Кто читает:: Факультет мировой экономики и мировой политики

Статус:: Курс обязательный

Когда читается:: 4-й курс, 3 модуль

Преподаватели

Варпаховскис Эрикс

Кутелева Анна Вячеславовна

Full Syllabus

Abstract

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 questions. Further, the course invites students to reflect on the usage of quantitative and qualitative methods. 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 do you go about starting a project? How do you 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;
Collect data, using qualitative and quantitative methods;
Collect primary and secondary sources, following research objectives;
Collecting, analyzing, documenting, and reporting research clearly, concisely, logically, and ethically;
Effectively match research question with relevant research methods;
Evaluate primary and secondary sources;
Interpret and evaluate research results;
Master skills in designing and writing academic research proposals, framing research questions, developing hypotheses, and preparing literature reviews;
Understanding the standards for legitimate interpretations of research data within the academic community.
Use e-library and other Internet sources to find relevant data;

Course Contents

WEEK 1 - Jan 10-16. WEEK 1.1: Introduction - EA
WEEK 1.2: Choosing a research question, case(s), and research strategies - E
WEEK 1.3: Quantitative: Surveys & sampling -E
WEEK 2 - Jan. 17-23. WEEK 2.1: Quantitative: Descriptive statistics -E
WEEK 2.2: Quantitative: Introduction to Inferential Statistics -E
WEEK 2.3: Transition: Literature review - I - E
WEEK 3 - Jan 24-30. WEEK 3.1: Transition: Literature review - II - E
WEEK 3.2: Qualitative: Interviews I - A
WEEK 3.3: Qualitative: Interviews II -A
WEEK 4 - Jan 31 - Feb. 6. WEEK 4.1: Qualitative: Discursive methods -A
WEEK 4.2: Qualitative: Case studies & QCA -A
WEEK 4.3: Qualitative: Ethnographic methods -A
WEEK 5 - Feb. 7 - 13. WEEK 5.1: Qualitative: Experiment -E
WEEK 5.2: Policy analysis - E
WEEK 5.3: Activist research I: Feminist Methodologies, queer theory, and critical race theory - A
WEEK 6 - Feb. 14 - 20. WEEK 6.1: Discussion of research proposals & research question presentations - AE
WEEK 6.2: Discussion of research proposals & research question presentations - AE
WEEK 6.3: Discussion of research proposals & research question presentations - AE
WEEK 7 - Feb. 21 - 27*. WEEK 7.1: Individual consultations - AE
WEEK 7.2: Individual consultations - AE
WEEK 7.3: Individual consultations - AE
WEEK 8 - Feb. 28 - March 6. WEEK 8.1: Activist research II: Feminist Methodologies, queer theory, and critical race theory -A
WEEK 8.2: Ethics - I -E
WEEK 8.3: Research culture - A
WEEK 9 - March 7-13 *. WEEK 9.1: Student project presentations - I - AE.
WEEK 9.2: Student project presentations - I - AE
WEEK 9.3: Student project presentations - II - AE
WEEK 10 - March 14 - 20. WEEK 10.1: Participating in the research community - AE
WEEK 10.2: How to fail - E
WEEK 10.3: Wrap up / Final discussion - EA
WEEK 11 - March 21-27. WEEK 11.1: De-brief & thesis feedback - A
WEEK 11.2: De-brief & thesis feedback - A
WEEK 11.3: De-brief & thesis feedback - E

Assessment Elements

Participation during in-class activities
Research questions - presentation
Research proposal - paper
Research proposal - presentation
Review

Interim Assessment

2021/2022 3rd module
0.15 * Research questions - presentation + 0.35 * Research proposal - paper + 0.1 * Review + 0.2 * Research proposal - presentation + 0.2 * Participation during in-class activities

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.

Authors

VARPAHOVSKIS ERIKS -
KUTELEVA ANNA VYACHESLAVOVNA

Бакалаврская программа «Программа двух дипломов НИУ ВШЭ и Университета Кёнхи «Экономика и политика в Азии»»

Research methodologies for International Studies