Аспирантура 2019/2020

Теоретико-методологические проблемы качественных политических исследований

Статус: Курс по выбору

Направление: 41.06.01. Политические науки и регионоведение

Кто читает: Департамент политической науки

Когда читается: 2-й курс, 1 семестр

Формат изучения: без онлайн-курса

Преподаватели: Малинова Ольга Юрьевна

Язык: английский

Кредиты: 4

Контактные часы: 36

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The course explores theoretical and methodological problems of qualitative political research. It is focused on designing a research based on qualitative methods, not on methods as such. It discusses special ways of formulating research questions for qualitative research, reveals appropriate ways of dealing with concepts, theories and hypothesis, explores the main theoretical approaches elaborated or adapted for qualitative design. It makes a particular focus on analysis of design of the research projects based on different theoretical frames and research technics.

Learning Objectives

• The course seeks to enhance methodological skills of PhD students interested in doing qualitative research. In particular, it aims at development of the following skills: (1) designing a research project (PhD dissertation research) based on qualitative methods; (2) choosing appropriate methods; (3) developing methodologies based on multiple methods of text analysis; (4) presenting results of qualitative research; (5) writing reports about qualitative research.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Know the main approaches and methodologies of qualitative political science research; specific ways of working with concepts, theories, hypothesis, models in such research
• Know a broad spectrum of methods of collection and analysis of qualitative data
• Know the principles of interpreting qualitative data
• Know how a qualitative research can deal with the principles of reliability, validity and generalizability
• Be able to design a credible qualitative research project
• Be able to use appropriate theoretical framework and select appropriate methods
• Be able to develop coherent and persuasive argumentation
• Gain experience in professional communication
• Gain experience in analysis of the texts resulting from political research

Course Contents

• Unit 1. What is a qualitative research? One term – different research practices.
  Research methods or research approaches / paradigms? Development of social sciences and the opposition quantitative vs. qualitative. Methods of data collection or type(s) of research design? Descriptions of quantitative, qualitative and mixed research in the literature. Qualitative strategies of inquiry: ethnographic research, grounded theory, case studies, phenomenological research, narrative research and their applicability in political science. Different model of research inside the “qualitative” field. Qualitative methods in analytic research design. Qualitative methods in constructivist / interpretivist research design. Positivist vs. interpretativist presuppositions. Interpretative empirical research.
• Unit 2. Designing qualitative research
  Is qualitative research “scientific”. The problems of reliability, validity, generalizability. Qualitative research design – 1: Qualitative & “positivist” (qualitative methods + realist / objectivist ontological assumptions + analytic research design). Variable-centered, descriptive, typological designs. Inductive and deductive research strategy. Constructing research questions for Qualitative research design – 1. How to meet the requirements of “good” research. Qualitative research design – 2: Interpretative empirical research (qualitative methods + constructivist / interpretivist ontological assumptions). Designing interpretative empirical research. Abductive research strategy. The work with concepts and theories in an interpretative empirical research. Case studies and their types. Selection of cases for different types of research questions. What is special about designing a case study? Triangulation. Writing a report about qualitative research. How to succeed with publication of article.
• Unit 3. Choosing theoretical framework and methods
  Concepts and theories in qualitative political research. Theories and theory frames (D. Rueschemeyer). Theoretical frameworks as a combination of theoretical assumptions, concepts, typologies, models etc. for analysis of a particular aspect of social reality. Fitting research question into an appropriate theory. Why under-theorizing of qualitative research is a wrong practice? How theoretical ideas shape research questions? The role of the theory in an inductive qualitative research. How to escape over-theorizing? How to prepare an effective literature review for a qualitative research?
• Unit 4. Text as Data. Coding in Qualitative Research.
  Text as data in political research. Collecting texts as data: a plenty of methods and opportunities. Coding as the basic technic of text analysis. Different approaches to coding. Qualitative content analysis. Difference from quantitative content analysis. The procedures of qualitative content analysis. Standard steps: formulating research question, selecting sample, defining categories to be applied, outlining the coding process and the coder training, implementation of coding process, determining trustworthiness, analyzing the results of coding process. Conventional, directive, summative coding. Coding in grounded theory approach: open coding, axial coding and selective coding. Narrative analysis approach to coding. Computer-assisted text analysis.
• Units 5-9. Qualitative methods and strategies of inquiry: analysis of research practices.
  Is conducted in the format of seminars with discussion of presentations prepared by students.

Assessment Elements

• Presentation
• Exam
• Work in class

Interim Assessment

• Interim assessment (1 semester)
  0.5 * Exam + 0.3 * Presentation + 0.2 * Work in class

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Creswell, J. W. . (DE-588)133331512, (DE-576)164944168. (1994). Research design : qualitative and quantitative approaches / John W. Creswell. Thousand Oaks, Calif. [u.a.]: Sage. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.040749258
• Keating, M., & Della Porta, D. (2008). Approaches and Methodologies in the Social Sciences : A Pluralist Perspective. Cambridge , New York: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=304674

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Creswell, J. W. (1998). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design : Choosing Among Five Traditions. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications Inc. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=63251
• Wiedemann, G. (2013). Opening up to big data: computer-assisted analysis of textual data in social sciences. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.F7BE745E