TAFAARM75U Compulsory course: Advanced Research Methods
MA in African Studies
This course provides students with advanced knowledge of research methods from the humanities and social sciences and serves as a grounding for the collection and analysis of research evidence. The course covers data collection approaches and data analysis methods. This includes ethnographic fieldwork such as participatory observation and interviewing, textual and discourse analysis and quantitative methods such as surveys. Various aspects of research ethics are covered.
The course consists of lectures on research methods as well as hands-on training in research planning such as defining a research topic and question, identifying sources, planning of fieldwork, analysis of research findings and writing.
The aim is for the student to acquire the following qualifications:
- Knowledge of core concepts and methods relevant for data collection and analysis
- Knowledge of research ethics
- Skills in selecting relevant methods for data collection in relation to Internship, Field Study and MA thesis research
- Ability to plan and conduct data collection and analysis
- Competences to critically reflect on use of methods and ethical aspects of data collection and analysis
Suggested literature:
Cerwonka, A. and L. Malkki (eds.) Improvising Theory: Process and Temporality in Ethnographic Research, Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press
Emmerson, R.M, R.I. Fretz and L. L. Shaw. 2011. Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press.
Fabian, Johannes. 2015. Talk about Prayer. An Ethnographic Commentary, London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Flick, Uwe (ed.), 2017. The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Data Collection, London: SAGE Publications,
Flyvbjerg, B. 2006. ‘Five Misunderstandings About Case-Study Research’, Qualitative Inquiry 12 (2): 219-245.
Konopinski, Natalie (ed.), 2014. Doing Anthropological Research.A practical guide. Abingdon and New York: Routledge.
Lund. C. 2014. ‘Of What is This a Case?: Analytical Movements in Qualitative Social Science Research’, Human Organization 73 (3): 224-234
Mason, J. (2006). Mixing methods in a qualitatively driven way. Qualitative Research, 6 (1), 9–25.
Kvale, Steiner (2007). Doing InterViews. London, Thousand Oaks, New Delhi, Singapore: SAGE Publications.
- Category
- Hours
- Class Instruction
- 28
- Preparation
- 122
- Exam Preparation
- 59
- Exam
- 1
- Total
- 210
Professional Master students has to hand in a registration form.
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Other
- Type of assessment details
- Students write two assignments during the course, and receive feedback from the course lecturer and fellow students. The written assignments are: 1) proposal for the Internship or Field Study or a methodology essay (for those not doing Internships or Field Studies) and 2) thesis outline including overall theme, research question, relevant literature, theory and methods. Further details of the assignments are defined and provided by the course lecturer. Each assignment should be 10,500-12,000 characters long and the total length of both assignments should be 21,000-24,000 characters long. The final assignments are handed in as a single document during the exam period.
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
Internal censorship
- Exam period
Summer Exam
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- TAFAARM75U
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree MasterPart Time Master
- Duration
- 8 weeks, 2 half of the semester
- Placement
- Spring
- Schedule
- First lesson is in week 13
Study board
- Study board of African Studies
Contracting department
- African Studies
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Theology
Course Coordinators
- Amanda Hammar (aha@teol.ku.dk)
Lecturers
Amanda Hammar