Introduction to Research Methods

This module is designed to provide a general introduction to problems, approaches and debates in social science methods. The aim is to make undergraduate students familiar with different methodological languages and approaches and foster a critical understanding of them. It is roughly divided into two parts: an engagement with basic issues in the philosophy of social science and epistemology (weeks 2-5), and an introduction to quantitative and qualitative approaches to knowledge production (weeks 6-10).

Prerequisites

Introduction to Political Analysis 153400086

Objectives and learning outcomes of the module

On successful completion of this module a student will be able to:

• Be familiar with the language(s) of social science methodology and provide both a solid grounding in the key issues and a critical understanding of them
• Introduce students to basic epistemological questions, approaches and debates in the philosophy of social sciences
• Introduce students to common/popular methods in the social science, both positivist and interpretivist, qualitative and quantitative

Workload

This module will be taught over 10 weeks with:

• 1 hour lecture per week
• 1 hour tutorial per week

Method of assessment

Assignment 1: Essay 30%
Assignment 2: Essay 70%

Suggested reading

• Bayard De Volo, Lorraine and Edward Schatz (2004) ‘From the Inside Out: Ethnographic Methods in Political Research’, Political Studies Online, 267-271
• Foucault, Michel (2001 [1966]) The Order of Things: Archeology of the Human Sciences (Routledge Classics)
• Hollis, Martin (2002) The Philosophy of Social Science: An Introduction. Cambridge University Press
• Kuhn, Thomas S (1962) The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (Chicago University Press)
• Lebow, Richard Ned and Mark Irving Lichbach (eds.) (2007) Theory and Evidence in Comparative Politics and International Relations, New York: Palgrave

Disclaimer

Important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules