Formation/Cours

This course is designed to equip students with the conceptual fundamentals of scientific political/social research. As a mandatory course for all M1 students, it is designed to prepare them for their work on their MA thesis, which will be their main activity during M2. Through the course, the students will be stimulated to think about what is a good research question and the different ways in which they can reach valuable answers. The examination consists of two short essays: one 500-word essay in which students will formulate a research question, and a 1500-word essay in which they will discuss how to measure a concept of their choice. For these essays, students are encouraged to pick topics close to their study-interests.

Session 1 Intro: The Science in Social and Political Science

L King, Gary, Robert Keohane, and Sidney Verba, 1994, Designing Social Inquiry: Scientific Inference in Qualitative Research, Chapter 1.

Schmitter, P. (2008) “The design of social and political research”. In Della Porta, D., & Keating, M. (Eds). Approaches and methodologies in the social sciences: A pluralist perspective. Cambridge University Press

Session 2 Understanding the political and social world

Main reading:

Sartori, Giovanni. “What is “politics”.” Political theory 1.1 (1973): 5-26.

Optional :

Sartori, G. (1974). Philosophy, theory and science of politics. Political Theory, 2(2), 133-162.

Session 3 Different forms of knowledge

Halperin, S. and Heath, O. (2020). Political research: methods and practical skills. Oxford University Press: Chapters 2 and 3.

Session 4 Theories and Research Questions

Halperin, S. and Heath, O. (2020). Political research: methods and practical skills. Oxford University Press:
– Chapter 4. “Asking Questions: How to Find and Formulate Research Questions.” Selected pages 93-114
– Chapter 5. “Finding Answers: Theories and how to Apply Them.” Selected pages 123-141

Mid-term assignment (Deadline: Monday 10 February 11.59pm): Formulate a research question and discuss how an answer to such research question contributes to knowledge in the related field of studies (approx. 500 words). More detailed instructions will be given during session 4.

Session 5 Concept formation

Mair, P. (2008) “Concepts and Concept Formation”. In Della Porta, D., & Keating, M. (Eds). Approaches and methodologies in the social sciences: A pluralist perspective. Cambridge University Press

Sartori, G. (1970). Concept misformation in comparative politics. American political science review, 64(4), 1033-1053.

Session 6 Quantitative and Qualitative approaches

Della Porta, D. (2008) ‘Comparative analysis: case-oriented versus variable-oriented research’. In Della Porta, D., & Keating, M. (Eds). Approaches and methodologies in the social sciences: A pluralist perspective. Cambridge University Press

Goertz, G. and Mahoney J. (2013) A Tale of Two Cultures: Qualitative and Quantitative Research in the Social Sciences. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Chapter 1

Session 7 Introduction to quantitative research

Franklin, M. (2008) ‘Quantitative analysis’. In Della Porta, D., & Keating, M. (Eds). Approaches and methodologies in the social sciences: A pluralist perspective. Cambridge University Press

Example:

Hooghe, L., & Marks, G. (2015). Delegation and pooling in international organizations. The Review of International Organizations, 10, 305-328.

Session 8 Fundamentals of qualitative research

Gerring, J. (2008). Case selection for case-study analysis: Qualitative and quantitative techniques.

Example:

Damhuis, K., & Karremans, J. (2017). Responsive to whom? A comparison of the Mitterrand and Hollande presidencies. West European Politics, 40(6), 1267-1287.

Session 9 Measurement: reliability and validity

Babbie, E. R. (2020). The practice of social research. Cengage Au. Chapter 5

Final essay (Deadline: Sunday 13 April 11.59pm): choose a relevant concept in political/social science and discuss how it can be measured (more instructions will be given in Session 9).