This course covers the basic techniques for collecting, interpreting, and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data. It is intended to introduce students to unifying ontological and epistemological perspectives that will help them to integrate diverse approaches originating in different areas of social sciences. The course opens up with a discussion of conceptualization, theory, research design, and strategies for framing research questions. Further, the course invites students to reflect on the usage of quantitative and qualitative methods in international studies. We will also cover comparative methods and discuss research ethics and culture.Theoretically, we will consider questions such as the following: What are ways of assessing empirical or theoretical significance? What is qualitative and quantitative research? By what criteria do different methodologies meet or fail to meet the standards of scientific evidence? When is generalizability necessary? What are surveys best suited for? Can qualitative research verify hypotheses, or only generate them? Can qualitative research explain social phenomena, or only interpret them? In what ways is ethnographic research “grounded”? Is replicability possible in interview-based research? Practically, we will consider questions such as the following: How does one go about starting a project? How does one connect theory, research design, and data collection? How should one structure an interview schedule? How many interviews are enough? How does one ensure reliability? How does one write good fieldnotes? How does one determine the best sampling strategy? What is coding? How does one write an ethnographic paper?
Learning Objectives
The primary goal is to teach students how to build research, using appropriate quantitative and qualitative methods. The course also will help students to become critical and conscious consumers of social science evidence and research that they are exposed to, especially in the media.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Distinguish between qualitative and quantitative research methods;
- Choose a research strategy to conduct an academic study;
- Operate with key terminology necessary to design and describe an academic research;
- Master skills in designing and writing academic research proposals, framing research questions, developing hypotheses, and preparing literature reviews;
- Collecting, analyzing, documenting, and reporting research clearly, concisely, logically, and ethically;
- Effectively match research question with relevant research methods;
- Evaluate primary and secondary sources;
- Collect primary and secondary sources, following research objectives;
- Collect data, using qualitative and quantitative methods;
- Interpret and evaluate research results;
- Use e-library and other Internet sources to find relevant data;
- Understanding the standards for legitimate interpretations of research data within the academic community.
Course Contents
WEEK 1: Introduction
WEEK 2: Choosing a research question, developing hypotheses, selecting case(s), research strategies, doing preliminary research; formulating research titles, explaining significance of your study
WEEK 3: Qualitative: Interviews + Focus Groups
WEEK 4: Qualitative: Discursive methods
WEEK 5: Qualitative: Case studies & QCA
WEEK 6: Qualitative: Ethnographic methods
WEEK 7: Qualitative: Process-tracing
WEEK 8: Mid-term I
WEEK 9: Module 2 Intro and discussion over research proposals
WEEK 10: Literature review
WEEK 11: Writing up a methodology section
WEEK 12: Quantitative: Surveys & sampling
WEEK 13: Quantitative: Descriptive statistics
WEEK 14: Quantitative: Experiment
WEEK 15: Quantitative: Introduction to Inferential Statistics
WEEK 16: Policy analysis/ Policy research
WEEK 17: Midterm exam II: quantitative research proposal, Dec 21 - Dec 26
MODULE 3 WEEK 18: How to succeed and how to fail? Introduction to thesis defense procedure and experience sharing session with alumni
WEEK 19: Ethics
WEEK 20
WEEK 21
WEEK 23-24
WEEK 24
Assessment Elements
Participation in in-class activities and discussions
Mid-term Exam
Final exam: research proposal presentation and paper submission
Research Question and hypothesis submission
Review
Research Question: Presentation
Interim Assessment
2025/2026 3rd module
0.17 * Final exam: research proposal presentation and paper submission + 0.148 * Mid-term Exam + 0.148 * Mid-term Exam + 0.083 * Participation in in-class activities and discussions + 0.051 * Participation in in-class activities and discussions + 0.083 * Participation in in-class activities and discussions + 0.099 * Research Question and hypothesis submission + 0.099 * Research Question and hypothesis submission + 0.068 * Research Question: Presentation + 0.051 * Review
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
A Vyacheslavovna Kuteleva. (2015). A Critical Survey of the Field of Comparative Politics. RUDN Journal of Political Science, 4, 85–108.
Belcher, W. L. (DE-588)103278413X, (DE-627)739934139, (DE-576)380287447, aut. (2009). Writing your journal article in 12 weeks a guide to academic publishing success Wendy Laura Belcher.
Cambridge handbook of experimental political science ed. by James N. Druckman; Donald P. Greene; James H. Kuklinski; Arthur Lupia. (2011).
Gerardo L. Munck. (2006). The past and Present of Comparative Politics. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.583E2E94
Mark Israel, & Iain Hay. (2006). Research Ethics for Social Scientists. SAGE Publications Ltd.
Nachmias, C., & Leon-Guerrero, A. (2000). Social Statistics for a Diverse Society: Vol. 2nd ed. Sage Publications, Inc.
Peters, B. G. (2013). Strategies for Comparative Research in Political Science. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1522713
Recommended Additional Bibliography
Fleming, W. G. (1970). The Logic of Comparative Social Inquiry. By Adam Przeworski and Henry Teune. (New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1970. Pp. 153. $8.50.). American Political Science Review, 4, 1255.
Lijphart, A. (1971). Comparative Politics and the Comparative Method. American Political Science Review, (03), 682. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.a.cup.apsrev.v65y1971i03p682.693.13
Ruppert, E., Law, J., & Savage, M. (2013). Reassembling Social Science Methods: the challenge of digital devices.
Преподаватели
Варпаховскис Эрикс
Карпич Юлия Владимировна
Course Syllabus
Abstract
Learning Objectives
Expected Learning Outcomes
Course Contents
Assessment Elements
Interim Assessment
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
Recommended Additional Bibliography
Authors