Admission requirements
Core course for students enrolled in the bachelor’s programme Security Studies
Description
Research methods 1 will provide students with a basic understanding of how they can conduct an academic study on a security and safety related matter.
Building on the skills students acquired during the three Skills lab courses, students will be guided through the steps of the research process. The focus will be on topic selection, formulating a research question and choosing suitable methods. Students will also learn which (combination of) methods are generally used to answer research questions on security and safety related topics.
Students will learn how to articulate their topic selection, their research question and chosen research method(s) and how to compose their research plan in a report.
Course objectives
Students will gain knowledge and understanding of what constitutes a good research design from the perspective of different academic disciplines.
Students will gain basic knowledge on a variety of research methods (qualitative and quantitative social science methods, and design science methods), and gain an understanding of how they can be combined.
Students will acquire knowledge and understanding of a contemporary security and/or safety issue.
Students will be able to produce an academic research design.
Students will be able to select, weigh and integrate research methods that are suitable for their research design.
Students will gain an understanding of the importance of intellectual integrity and ethical scholarship.
Timetable
The complete schedule, as well as links to uSis and Blackbopard can be found on the right side of the introductory page of the Bachelor Security Studies.****.
Mode of instruction
Lectures and self-study.
This course is compulsory.
Course Load
Total study load is 140 hours
Contact hours: 42
Self-study hours: 95
Examination: 3
Assessment method
Written exam (mid-term): 20%
Paper: 80%
Failed partial grades weighing less than 30% should be compensated by a passed partial grade weighing more than 30%. The calculated grade must be at least 5,50 to pass the course.
More information will be available on the Blackboard page.
Resit
Students will be permitted to resit the paper if they have a grade lower than 5,5 or with permission of the Board of Examiners.
The resit for the paper will take the same form.
Blackboard
Course page will be available one week in advance
Reading list
Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods, 5th edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
ISBN: 978-0-19-968945-3.
Registration
To be announced by OSC staff.