Description
In their volume, Models, Numbers & Cases Sprinz and Wolinsky-Nahmias state that by the late 1990s 43 percent of articles in leading international relations journals relied on quantitative methods, exceeding historical-descriptive studies, case studies, and formal modeling. The percentage has likely risen since then, but is already high enough so that any student of international relations must be familiar with such methods in order to read professional journals. In this course we will examine some important research questions within international relations that have been analyzed with quantitative methods.
Course objectives
Participants will learn some of the basic tools of quantitative analysis (ANOVA, OLS and logistic regression) and they will get familiar with more modern statistical methods for establishing causality (instrumental variable approach, regression discontinuity design). Students will also learn to put their new knowledge into practice by carrying out their own analysis using quantitative methods.
Timetable
On the Public Administration front page of the E-guide you will find links to the website and timetables, uSis and Blackboard.
Mode of instruction
This course is a mix of lectures and tutorials. Tutorials serve to put theory in practice and get a good command of statistical software.
Course Load
5 EC.
Assessment method
Final grades are calculated on the basis of four assignments. Weighting for the final grade is as follows:
Assignment I (20 percent),
Assignment II (30 percent),
Assignment III (20 percent),
Assignment IV (30 percent),
You can find more information about assessments and the timetable exams on the website.
Details for submitting papers (deadlines) are posted on Blackboard.
On the Public Administration front page of the E-guide you will find links to the website, uSis and Blackboard.
Resit
Students will be permitted to resit an examination if they have taken the first sit and have a mark lower than 5.5 or with permission of the Board of Examiners.
Resit written exam
Students that want to take part in a resit for a written exam, are required to register via uSis. Use the activity number that can be found on the ‘timetable exams’.
Blackboard
Lecture slides, instructions to the assignments, additional information and materials will be available via the Blackboard.
Reading list
Agresti, Alan & Barbara Finlay (2009). Statistical Methods for the Social Sciences.
4th Edition. Person Prentice Hall.
Angrist, Joshua & Jörn-Steffen Pischke (2014). Mastering ’Metrics: The Path from Cause to Effect. Princeton University Press.
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 here.
Contact
Jaroslaw Kantorowicz:
j.j.kantorowicz@fgga.leidenuniv.nl