Students

SSCI100 – Introduction to Social Science

2018 – S1 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor
Dr. Adam Stebbing
Contact via Email
South Wing, Level 2, Australian Hearing Hub
By appointment
Lecturer
Professor Gabrielle Meagher
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South Wing, Level 2, Australian Hearing Hub
Lecturer
Dr. Peter Rogers
Contact via Email
South Wing, Level 2, Australian Hearing Hub
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit introduces students to the distinctive disciplinary perspectives of social science in theory and practice. It addresses three major themes: thinking socially (examining distinctions between natural and social sciences), the founders and foundations of social science (theory, research design and method); and the impact of social science as a force for global change (policy, planning, management and activism). Core topics and themes in the Bachelor degree are developed, highlighting available majors within the program. The unit emphasises the development of professional graduate capabilities and applied critical skills through a significant component of engaged learning.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • understand the theoretical foundations of social scientific inquiry and methodologies
  • appreciate the contributions disciplinary and interdisciplinary social science approaches make to knowledge of the world around us
  • demonstrate understanding of the close relationships between theory and practice in the social sciences
  • gain first hand practical experience by producing an annotated bibliography and a literature review on key contemporary social issues
  • design a program of learning by producing and critically reflecting on a degree plan
  • display critical thinking in course sessions and written assessments
  • develop proficiency in applied social science skills. These include: scoping a research question; high level information retrieval; critical reading and analysis skills; and, writing skills.

General Assessment Information

Academic Honesty

Academic Honesty is an intergral part of the core values and principles contained in the Macquarie University Ethics Statement. Its fundamental principle is that all staff and students act with integrity in the creation, development, application and use of ideas and information. This means that:

  • All academic work claimed as original is the work of the author making the claim
  • All academic collaborations are acknowledged
  • Academic work is not falsified in any way
  • When the ideas of others are used, these ideas are acknowledged appropriately

More information is available from Policy Central here.

 

University Grading Policy

The grade that a student receives will signify their overall performance in meeting the learning outcomes of the unit of study. Graded units will use the following grades

HD    High Distinction        85-100

D      Distinction                 75-84

Cr     Credit                        65-74

P      Pass                          50-64

F      Fail                              0-49

 

Return of Marked Work

As per university policy, written assessments will be returned to students within three weeks of the submission date. Early assignments will not be marked early. 

 

Special Consideration (Extensions)

The University recognises that students may experience events or conditions that adversely affect their academic performance. If you experience serious and unavoidable difficulties at exam time or when assessment tasks are due, you can consider applying for Special Consideration.

You need to show that the circumstances:

  1. were serious, unexpected and unavoidable
  2. were beyond your control
  3. caused substantial disruption to your academic work
  4. substantially interfered with your otherwise satisfactory fulfilment of the unit requirements
  5. lasted at least three consecutive days or a total of 5 days within the teaching period and prevented completion of an assessment task scheduled for a specific date.

More information about Special Consideration is available here.

 

Late Penalties

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.

 

Campus Wellbeing

Macquarie University offers a range of wellbeing services (including [but not limited to]: health, welfare, counselling, disability and student advocacy services) that are available to you at any time during your studies. Campus Wellbeing is here to support you and help you succeed, both academically and personally. More information is available here.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Degree Plan Activity 5% No Week 3
Online Quizzes 15% No Weeks 5, 8 & 11
Annotated Bibliography 25% No Friday of Week 7
Literature Review 45% No Saturday of Week 13
Active Participation 10% No Ongoing

Degree Plan Activity

Due: Week 3
Weighting: 5%

This activity requires you to come up with a plan for your degree that you want to pursue for the next 3 to 5 years (depending on which degree program you are enrolled in). You need to identify: what year you commenced your degree; which major(s) you plan to undertake; core social science units (if applicable); a minor and/or any electives; and, a suitable people and planet unit. You should also provide a brief justification of up to one page explaining your choices.

This activity should be completed using the provided template and guide. You will need to bring along a paper copy of your degree plan to discuss in class and submit a copy to your tutor. You will also need to submit a copy via the Turnitin link on the course iLearn page. It will be marked on a pass or fail basis. You will receive full marks for appropriately completing the activity. 

