Introduction to the scientific approach

Duration

30h Th

Number of credits

Lecturer

Julie Gérard

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

The "Introduction to the Scientific Process" course is part of a multidisciplinary perspective and in continuity with the other "methodologically oriented" courses of the MIPGC.
As the MIPGC is situated at the crossroads of three major disciplinary fields (psychology, sociology and law), this course aims to make students aware of the scientific process and its various approaches by developing their critical thinking and their status as reflective practitioners.
After a socio-historical presentation of the foundations of the scientific process and its evolution, the course will present the basic principles of the scientific process and its various approaches. In order to confront the students with the different ways of conceiving an authentically scientific work, specialists in psychology, sociology and law will respectively present the specificities of their scientific approach. Students will then discover how to concretely carry out the first steps of a research in social sciences.
 

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

In this context, the student will be required to :

• carry out various practical exercises in groups of three,
• identify and define a concrete research object to be analyzed from a common theme in the class,
• progressively build a scientific research approach based on resources and methodological references made available (exploration of grey and scientific literature, definition of a mode of inference and a starting question, realization of a literature review, presentation of an analysis model, etc.).

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

No prerequisites or corequisites for this course.
 

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The course is resolutely participative and is nourished by the students' opinions, reflections and observations. It is organized around theoretical and practical sessions as well as the participation of various guests. Each session is built around methodological and theoretical frameworks as well as formative exercises to be carried out and moments of discussion and exchange in order to help the students to carry out their group work.
 

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Blended learning


Additional information:

The teaching mode is:

• hybrid (face-to-face and distance learning depending on the conditions related to the health crisis) via the tools of the eCampus platform,
• resolutely participative and dynamic,
• based on the realization of various group works.

Recommended or required readings

• Course content (PowerPoint, videos, texts, etc.) available on eCampus.
• The "Manuel de recherche en sciences sociales" by Luc Van Campenhoudt, Jacques Marquet and Raymond Quivy (Paris, Dunod, 2017, 5th ed.)

Assessment methods and criteria

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam AND oral exam

Written work / report


Additional information:

Group work of 3 students of maximum 10 pages (80% of the final grade) and oral presentation (20%).
It will be evaluated on the basis of a written work to be carried out by groups of three students in which the students will try their hand at the scientific approach based on the analysis of a concrete research object freely chosen according to the general theme imposed by the teacher. They will have to present the research object, the scientific approach and the research protocol that could be implemented to answer the initial question. The group work must be submitted on the eCampus platform by the first day of the exam session and will be the subject of an oral presentation. The evaluation methods are identical in the 1st and 2nd sessions.
 
 
 

Work placement(s)

Organizational remarks

The first class will be given in person on Tuesday 21/09 at 10:00 am on the Sart-Tilman Campus (see the class schedule).
Please note: access to eCampus (and therefore to the course materials) will only be possible once the PAE of each student has been validated!
Link to eCampus: https://www.ecampus.uliege.be/
 
 
 

Contacts

Julie GERARD
Université de Liège (CRIS) - Faculté des Sciences Sociales Sociologie des organisations et de l'intervention Place des Orateurs, 3 (Bât. B31 - Quartier Agora) 4000 Liège - Bureau 1.97
julie.gerard@uliege.be