Prospectus

nl en

Research Methods 3

Course
2019-2020

Admission requirements

Mandatory course for students enrolled in the bachelor’s programme Security Studies.

Students need to have passed Research Methods 1 and 2 to follow this course.

Description

Research Methods 3 focuses on strengthening the analytical skills that students developed in Research Methods 2. This course helps prepare students for their bachelor thesis through a combination of lectures and course labs. The lectures will provide the theoretical knowledge on the data analysis and critical reflection skills while the course labs will focus on deepening the analytical skills in either quantitative or qualitative methods, depending on the methodology of the bachelor thesis the student will write. At the end of this course students are able to analyse their data and learn how the results are disseminated and conclusions are drawn in a social scientific manner.

Course objectives

  • Students are familiar with how quantitative and qualitative research are set up and conducted;

  • Students have insight into the types of data collection methods used in the field of security studies and how data is analysed;

  • Students are able to critically reflect on the chosen methodology in their own and other research;

  • Students are able to conduct empirical analyses and critically reflect the explanatory power of their analyses;

  • Students are able to report their findings in a scientific manner.

Timetable

On the right side of programme front page of the E-guide you will find links to the website and timetables, uSis and Blackboard.

Mode of instruction

7 plenary lectures
3 course labs in smaller groups (attendance is mandatory)

Course Load

Total study load of 140 hours

  • Contact hours: 30

  • Self-study hours (including the hours spent on the assignments): 110

Assessment method

A methodology assignment (25%) and a research assignment (75%)

Resit
Students will be permitted to resit an examination if their grade for the assignment(s) is lower than 5.50 or with permission of the Board of Examiners. The resit entails redoing one or both of the failed assignments.
Resit of the assignment(s) is only possible if you have done and handed in both assignments in the first round. Resits are not possible for passed assignments and assignments that were handed in pro forma.

Blackboard

Course page will be available one week in advance

Reading list

Information on readings will be announced on Blackboard

Registration

Use both uSis and Blackboard to register for every course.

Register for every course and workgroup via uSis. Some courses and workgroups have a limited number of participants, so register on time (before the course starts). In uSis you can access your personal schedule and view your results. Registration in uSis is possible from four weeks before the start of the course.

Also register for every course in Blackboard. Important information about the course is posted there.

Contact

Dr. Pauline Aarten, course coordinator p.g.m.aarten@fgga.leidenuniv.nl