LFU:online

Curr. 2021 § 5 (1) 3: Students acquire the ability to characterise the fundamentals of empirical studies. They can assign the most important qualitative and quantitative survey methods to the respective scientific-theoretical and methodological background and decide which research questions require which methods. They are able to critically evaluate existing empirical studies and independently carry out the first phases of a research process (formulation of a research question, data collection, method reflection) qualitatively and/or quantitatively or using method triangulation.

The lecture provides an overview of and introduction to the most common methods in the social sciences. The choice of a suitable method is the core of every empirical research project and influences the overall design from the research question to the presentation of results. Each problem and theoretical framework suggests certain methods, which in turn have methodological foundations. The steps of an empirical investigation are therefore systematically presented in the lecture and discussed on the basis of applied research.

The students learn the necessary tools to be able to independently conduct their first small research projects in the proseminar and to reflect on suitable methods for this. The learning objectives of the lecture are: - To recognise the link between theory and empirical work and to gain an understanding of the areas of application and problems of applied research - To make informed decisions for a scientific paradigm and to be able to justify this - To get to know the investigation process of an empirical research (problem definition - research design - choice of method - data collection - evaluation - presentation of results) including all "pitfalls" - To be able to apply common social science methods with a special focus on data collection.

Lecture and discussion. Online discussion of examples. Presentation of insights into empirical research projects. 

Online Open Book exam. 

Baur, Nina / Blasius, Jörg (Hrsg.) (2019), Handbuch Methoden der empirischen Sozialforschung, 2. Auflage, Springer VS (available online via ULB)

further literature see OLAT

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Students of the Bachelor’s Programme – Management and Economics UC 033 571 (elective module) and the Diploma Programme International Economic and Business Studies UC 155 (compulsory module) do not register for a course via the “SOWI point booking” but via the booking button “LFU:online”.

When registering for the corresponding course, students should also note that they want to attend the course as an elective or compulsory module.