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§ 7 (1) 1. a. VO Political Science Research Methods (2 / 3.5)

Students are proficient in important methods of empirical research in political science and can apply these methods to various case studies.

After finishing the course “applied research methods for political scientists” students should know meta-strategies for theory building, the difference and essence of descriptive and causal inference, the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative and quantitative methods, and how to select an appropriate research method. The seminar consists of three pillars: The first pillar is on theory-building, the second pillar refers to the measurement of data, and the third pillar deals with quantitative and qualitative data analysis. The tools taught in this course (together with the seminar) help students to conduct empirical research, write research papers, and evaluate research methods critically.

Talk / Interactive style of teaching

Final exam

Students receive the reading material in class.

Students should have basic knowledge on social science research methods. Furthermore, it is recommended that students take the seminar in addition to the lecture “applied research methods for political scientists”.