LFU:online

§ 5 (1) 3. b 2 PS Applied Methods of Social Science

Students acquire the ability to deal with current empirical studies and to apply the first steps of a research process (formulation of a research issue, data collection, method reflection) autonomously in terms of quality and/or quantity or method.

Dieses Proseminar richtet sich vor allem an die Studierenden des BA POLITIKIWSSENSCHAFT.

Writing a seminar paper, BA-thesis, MA-thesis, or any other kind of research project requires knowledge on how to draft a research question, how to develop a theoretical argument and derive hypothesis, how to operationalize concepts, how to select cases, and how to select and use an appropriate test. This seminar provides information of and debates over different research designs in social science. Students learn rules, pros, and cons of a wide range of methods and conduct their own individual research projects, where they use quantitative or qualitative methods

Presentations, discussions, group work, and application of methods in individual research projects.

Students have to write a seminar paper and pass three short exams.

Gschwend, Thomas and Frank Schimmelfennig (2007). Research Design in Political Science: How to Practice what they Preach. New York: Palgrave.

Hancké, Bob (2010). Intelligent research design: a guide for beginning researchers in the social sciences. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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