Academic Skills: Quantitative and Qualitative Data Analysis
Please note: a (mandatory) lecture will take place on Monday 5 February 2024, 17:15-19:00 in room WH 2.02
Description Skills in year 2
In year 2 of the bachelor’s programme, students are offered two academic skills courses of 5 ECTS each. Research Design takes place during block 1 and 2 and teaches you to conduct a literature review and develop a theoretical framework. In block 3 and 4 you take the course Academic Skills: Quantitative and Qualitative Data Analysis.
These courses build on the academic skills courses of year 1, and allow students to practise the research skills required to successfully complete the BSc in Political Science: International Relations and Organisations. These courses teach students to apply their knowledge and understanding, form judgments, and communicate their findings.
These skills are developed during workgroups and through an online learning environment. The courses build upon one another. Ideally, students successfully complete Research Design before they participate in the course on quantitative and qualitative data analysis. However, this is not compulsory.
During these courses students practise designing, conducting and reporting political science research as preparation for the Bachelor Projectin year 3. The Research Design course has to be passed before students can participate in a Bachelor project.
Semester 2: Quantitative and Qualitative Data Analysis
The main objective of the Quantitative and Qualitative Data Analysis course is to teach students how to conduct the empirical research. This will be done by conducting small research projects using quantitative and qualitative data. The literature review and theoretical framework developed during Research Design in semester 1 serve as a starting point. The analyses of the data result in written reports. Moreover, during this course students practise giving academic presentations.
Course objectives
Objective 1: Students have knowledge about and insight into the criteria for sound empirical quantitative and qualitative research.
Objective 2: Students are able to conduct qualitative and quantitative research and report on this in writing and during an oral presentation.
Objective 3: Students gain experience with conducting a research project over a sustained time period. Working independently, time management and taking responsibility for the development of the project are central to this experience.
Mode of instruction
Lecture during week 1
Weekly workgroups
Online office hours
Digital learning environment
Assessment method
Written assignments
Participation grade
Graded presentation
Reading list
Halperin, S. & Heath, O. (2020). Political research: Methods and practical skills. Oxford: Oxford University Press. This book was used during the Research Methods in Political Science course as well.
Diez, David M., Mine Çetinkaya-Rundel & Christopher D. Barr (2019) OpenIntro Statistics, 4th edition. This book was also used during the Statistics courses.
The used statistical software programs R and RStudio Desktop can be downloaded for free. R and RStudio Desktop are already installed on the computers at Wijnhaven.
For students who are retaking the course and have worked with SPSS before, IBM SPSS Statistics 25, 26 of 27 can be used instead of R (available on university computers and through Surfspot.nl).
Those students will use the book Field, A. (2018). Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS Statistics (5th edition). London: SAGE.
Please refer to the syllabus for other literature. This additional literature will be available digitally.
Registration
See 'Practical Information'
Timetable
See 'MyTimetable'