N.B. Please note that you are not receiving academic or program advice through this activity. It is your responsibility to develop an appropriate plan. Rather, this activity is designed to assist you in planning your degree - an important time management skill. Program or academic advice can be accessed from the usual sources.

If you would like to follow up and receive program advice (to confirm whether your plan meets the degree requirements), this can be requested via ask.mq.edu.au.  You are also able to organise an appointment with an academic advisor from your major or degree to assist you in strategically selecting units to complement your program of study (http://arts.mq.edu.au/current_students/undergraduate/academic_advisors_list).

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • design a program of learning by producing and critically reflecting on a degree plan
  • develop proficiency in applied social science skills. These include: scoping a research question; high level information retrieval; critical reading and analysis skills; and, writing skills.

Online Quizzes

Due: Weeks 5, 8 & 11
Weighting: 15%

Throughout the semester, students are required to undertake three online quizzes. Each quiz will consist of 10 multiple choice questions and contribute 5 per cent toward the final mark for SSCI100. You will be asked to read each question and select the BEST response from the available options. These quizzes are designed to provide you with ongoing insights into how you are going in the course. It will draw on both lecture materials and course readings.

All quizzes will become available in the Assessments tab on the iLearn page. Each quiz will have a time limit of 15 minutes and can only be taken once. The first quiz will be available from Thursday until Friday (at 11.59pm) of Week 5. The second quiz will be available from Thursday until Friday of Week 8. The third quiz will be available from Monday until Friday of Week 11.

N.B. In the event of technical difficulties, we ask you to take a screenshot (if possible) as supporting evidence and to lodge a OneHelp ticket (https://mq.service-now.com/onehelp_public/).

Further information of the process to follow is available on the course iLearn page. It is also your responsibility to contact course staff before the due date. Please ensure that you can access the link to the quiz on the Thursday it becomes available (without starting the quiz unless you want to). As per the Faculty of Arts policy, no late submissions will be accepted for the online quiz without an extension received via the Special Consideration Policy.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • understand the theoretical foundations of social scientific inquiry and methodologies
  • appreciate the contributions disciplinary and interdisciplinary social science approaches make to knowledge of the world around us
  • demonstrate understanding of the close relationships between theory and practice in the social sciences
  • develop proficiency in applied social science skills. These include: scoping a research question; high level information retrieval; critical reading and analysis skills; and, writing skills.

Annotated Bibliography

Due: Friday of Week 7
Weighting: 25%

Annotated bibliographies are important research tools that provide us with a record of the sources that we have examined over the course of a research project. So, what is an annotated bibliography? An annotated bibliography is an organised list of sources, each of which is followed by a brief note or ‘annotation’ of about 150 to 200 words (for the purposes of this assessment).

An annotated bibliography summarises the core arguments of several sources and provides brief analysis. Writing an annotation for a source has two parts. The first step is to explain the work and its topic. In this part, you will repeat the author's ideas, not your own. Please avoid providing an overview of the source's structure - make sure that you are focused on outlining and explaining the main ideas.

The second step is to provide some analysis of the source. You should do at least one of the following:

  • assess the position it takes in relation to the research topic and question.
  • evaluate the methods used in the source
  • evaluate the source’s conclusions
  • explain the relevance of the source to the research topic and question.

For this annotated bibliography, we will provide you with a selection of research topics and relevant sources to choose between. We advise you to read at least five sources from the list, but you should select three sources and write annotations for them.

The sources we use in our papers can provide us with access to other relevant sources. So, you should also identify up to 3 cross-references from each source that you write an annotation for, which requires you to search the reference list for other sources of interest and to write down their citations. Choose the most relevant sources. If you have any queries about this, ask the unit convenor. 

While annotated bibliographies usually consist only of annotations, this task requires you to write an introduction and conclusion so that we can provide you with feedback on your writing. Please note that annotations for individual sources should not have introductions or conclusions. Rather, the introduction and conclusion should be written for the annotated bibliography as a whole.

