| Unit name | Comparative Research Design |
|---|---|
| Unit code | POLIM3025 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Wickham-Jones |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit will look at the principles and at the practice of comparative research design for Political Science and International Relations. It will introduce students to important theoretical debates about research design. Particular attention will be paid to the identification of variable in research design, to the methods of data generation and data collection, and to different approaches to the interpretation and analysis of qualitative data. Students will be required to develop their own research project during the unit and develop it with regard to the issued under discussion at each session. The discussion of theory selcetion will not be exhaustive but will give students a foundation in the relvant issues involved in the adoption and development of models and research frameworks. The unit will consider which practical approaches might be appropriate for different research proposals in the light of different theoretical models. Attention will be given to field work, interviewing, and archival material as suitable routes for the generation of data.
