ASTK12600U CANCELLED - SEMINAR: Answering interesting questions in political science: How do we know what (we think) we know?

Volume 2014/2015
Content
  1. Every political scientist needs to have a firm grounding in research methods and the philosophical foundations of the discipline. But learning about methodology is often abstracted from the business of actually conducting research and answering interesting questions in political science. This course therefore takes as its starting point a survey of the history of the discipline and some of the most contentious issues that have divided scholars over the lifetime of the field. Rather than offering a didactic introduction to research methods , the course seeks to stimulate students into reflecting on how other scholars have tried to learn about the world around them by looking at key debates. In so doing, it invites students to make connections with their own thesis topics and the ways they might go about addressing them.
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Theme one: disciplinary politics

1. It’s not proper politics if it doesn’t happen in parliament:  defining the discipline

2. Why should I care what you think? Ontology and epistemology

 

Theme two: big questions

3. Why are some states poor? Development policy and measuring wellbeing

4. Are boys smarter than girls? Structure and agency in education policy

5. What’s the point of the Euro anyway? Analysing costs and benefits in politics

6. Turkeys voting for Christmas: do democracies go to war, and how would we know?

7.  Do abortions prevent crime? When correlation does not equal causation

 

Theme three: using and abusing data

8. I know where you live: obtaining and dealing with big data

9. How do I know you’re not lying? Interviewing politicians and spies

10. I blame the media: discourse in the Israel/Palestine conflict

11. That’s a very personal question: survey research and social taboos

12. Archives?

 

Theme 3: practical considerations

13. Picking your poison: measurement error or the untestable nonsense approach

14. Oh no, what next? Planning a research project and writing it all up

  1. Competency descriptions

    By the end of the course, students will have a sound knowledge of the key research methods and debates surrounding their use in political science. It will therefore prove complementary to students conducting their own independent research projects, and students are encouraged to bring their own interests and problems to class as much as possible. It will also aid students seeking to carve careers around analysis and independent research, whether in academia or beyond.

Learning Outcome
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  2. The objective of the seminar is to enable students to…

  • Demonstrate an understanding of different research methods, their strengths and weaknesses,

  • Understand how methodological debates have influenced the course of political science scholarship,

  • Judge the applicability of different techniques in different circumstances, and whether their uses in existing literature are adequate,

  • Be able to apply this critical reading to methodological case studies beyond those covered in class.

There are some overall textbooks that cover research methods in political science that may be of use to students; however, as the course takes a ‘back-to-front’ approach to teaching research, most of the weekly reading will be in the form of journal articles and documentary sources. Nonetheless, students looking to obtain a background reading textbook to ground their knowledge should consider one of the following:

Halperin and Heath (2012) Political Research (Oxford: Oxford University Press)

Bruter, M. and Lodge, M. (2013) Political Science Research Methods in Action (Hampshire: Palgrave)

A background in a relevant social science and a keen interest in both political issues and the disciplinary politics of their investigation is an advantage. No prior knowledge of research methods is assumed or necessary, but some experience will certainly aid in understanding the more technical aspects of the literature.
The course features two-hour sessions that partly comprise mini-lectures and seminar activities, and are partly student led. To this end, the assessment will encourage students to build on their knowledge and bring this to class. Assessment will take the form of take home assignments and presentations.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 28
  • Course Preparation
  • 70
  • Exercises
  • 66
  • Preparation
  • 42
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Seminar assignment
Exam registration requirements
75% percipitation
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Criteria for exam assesment

Criteria for achieving the goals:

  • Grade 12 is given for an outstanding performance: the student lives up to the course's goal description in an independent and convincing manner with no or few and minor shortcomings
  • Grade 7 is given for a good performance: the student is confidently able to live up to the goal description, albeit with several shortcomings
  • Grade 02 is given for an adequate performance: the minimum acceptable performance in which the student is only able to live up to the goal description in an insecure and incomplete manner