As part of the METHODS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH course, GRAND CHALLENGE 2 /Instructional goals builds on the project work initiated during GRAND CHALLENGE 1. In the first-year Sociology course, students were assigned topics to develop into research-oriented projects. During GRAND CHALLENGE 1, they conducted ethnographic fieldwork and presented their findings. In GRAND CHALLENGE 2, students are expected to take their projects a step further by critically reflecting on the ethical dimensions of their research and the principles of data protection. They will revisit their original projects and develop a comprehensive ethics and data protection plan, which will be discussed and presented in class. Module 2 of the GRAND CHALLENGE is linked to the course METHODS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH. It is obligatory that students take the compulsory course METHODS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH and the compulsory Module 2 GRAND CHALLENGE during the same semester.

PROJECT WORK: Throughout the course, students will be guided in the development of a research ethics and data protection plan related to the project undertaken during the previous academic year, within the framework of the GRAND CHALLENGE 1 module. Dedicated in-class sessions will provide both theoretical grounding and practical guidance, with the aim of producing a plan that meets the standards and principles established by the European Union and those upheld by the academic research community. ENQUIRY BASED LEARNING: This second phase of the project encourages students to critically assess the responsibilities involved in conducting research involving human subjects, with particular attention to informed consent, anonymity, and the secure handling of sensitive information. Through this process, students will deepen their understanding of the ethical dimensions of social sciences research and develop skills that are essential for responsible and professional fieldwork. COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Students will strengthen their academic communication skills by presenting and discussing their ethics and data protection plan in class. They will practice articulating complex ethical considerations clearly, responding to critical feedback, and engaging in constructive peer discussion.

Building on the work completed in the GRAND CHALLENGE 1 course, students will return to their original project groups to reflect on its ethical and data protection dimensions. The course introduces the fundamental principles of research ethics and data protection, with particular attention to their application in the social sciences. Key topics include ethical frameworks for research, informed consent, participant rights, and the legal dimensions of data protection, with a specific focus on the standards and guidelines established by the European Union. The course also examines how these issues manifest differently across research methodologies. While examples will primarily draw from qualitative research, one session will specifically address the distinct challenges of ethics and data protection in quantitative research. At the end of the course, each group will be required to develop and present an ethics and data protection plan related to their original GRAND CHALLENGE 1 project.

The instructor in class will provide the required readings.

The GRAND CHALLENGE 2 is not graded, but in order to earn the 2 ECTS credits, students are required to attend the classes, complete the research tasks, and present their work during the dedicated part of the course.

For theses in methods of social research, contact: aleofreddi@luiss.it or azinilli@luiss.it