Admission requirements
Only students of the Advanced MSc International Relations and Diplomacy programme can take this course.
Description
Should diplomats and experts in international relations use data-driven analysis to better understand pressing global issues and multilateral diplomacy? If so, how could this be done?
This course will shed light on how novel models for causal inference and computationally intensive methodological developments, which have lapped at the shores of social science for several years now, can be productively used in research on IR and comparative politics, and for policy analysis.
This course will consist of six applied seminars (3 hours each), which will be built around the following topics:
1. (Survey) experiments
2. Interaction models (conditional hypotheses)
3. Panel data
4. Text-as-data
5. Network analysis
Course objectives
By the end of this course, the learners will be able to (1) discuss advantages and disadvantages of novel quantitative research methods, (2) apply several novel empirical methods, and (3) create original datasets.
Timetable
On the right-hand side of the programme front page of the studyguide you will find a link to the online timetables.
Mode of instruction
Seminars, class discussion.
Study load: 140 hours
Attendance Policy
Attendance is mandatory, subject to course structure (see syllabus for details).
Assessment method
Final grades are calculated based on four components:
Two programming challenges (20%),
Presentation (20%)
Draft proposal of an applied paper (20%)
Applied paper (40%).
You can find more information about assessments and the timetable exams on the website.
Details for submitting papers (deadlines) are posted on Brightspace.
Failed partial grades or components should be compensated by passed partial grades or components. The calculated grade must be at least 5.50 to pass the course. It is not possible to re-sit a partial grade or component once you have passed the course.
Passed partial grades obtained in the academic year 2023-2024 remain valid during the academic year 2024-2025.
Passed partial grades obtained in the academic year 2024-2025 remain valid during the academic year 2025-2026.
Should a student fail the overall course, the student can complete the course in the next academic year. In cases of exceptional circumstances, a student may apply to the board of examiners for a resit to complete the course in the same academic year.
Reading list
Imai, K. (2018). Quantitative Social Science: An Introduction. Princeton University Press.
Selected chapters from Curini, L., & R. Franzese (2020). The SAGE Handbook of Research Methods of Political Science and International Relations. SAGE Publishing.
Academic articles and book excerpts announced before the lectures.
Registration
The programme will register the students in Usis based on the group division. Use Brightspace for course information.
Contact
Dr. J.J. Kantorowicz j.j.kantorowicz@fgga.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks
This course is an elective course designed for second year MIRD students.
This elective is conditional on at least 5 students registering for this course.