Due to circumstances the lecturer and the assessment is changed with the approval of the Board of Examiners
Admission requirements
Only students of the MSc Crisis and Security Management can take this course.
Description
This course will provide students with an understanding of the principles and basic requirements of developing a research design that fits the specific needs of research in the field of crisis and security management. The course is not a research methods course. We assume that students are familiar with research methods from the BA methods courses. This course develops the different stages in elaborating an interesting, relevant and feasible research design. Lectures will be dedicated to the interconnectedness of research question, research design and research methodologies and address topics as the art of drafting a good research question, relationship with the body of knowledge, defining concepts, and the operationalization of concepts, data sources and questions concerning validity. Further, different research designs will be presented and discussed as well as an overview of capstones and research projects students can join in order to write their master thesis. After this course students can train themselves in specific research methodologies relevant for their thesis project in the course Thesis Preparation.
Course objectives
- Students are able to construct a significant, meaningful, valid and feasible research design proposal in the social sciences that can be of use for the master thesis
- Students are able to formulate an innovative, interesting and feasible research question and point out the scientific (knowledge gap) and societal relevance of the research domain of their choice
- Students are able to detect and develop the best suitable method to research the RQ of their choice, taken into account theoretical methodological issues and practical constraints (feasibility)
- Students are able to develop a correct operationalization, link the RQ to topics (or sub RQ’s), detect and develop indicators to be measured in the empirical setting and make an inventory of suitable sources
- Students are able to analyze and evaluate empirical research findings from other scholars in the broad security field
Timetable
On the CSM front page of the E-guide you will find links to the website and timetables, uSis and Blackboard.
Mode of instruction
The course will consist of seven lectures and guest lectures
Course Load
140 hours
Hours required for lectures and quest lecturers: 7 weeks X 3 hours/week = 21
Self-study hours: 119 hours
Assessment method
Students have to hand in several assignments:
(1) Research Question. This assignment will not be graded, but has to be handed in in order to pass the couse (2) Mid-term assignment (25% of total grade) (3) Mid-term assignment (25% of total grade) (4) Final paper: outline of a research design (50% of total grade)
All assignments (also the non-graded ones) have to be made in order to pass this course.
The calculated grade must be at least 5,50 in order to pass the course. If this calculated grade is lower than 5,5, students will only be permitted to resit the final research proposal.
Blackboard
Blackboard will serve as the main platform for this course. Blackboard page will be available one week in advance
Registration
Use both uSis and Blackboard to register for every course. Important information about the course is posted here. 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.
Contact
G.M. van Buuren
Institute of Security and Global Affairs - Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs - University of Leiden
Wijnhaven, Turfmarkt 99, 2511 DV The Hague