Admission requirements
Students who are admitted to the PA pre-master programme. Students in the MPS pre-master need to take Bestuurskundig Onderzoek (Nederlandstalig).
Description
What makes research academic? What is the role of theory development in the social sciences? How does one translate abstract concepts into observable indicators? This course offers an introduction to the fundamentals of social science research, with a particular focus on the field of public administration. We will discuss the role of theory, ideas about causality, and issues of measurement. We will also discuss a range of research techniques employed in the social sciences. Finally, we will consider the importance of research design, including the formulation of a strong research question, the development of a theoretical framework, and the selection of an appropriate methodology to carry out the project. This course will not only help students develop the skills to critically assess the methodological underpinnings of research presented in academic books and articles, but also introduces them to the methodological skills required for future research projects.
Course objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Identify the basic principles of academic research;
identify different types of theory development and how they relate to specific methodologies;
situate a research project within quantitative and qualitative traditions of social research;
explain the advantages and disadvantages of various research techniques;
critically assess the methodological underpinnings of a social scientific research project; and
prospectively apply basis research methodologies.
Timetable
On the right side of programme front page of the Prospectus you will find links to the website, timetables and uSis.
Mode of instruction
The course is structured as a Small Private Online Course (SPOC). It consists of a series of online learning modules covering different aspects of social research (research questions and theory, research design, quantitative data collection, quantitative data analysis, qualitative data collection, qualitative data analysis) combined with three in-person seminars where these topics are discussed. The SPOC allows students to (1) self-assess their (prior) knowledge and progress through multiple choice quizzes, (2) revisit the short video lectures, (3) and learn from each other through peer-reviews of assignments and papers.
140 hours:
Seminars: 6 hours
Miscellaneous: 2 hours
Self-study: 132 hours
Assessment method
Assessment for this course consists of a smaller assignment (30%) and a larger assignment (70% in weight). The total grade is the weighted average of the final grades for the two components. Students need to earn a grade of 5,5 or higher for each of the assignments.
It is not possible to compensate for partial grades within the course.
Details for submitting papers (deadlines) are posted on Brightspace.
Partial grades will not remain valid after the exam and the resit of the course.
Reading list
Neuman, W. Lawrence (2014), Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches, Seventh Edition, Harlow: Pearson Education.
Registration
You will be enrolled for the course in uSis by the programme. In uSis you can access your personal schedule and view your results.
Leiden University uses Brightspace as its online learning management system. After enrolment for the course in uSis you will be automatically enrolled in the Brightspace environment of this course.
Contact
Dr. L.M. Obholzer l.m.obholzer@fgga.leidenuniv.nl