Graduate School for the Social SciencesIntroduction to Social Science Research

Jo Ferrie

Jo.Ferrie@glasgow.ac.uk

Interim Director of Graduate Training

Social Science Research

• What is it? • What does it encompass?• What do social science researchers do? • What should they be doing?!• Have a chat with your next door neighbour...

ESRC – What is social science?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kUApnFN2vGkn

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1DTRjAqC61s

Beyond ‘impact’ ...

• More /purely theoretical• Less obviously ‘high impact’, moving towards more

‘esoteric’ subject areas

Multi- / inter-disciplinarity

• What do we mean?– Multi-disciplinarity?– Inter-disciplinarity?– Trans-disciplinarity?

– Discuss briefly with your neighbour...

Inter-disciplinarity

• Significant influence on social science research• Carried out in the ‘spaces’ between disciplines• Scope for engaging with fellow social scientists and also

natural/physical scientists• Don’t be afraid to move beyond your disciplinary ‘home’• Key contemporary challenges e.g. University of Glasgow

– http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/rsio/researchstrategypolicies/researchnetworks/

Vulnerability framework

Overview of key elements of an emerging framework for analysis of vulnerability in coupled nature-society systems