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LN5547: QUANTITATIVE APPROACHES TO LINGUISTIC RESEARCH (2023-2024)

Last modified: 23 Jul 2024 10:44


Course Overview

This course introduces students to a variety of quantitative approaches used in Linguistics, exploring their advantages and limitations through critical examination of existing work in the field. Topics covered include experiment design, sampling techniques, graphing results, descriptive statistics, and basic inferential statistics. Particular attention is given to analysing quantitative data, with consideration of how research questions inform experimental design and choice of analysis. Throughout the course students will focus on issues of replicability, reliability, and validity in quantitative linguistic research, while developing and reflecting on their own research interests and practice.

Course Details

Study Type Postgraduate Level 5
Term First Term Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Johannes Heim

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Postgraduate Programme

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

This course introduces students to a variety of (mainly) quantitative approaches used in Linguistics and Social Sciences, exploring their advantages and limitations through critical examination of existing work in the field. Topics covered include experiment design, sampling techniques, graphing results, hypothesis testing, descriptive statistics, and basic inferential statistics. Particular attention is given to analysing quantitative data, with consideration of how research questions inform experimental design and choice of analysis. Throughout the course students will focus on issues of replicability, reliability, and validity in quantitative linguistic research, while developing and reflecting on their own research interests and practice.

Students will participate in weekly seminars looking at possible applications of hypothesis testing in contemporary linguistic research and related fields, and complete several short assignments during the course. In addition to a final exam on the assumptions for hypothesis testing introduced in class, students will submit a written piece at the end of the course outlining a research design and plan of analysis for their final dissertation project for the Masters of Research in Linguistics.


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

Multiple Choice Questions

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 40
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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10 online MCQ tests worth 4% each.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualEvaluateEvaluate dominant quantitative approaches in linguistic research and related fields and be able to assess their advantages and limitations
ProceduralApplyFormulate testable research question and select appropriate methods and experimental design to address it
ReflectionUnderstandIdentify realistic research outcomes based on different methodological choices

Project Plan, Summary or Abstract

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 30
Assessment Weeks 12 Feedback Weeks 15

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800-word proposal of experiment design and plan for analysis. The presentation should include a research question, hypothesis, and all ingredients of a Methods section (Participants, Materials, Procedure, Plan of Analysis).

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualEvaluateEvaluate dominant quantitative approaches in linguistic research and related fields and be able to assess their advantages and limitations
ReflectionUnderstandIdentify realistic research outcomes based on different methodological choices

Take Home Exam

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 30
Assessment Weeks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 Feedback Weeks 13

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48 hours to complete. Written feedback to be provided by course tutors through online learning platform.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualEvaluateEvaluate dominant quantitative approaches in linguistic research and related fields and be able to assess their advantages and limitations
ReflectionUnderstandIdentify realistic research outcomes based on different methodological choices

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Resit Assessments

Essay

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 100
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Written feedback to be provided by course tutors.

Word Count 5000
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualEvaluateEvaluate dominant quantitative approaches in linguistic research and related fields and be able to assess their advantages and limitations
ProceduralApplyFormulate testable research question and select appropriate methods and experimental design to address it
ReflectionUnderstandIdentify realistic research outcomes based on different methodological choices

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