Entry requirements

Political science advanced level, Development Studies advanced level or equivalent education.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, students are expected to be able to:

• appreciate the philosophical principles on which qualitative and quantitative methods are based
• identify and assess ethical problems related to research on human beings
• adequately apply and assess actor-centred analysis, discourse analysis, and the analysis of ideas
• apply and motivate different logics of generalisation for qualitative as well as quantitative studies
• assess the scientific relevance and quality of qualitative as well as quantitative research

• display awareness of the way qualitative as well as quantitative methods are used outside the scientific community, for example in public commissions of inquiry and policy intelligence analysis
• apply and assess different explanatory models commonly used in social science research
• independently analyse data drawn from public registers as well as sample surveys using relevant statistical software
• apply and assess different types of statistical sampling methods
• apply different logics of statistical inference
• proficiently understand and apply major statistical methods, such as correlation analysis, regression analysis, and logistic regression analysis

Content

The purpose of this course is to enhance the methodological skills acquired during undergraduate studies. The objective is to strengthen the ability to apply various methods in practical research but also to improve the understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of different methodological techniques.

The course covers both quantitative and qualitative techniques. It emphasises the common principles on which intensive small-n studies as well as extensive large-n investigations are based but also highlights relevant differences between the two as regards inferential logic and techniques.

The course discusses the different stages of the research process and the critical choices that a researcher is confronted with. What should a good research question look like? Which criteria should guide theory formulation? What are the strengths and weaknesses of different research designs? How should empirical data be interpreted? The course discusses, among other things, the philosophy of science, research designs, principles of reliability and validity for different types of data, statistical methods, comparative methods, case studies, and discourse analysis.

Instruction

The course consists of a number of week-long segments in which lectures, mandatory seminars, and exercise assignments are interspersed. The course literature consists of books, articles, and practical examples. The study of the literature is complemented by exercise assignments. Some of the assignments will will be performed with the help of statistical software.

Assessment

The grading of course will be based on the quality of the assignments and active seminar participation. Written examinations may also occur. The purpose of the written exam is twofold. First it provides the basis for grading the students. Second, it encourages the students to review the contents of the course, thereby consolidating the knowledge they have acquired.

Grades are awarded on a scale comprising the grades VG (pass with distinction), G (pass), and U (fail), or, alternatively, on the ECTS scale. In addition, grades will be given according to European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), that is using a seven-step scale.

To reach the grade G (pass, E-A in the seven-step scale), students must:

• participate in all mandatory seminars and present serious attempts to solve all exercise assignments
• reach at least the grade G (pass) on the written exam when applicable

Course level in relation to degree requirements

After completing the course, students are expected to:

• possess considerable methodological knowledge relevant to the main areas of political science
• possess sufficient methodological skills to participate in research-and-development activities and independently carry out other qualified tasks within the profession
• be aware of ethical aspects of research-and-development activities
• possess knowledge of the possibilities and limits of science, its role in society, and the human responsibility for the use of scientific knowledge