Module Provider: |
Graduate Institute for Politics and Internat Studs |
Number of credits: |
20 [10 ECTS credits] |
Level: |
M |
Terms in which taught: |
Autumn and Spring |
Module Convenor: |
Dr
J
Golub |
Pre-requisites: |
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Co-requisites: |
PIM01
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Modules excluded: |
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Module version for: |
2005/6 [module in process of revision] |
Aims:
To enable students to design their own research projects
To introduce students to a representative range of political science research techniques
To analyse the advantages and disadvantages of various research techniques and to consider for what purposes those techniques are most appropriate
To familarise students with sources of existing data and the process of collecting original data
To describe the underlying rationale of statistical inference and hypothesis testing
To equip students with an understanding of basic statistical techniques
To provide students with relevant skills and knowledge enabling them critically to assess data and research. |
Assessable learning outcomes:
At the end of this unit students should be able to:
Design their own research project
Understand the connection between theory and methods of social research
Assess the strengths and weaknesses of various social research methods and evaluate their respective appropriateness for the research task
Utilise a variety of approaches to collect both existing and original data
Understand the reasoning that underlies the principal types of statistical analysis
Construct and test research hypotheses
Perform basic statistical analyses of data
Critically evaluate the research methods employed in political science literature |
Additional outcomes:
Practice and confidence in the oral presentation of methodological arguments.
Awareness of the ethical difficulties inherent in various kinds of research methods in the social sciences. |
Outline content:
The unit is divided into two parts. The first part, "Data Collection and Analysis," comprising roughly half the unit, is devoted to explaining the methods used for deciding what sorts of information you need to build your arguments and how best to obtain it. We will consider: how to design a research project, the use of official documents, construction and application of surveys, measurement problems, and attitude scales. The second part, "Analysis of Quantitative Data," will be devoted to how we use basic statistical analysis to extract conclusions from the mass of information we have collected. We will consider: descriptive statistics, sampling, univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis. Throughout the unit lectures will be accompanied by a series of practical exercises (many of them computer-based) whereby students perform analysis on original data and a wide range of existing datasets. |
Brief description of teaching
and learning methods:
The class will be taught in seminars, with mini-lectures when appropriate. Throughout the unit students will complete exercises and problem sets, some of them computer-based. Students will be encouraged to draw upon these exercises, and to use examples taken from their own field (and from their own research, where possible) in class discussion. |
Contact hours:
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Autumn |
Spring |
Summer |
| Lectures |
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| Tutorials/seminars |
10 x 1.5hrs |
5 x 1hr |
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| Practicals |
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| Other contact (eg study visits) |
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| Total hours |
15 |
5 |
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| Number of essays or assignments |
3 |
6 |
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| Other (eg major seminar paper) |
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Assessment:
Coursework
One research project write-up of 2,000 words, to be completed and handed in by the first Friday of the Spring term; one small survey to be designed, conducted and handed in by the first Friday of the Spring Term; one 1,000 word critical review of an official data source, to be handed in by the first Friday of the Spring term. Six problem sets to be completed and handed in by the first Friday of Summer term.
Examinations
There is no examination.
Requirements for a pass
A mark of 50%.
Reassessment arrangements
Resubmission of coursework by September. |
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