AGDK14012U Applying mixed methods

Data are conceived, identified, gathered, structured, and analyzed in complex and messy situations. Often, social scientists collect both quantitative and qualitative data and seek to integrate and combine these in a coherent form – i.e. a mixed methods approach is used. This course gives students an opportunity to learn from practicing such a mixed methods approaches to social science research, with an emphasis on the application of methods that yield both qualitative and quantitative data. In doing so, students will experience the potential benefits of applying a mixed methods approach in real world situations.

The main objective of this course is for students to gain experience of collecting data in practice and, in turn, to appreciate how different approaches to data collection affect the findings obtained, as well as create awareness about ethical issues in connection to empirical data collection. In order to get as close as possible to a realistic data collection experience (whether for research or evaluation for example), the course includes 2 weeks of field research in a context of relevance to themes of global development.

Students will work in groups to define their own research questions. In turn, they will design and implement mixed methods field research to answer these questions. The outputs expected of students include: a group report that summarizes the research process and results; and an individual final essay that reflects on the experience of applying mixed methods field research.