The seminar covers basic issues of research design, small-n research, and data collection. It deals with issues of causality, conceptualization, case study design and QCA. Data collection includes interviews, surveys, text analysis, and experimental research.
Learning objective
This MACIS core seminar covers basic issues of research design, small-n research, and data collection. It familiarizes students with general research design problems such as defining research questions, analyzing causality, and designing single and comparative case studies. It then introduces them to basic issues in small-n research. Students acquire an understanding of the specific challenges and design problems in qualitative analysis. Finally, students are introduced to exemplary methods of data collection. By the end of the course, students should be able to use the principal methods of data collection used by political scientists;have a critical understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the methods, and should be able to reflect on and discuss the methods in light of research questions of their interest.
Performance assessment
Performance assessment information (valid until the course unit is held again)
Performance assessment as a semester course