N.B. A template will be provided for this assessment. We strongly recommend that you follow it. As part of preparing for the annotated bibliography and literature review tasks, you will be required to undertake a number of University Research Skills modules (more information to follow on course iLearn page). 

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • appreciate the contributions disciplinary and interdisciplinary social science approaches make to knowledge of the world around us
  • demonstrate understanding of the close relationships between theory and practice in the social sciences
  • gain first hand practical experience by producing an annotated bibliography and a literature review on key contemporary social issues
  • display critical thinking in course sessions and written assessments
  • develop proficiency in applied social science skills. These include: scoping a research question; high level information retrieval; critical reading and analysis skills; and, writing skills.

Literature Review

Due: Saturday of Week 13
Weighting: 45%

Literature reviews are routinely employed in the social sciences to provide a concise analysis of the existing research literature that is relevant to a particular project. This project may relate to social research or the social sciences more broadly. As their names suggest, literature reviews seek to provide a summary and analysis of a body of literature (in contrast to a critical review that typically focuses on one source).

The introduction of the literature review should establish the context of your research question (i.e. the topic it relates to), identify the question that this review is focused on, and offer an explanation of how and why the literature will be reviewed. A good literature review will go beyond summarising the articles – one after the other (this is an annotated bibliography). Instead, the body of the literature review will link and compare the articles being reviewed, reorganising the material, focusing on the main themes, ideas and methodologies encountered in the literature. You might conclude your review by explaining how the reviewed literature is relevant or significant to your research question.

For this task, you will be required to select ONE of the topics identified on the SSCI100 iLearn page in the Assessments tab. As well as reading and reviewing three of the sources provided, you will also need to locate and review two of your own sources relevant to the research question. More information on how to research, read and review sources for a literature review will be provided over the semester on the course iLearn page and in the weekly workshops.

N.B. Please note that you should choose a different topic for the annotated bibliography and literature review. As part of preparing for the annotated bibliography and literature review tasks, you will be required to undertake a number of University Research Skills modules (more information to follow on course iLearn page). 

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • appreciate the contributions disciplinary and interdisciplinary social science approaches make to knowledge of the world around us
  • demonstrate understanding of the close relationships between theory and practice in the social sciences
  • gain first hand practical experience by producing an annotated bibliography and a literature review on key contemporary social issues
  • display critical thinking in course sessions and written assessments
  • develop proficiency in applied social science skills. These include: scoping a research question; high level information retrieval; critical reading and analysis skills; and, writing skills.

Active Participation

Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 10%

The tutorials are compulsory from weeks 1 to 12 of semester. You are required to actively participate in at least 80 per cent of weekly tutorials in this course. As an incentive, 10 percent of your final mark will be awarded for your attendance and your participation in the course. We will look for evidence that you have done the readings and your ability to engage respectfully with other students. Your tutor and a rubric on iLearn will provide more details of the expectations for active participation.

N.B. We encourage you to submit 300 to 400 word summaries of the lecture on iLearn.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • understand the theoretical foundations of social scientific inquiry and methodologies
  • demonstrate understanding of the close relationships between theory and practice in the social sciences
  • display critical thinking in course sessions and written assessments
  • develop proficiency in applied social science skills. These include: scoping a research question; high level information retrieval; critical reading and analysis skills; and, writing skills.

Delivery and Resources

Lecture and workshop times

Lectures will take place on Tuesdays from 11am to 1pm in T1 of 17 Wally's Walk. External students can access lecture recordings and visual materials used via ECHO360 on iLearn. External students are also welcome to attend lectures in person.

Tutorials will take place every Tuesday . Please note that you are required to prepare for tutorials by doing the weekly readings and activities (where relevant) before class.

Technology used

The following technologies are used in SSCI100...

iLearn

Important information about the weekly schedule for SSCI100, course readings and assessment are all available on the course iLearn page. If you do not have access, please contact IT help. You are required to check iLearn and your student email regularly for course updates and information.

Turnitin and GradeMark

The written assessment for SSCI100 needs to be submitted via Turnitin. A link to Turnitin is available via the Assessments tab on the iLearn page. Please contact the convenor if you cannot find it (do not leave it until the day of the assessment). Assessments will be marked via GradeMark and returned to students electronically.

