IREb1008 Research Methods and Tools

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2023
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 8 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Zuzana Ringlerová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Ing. Mgr. Petr Svatoň (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Zuzana Ringlerová, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Supplier department: Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Mon 8:00–9:40 P21a
Prerequisites (in Czech)
!SEMESTR(1) && !SEMESTR(2) && ! IRE111 Research Methods and Tools && !NOW( IRE111 Research Methods and Tools )
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of this course is to provide students with basic tools that gives them understanding of how knowledge in political science is generated. The course will help students distinguish quality research from dubious research designs, understand about weaknesses of research methods that may potentially compromise the validity of the reported results. This includes learning about research designs, measurement, qualitative and quantitative methods, content analysis, quantitative methods, data, and AI in reserach. This course gives students the tools to better understand scientific literature and other materials that they read or follow about international relations and European politics (or, in fact, about anything else). In addition, the course prepares students for the writing of their BA thesis. Students learn what types of final bachelor's theses there are in the field and how to go about writing each of these types of theses. Overall, the aim of the course is to equip students to work in courses, to write a great BA thesis, and to prepare them for a life, where causal claims appear everywhere and the results of scientific research influence our daily small and large decisions.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will
- develop analytical thinking
- understand key types of research design
- know how to search for relevant scientific literature
- develop the ability to outline and conduct a valid research project
- understand the differences between different types of academic writing
- demonstrate basic knowledge of key methods in political science
Syllabus
  • Course Structure
  • (1) Political science - What is science?
  • (2) More about the scientific approach to politics
  • (3) Research design: Experimental and observational
  • (4) Qualitative and quantitative research. The importance of theory.
  • (5) Variable measurement. How to write a thesis?
  • (6) Literature review
  • (7) Research paper. Extended position paper.
  • (8) Policy paper
  • (9) Content analysis
  • (10) Quantitative methods
  • (11) Data: Where to find them?
  • (12) Working with a quantitative data file. Using AI in research.
  • (13) Discussion
Literature
    required literature
  • Young E. and Quinn L. 2002. Writing Effective Public Policy Papers: A Guide to Policy Advisers in Central and Eastern Europe. Open Society Institute: Budapest
  • Deiwiks C, Cederman L-E, Gleditsch KS. Inequality and conflict in federations. Journal of Peace Research. 2012;49(2):289-304. doi:10.1177/0022343311431754
  • Kahn-Nisser S. For better or worse: Shaming, faming, and human rights abuse. Journal of Peace Research. 2021;58(3):479-493. doi:10.1177/0022343320905346
  • Nancy Green Saraisky. 2016. Analyzing Public Discourse: "Using Media Content Analysis to Understand the Policy Process," Current Issues in Comparative Education 18(1), 26-41.
  • Linegar M, Kocielnik R and Alvarez RM (2023) Large language models and political science. Frontiers in Political Science 5.
  • BELCHER, Wendy Laura. Writing your journal article in twelve weeks : a guide to academic publishing success. Second edition. London: The University of Chicago Press, 2019, xi, 430. ISBN 9780226499918. info
  • BABBIE, Earl R. The practice of social research. Fourteenth edition. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2016, xxiv, 566. ISBN 9781305104945. info
  • KELLSTEDT, Paul M. and Guy D. WHITTEN. The fundamentals of political science research. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013, xxiv, 316. ISBN 9781107621664. info
  • GOERTZ, Gary and James MAHONEY. A tale of two cultures : qualitative and quantitative research in the social sciences. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2012, viii, 238. ISBN 9780691149714. info
    recommended literature
  • Zvada, Ľubomír. (2022). On Gender and Illiberalism: Lessons From Slovak Parliamentary Debates. Politics and Governance. 10. 10.17645/pag.v10i4.5536.
  • BLAIKIE, Norman W. H. Designing social research : the logic of anticipation. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2010, ix, 298. ISBN 9780745643380. info
Teaching methods
Lectures and seminars
Assessment methods
homework, class work, quizzes, midterm exam, final exam
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Information on course enrolment limitations: This course is not available for exchange students.
Teacher's information
Questions please direct at Zuzana Ringlerova ringler@fss.muni.cz
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2020, Autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2023, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2023/IREb1008