Postgraduate course 2021/2022

Research Design for Political Science

Type: Compulsory course

Area of studies: Political Science and Area Studies

Delivered by: School of Politics and Governance

When: 1 year, 1 semester

Mode of studies: offline

Open to: students of one campus

Instructors: Kyle Marquardt

Language: English

ECTS credits: 4

Contact hours: 36

Course Syllabus

Abstract

In this course, students will learn cutting-edge methods for designing social-scientific research projects, with particular emphasis on political science. Topics will include general overviews of causal inference, as well as case selection, measurement and ethics. While the course will focus on positivist approaches, the course will be broadly applicable to students with a variety of methodological and ontological approaches.

Learning Objectives

• Developing familiarity with key aspects of social scientific research design and their application, as well as awareness of resources and skills to develop in order to pursue different research agendas.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Students will learn how to apply key elements of research design to their own research.
• Students will learn how to critique the work of other scholars using principles learned in the course.

Course Contents

• Course Plan
• Class 1: Introduction to causality vs. descriptive inference
• Class 2: Causality: experiments and natural experiments
• Class 3: Causality: observational analysis
• Class 4: Case selection
• Class 5: Qualitative vs. quantitative research
• Class 6: Measurement and data
• Class 7: Research transparency and ethics
• Class 8-9: In-class presentations

Assessment Elements

• Participation
• Karaoke
• Presentations
• Final project
• Karaoke participation

Interim Assessment

• 2021/2022 1st semester
  0.15 * Participation + 0.1 * Karaoke participation + 0.15 * Karaoke + 0.3 * Presentations + 0.3 * Final project

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Adcock, R., & Collier, D. (2001). Measurement Validity: A Shared Standard for Qualitative and Quantitative Research. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0003055401003100
• Darden, K., & Grzymala-Busse, A. (2006). The Great Divide: Literacy, Nationalism, and the Communist Collapse. https://doi.org/10.1353/wp.2007.0015
• FINKEL, E. (2015). The Phoenix Effect of State Repression: Jewish Resistance during the Holocaust. https://doi.org/10.1017/s000305541500009x

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Coppedge, M., Gerring, J., Altman, D., Bernhard, M., Fish, S., Hicken, A., Kroenig, M., Lindberg, S. I., McMann, K., Paxton, P., Semetko, H. A., Skaaning, S.-E., Staton, J., & Teorell, J. (2011). Conceptualizing and Measuring Democracy: A New Approach. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1537592711000880
• Rhodes, R. A. W., & Bevir, M. (2015). Routledge Handbook of Interpretive Political Science. London: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1021249
• Wright, G. H. von. (2009). Explanation and Understanding. Routledge.