Research Design / Research Design

Academic Study Board of Political Science, Journalism, Sociology and European Studies, Odense
Teaching activity id: 97016301.
Teaching language: English.ECTS / weighting: 5 ECTS / 0.083 full-time equivalent.
Examination language: English.
Exam activity id: 97016322, 97016312, 97016302.Approved: 19-09-17.
Period: Spring 2018.
Grading: Internal grading.
Assessment: 7-point scale.
Offered in: Odense.
Subject director:
Romana Careja, Department of Political Science and Public Management.

Prerequisites:
None in addition to those demanded for becoming enrolled in the study programme.

General study skills: Interest in getting hands-on competence in doing research based on various methodological techniques.


Purpose:
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the issues of research questions and design, political methodology and data analysis in comparative welfare state research. Central questions addressed include:

What characterize qualitative-oriented versus quantitative-oriented methods? What are the strengths and weaknesses of various methodological approaches in the study of different types of problems? How do we go about using the various methods? How do we construct a research design for a given research question?

Students learn techniques and methods for conducting scientific researching and analyzing social phenomena. The course is based on basic texts in social science methodology and the application of these methods to studying contemporary welfare state reforms.

The course connects with the parallel ‘Concepts and measurement' that covers issues of concept definition, indicators choice and measurement validity. In addition, by discussing practical issues related to the choice of methods, and by encouraging critical assessments of the methods used in different research papers, the course aims at providing students with critical apparatus for discussing the literature in all other courses and for writing their own Master theses.

Content - Key areas:
This course specifically covers the following topics:
- The epistemological and ontological underpinnings of comparative welfare state research
- Quantitative variable-oriented methods
- Qualitative case-oriented methods
- Mixed-method designs: Combining qualitative and quantitative methods
- Typical challenges in comparative welfare state research such as small-N designs,
measurement validity, and case selection
- Cross-national databases on issues related to public policy and welfare studies

Goals description (SOLO taxonomy):
At the end of the course, students will:

Have the knowledge that enables them to:
Be aware of different forms of data collection and their best practice.
Find relevant data for various types of comparative analysis.
Identify different forms of causality and their implications for the research process.
Define principles of case selection and the constitution of populations.
Distinguish different forms of explanations and causal relationships.
Account for role of comparison in controlling for variation.

Have the skills that enable them to:
Assess and eliminate alternative explanations.
The principles, strengths and weaknesses of different methodological approaches.
Reflect on issues of causality in the usage of the comparative methods and set up
new models of analysis on a scientific basis.
Communicate and discuss methodological issues.
The strengths and weaknesses of these different forms of data collection.
Practical problems of these different forms of data collection.

Have the competences that enable them to:
Independently formulate viable research questions.
Prepare and execute a feasible empirical research project based on systematic methodological considerations.
Critically reflect on how different research designs may impact answers to a given research question.
Critically reflect on the methodological problems of their empirical analyses and discuss the consequences of their methodological choices for the substantive conclusions drawn from their own empirical work.

Literature:
The textbook for the course is
Blackie, Norman. Designing Social Research. Polity Press. (last edition)

Additionally, the course includes material from the following books:
Gerring, John. Social Science Methodology: A Unified Framework. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (last edition)
Ragin, Charles and Lisa Amaroso. Constructing Social Research: The Unity and Diversity of Method. Pine Forge Press. (last edition)

Articles on relevant topics as well as informative online video material will be included in the syllabus.
Overall, the reading will approximate 600 pages.

Time of classes:
Spring

Scheduled classes:
The course will be taught through 5 face-to-face lectures, and 7 blended lessons (2 hours each).

Form of instruction:
The blended lessons will rely on in-class exercises, based on a flipped classroom approach: students read materials and watch explanatory videos at home, and engage in discussions and exercises in class, applying the notions acquired in the preparatory/study materials. In class various research designs will be discussed, based on real existing studies (published and/or work in progress).

During the semester the students will write 3 papers which will elaborate on different elements of the research design:
Paper1: literature review and research question formulation,
Paper 2: research method, indicators and data,
Paper 3: final research paper including analysis.
The papers are written in groups.
The syllabus will include a timetable when the 3 papers will be delivered during the semester.

This course grants 5 ECTS. As per university regulations, a 5 ECTS course entails a workload of 135 hours. These are divided between lectures, blended lessons, exam and exam preparation.

The following time distribution is an estimate:


Activity
Hours
Face-to-face lectures
8
Blended lessons
18
Preparation for lectures/blended lessons
30
Exam
79
Total
135

Time of examination:
Ordinary examination in June and re-exam in August.

Registration for the course is automatically a registration for the ordinary examination in the course. Cancellation is not possible. If the student does not participate in the examination, the student will use an examination attempt.

The university may grant an exemption from the rules in case of exceptional circumstances.

Examination form at the re-exam can be changed.

Examination conditions:
Two (2) mandatory assignments (Papers 1 & 2, see above form of instruction).
Based on group work, 2 or 3 students per group (to be decided in class). The same students have to collaborate in writing the two papers.

Papers 1 and 2: maximum 7 standard pages in English each (1 standard page = 2400 key strokes, spacing included. The total number of keystrokes includes appendix and notes, but excludes title page, table of content, reference list and contribution explanation).

Each paper must include a section which clearly specifies the contribution of each student (contribution explanation).

Students will receive feedback on Papers 1 (97016312) and 2 (97016322).



Form of examination for the certificate:
Home assignment

Supplemental information for the form of examination:
Location: Home-assignment (97016302)
Internet Access: Necessary
Hand out: Via Blackboard.
Hand in: Via SDU-Assignment in the course page in Blackboard.
Extent: The home assignment (Paper 3) is written by groups of students. It is strongly recommended that the same students who cooperated on Papers 1 and 2 cooperate in writing the home assignment (Paper 3).

The following limitations are required:
If the paper is written by 2 (two) students: Maximum 16 standard pages in English (1 standard page = 2400 key strokes, spacing included).
If the paper is written by 3 (three) students: maximum 23 standard pages in English (1 standard page = 2400 key strokes, spacing included).

The home assignment (Paper 3) has to be written by the same students who cooperated on the previous papers.

The number of pages is calculated in function of number of students cooperating on one paper, in such a way that each student contributes maximum ca. 7 pages. The introduction (maximum 1 page) and the conclusion (maximum 1 page) are to be written in common.

The total number of keystrokes includes appendix and notes, but excludes title page, table of content, reference list and contribution explanation).


Exam Aids: All exam aids allowed.

The exam will evaluate students' ability to design and conduct a small research.

The home assignment is written in groups, but evaluated individually. Each student is responsible for writing specific parts of the paper, while the introduction and conclusion are written together.  Each paper must include a section which clearly specifies the contribution of each student (contribution explanation).

The home-assignment is evaluated on a 7-point grade scale.



Programmes:
Comparative Public Policy and Welfare Studies (MSc)
2nd semester, mandatory. Offered in: Odense