guiding research focus is to investigate and explain how public deci-sion-making can mitigate inequality. He has conducted participatory qualitative research, held public sector project management roles, worked closely with and part of community associations, and has facil-itated multiple conversations with a variety of stakeholders. He tweets @cnvlahos.

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