Textbook

This course has one required textbook:

Machi, L.A. & B.T. McEvoy (2016) The Literature Review: Six Steps to Success, 3rd Edition, Sage: Thousand Oaks.

Readings on e-reserve

Additional readings for the course should be available free-of-charge via e-Reserve. e-Reserve has been incorporated into the MultiSearch tool that is accessible via the Macquarie University library website.

Changes since the last offering of this unit

This course has been reviewed and updated since the last offering to suit the new social science curriculum. Changes include redesign of the weekly schedule, assessments, learning outcomes and tutorial plans.

Unit Schedule

Wk Lecture Topic  Tutorial
 1  Introducing the Social Sciences (AS)  Introducing SSCI100
 2  Objects of investigation: Thinking socially (AS)  Degree planning workshop
 3  Technology, surveillance & everyday life (PR)  The Internet: Online democracy or panopticon?
 4  Facebook, virtual spaces and identity (GM)  How to ask interesting questions that matter - a workshop
 5  Uber, robots & the 'Gig Economy' (GM)  Writing introductions & conclusions
 6 In the eye of the beholder: Subcultures and style (PR)  What is the literature? Retrieving & assessing information 
 7  When disaster strikes... Risk, disaster & resilience (PR)  What is an argument? 
 8  The good life: Understanding wellbeing, happiness & quality of life (AS)  Surveying the literature
9  Binding the micro & macro: From everyday to global inequality (GM)  The art of critique
10  Unlocking the research imagination: Theory + methods + analysis (AS)  The writing process
11  What 'counts' as knowledge in the social sciences? (PR)  Writing to sharpen the argument
12  A matter of tradition? Social science research today (AS)  Looking ahead/ Literature review workshop
13  Revision week (no tutorials)  NA

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • design a program of learning by producing and critically reflecting on a degree plan

Assessment task

  • Degree Plan Activity

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • demonstrate understanding of the close relationships between theory and practice in the social sciences
  • gain first hand practical experience by producing an annotated bibliography and a literature review on key contemporary social issues
  • develop proficiency in applied social science skills. These include: scoping a research question; high level information retrieval; critical reading and analysis skills; and, writing skills.

Assessment tasks

  • Degree Plan Activity
  • Annotated Bibliography
  • Literature Review
  • Active Participation

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • design a program of learning by producing and critically reflecting on a degree plan
  • display critical thinking in course sessions and written assessments

Assessment tasks

  • Degree Plan Activity
  • Active Participation

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • understand the theoretical foundations of social scientific inquiry and methodologies
  • appreciate the contributions disciplinary and interdisciplinary social science approaches make to knowledge of the world around us

Assessment tasks

  • Online Quizzes
  • Literature Review

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • appreciate the contributions disciplinary and interdisciplinary social science approaches make to knowledge of the world around us
  • display critical thinking in course sessions and written assessments
  • develop proficiency in applied social science skills. These include: scoping a research question; high level information retrieval; critical reading and analysis skills; and, writing skills.

Assessment tasks

  • Annotated Bibliography
  • Literature Review

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • understand the theoretical foundations of social scientific inquiry and methodologies
  • appreciate the contributions disciplinary and interdisciplinary social science approaches make to knowledge of the world around us
  • demonstrate understanding of the close relationships between theory and practice in the social sciences
  • develop proficiency in applied social science skills. These include: scoping a research question; high level information retrieval; critical reading and analysis skills; and, writing skills.

Assessment tasks

  • Online Quizzes
  • Annotated Bibliography
  • Literature Review

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • display critical thinking in course sessions and written assessments
  • develop proficiency in applied social science skills. These include: scoping a research question; high level information retrieval; critical reading and analysis skills; and, writing skills.

Assessment tasks

  • Online Quizzes
  • Annotated Bibliography
  • Literature Review
  • Active Participation

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • demonstrate understanding of the close relationships between theory and practice in the social sciences
  • gain first hand practical experience by producing an annotated bibliography and a literature review on key contemporary social issues

Assessment task

  • Annotated Bibliography

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • gain first hand practical experience by producing an annotated bibliography and a literature review on key contemporary social issues