Universität Wien

210113 UE M2: Research Methods for Political Science (2021S)

quantitatively (engl.)

8.00 ECTS (4.00 SWS), SPL 21 - Politikwissenschaft
Continuous assessment of course work
REMOTE

Die Lehre wird im SoSe 2021 zu Beginn voraussichtlich digital stattfinden. Je nach Lage wird auf hybride oder Vor-Ort-Lehre umgestellt. Die Lehrenden werden die konkrete Organisationsform und Lehrmethodik auf ufind und Moodle bekannt geben, wobei auch mit kurzfristigen Änderungen gerechnet werden muss.

Eine Anmeldung über u:space innerhalb der Anmeldephase ist erforderlich! Eine nachträgliche Anmeldung ist NICHT möglich.
Studierende, die der ersten Einheit unentschuldigt fern bleiben, verlieren ihren Platz in der Lehrveranstaltung.

Achten Sie auf die Einhaltung der Standards guter wissenschaftlicher Praxis und die korrekte Anwendung der Techniken wissenschaftlichen Arbeitens und Schreibens.
Plagiierte und erschlichene Teilleistungen führen zur Nichtbewertung der Lehrveranstaltung (Eintragung eines 'X' im Sammelzeugnis).
Die Lehrveranstaltungsleitung kann Studierende zu einem notenrelevanten Gespräch über erbrachte Teilleistungen einladen.
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 35 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

***IMPORTANT*** The class will take place ONLINE on MONDAYS 9:45-12:45 a.m. The link to the online classroom will be available via Moodle.

  • Monday 08.03. 09:45 - 12:45 PC-Raum 2 UniCampus Hof 7 Eingang 7.1 2H-O1-25
  • Monday 15.03. 09:45 - 12:45 PC-Raum 2 UniCampus Hof 7 Eingang 7.1 2H-O1-25
  • Monday 22.03. 09:45 - 12:45 PC-Raum 2 UniCampus Hof 7 Eingang 7.1 2H-O1-25
  • Monday 12.04. 09:45 - 12:45 PC-Raum 2 UniCampus Hof 7 Eingang 7.1 2H-O1-25
  • Monday 19.04. 09:45 - 12:45 PC-Raum 2 UniCampus Hof 7 Eingang 7.1 2H-O1-25
  • Monday 26.04. 09:45 - 12:45 PC-Raum 2 UniCampus Hof 7 Eingang 7.1 2H-O1-25
  • Monday 03.05. 09:45 - 12:45 PC-Raum 2 UniCampus Hof 7 Eingang 7.1 2H-O1-25
  • Monday 10.05. 09:45 - 12:45 PC-Raum 2 UniCampus Hof 7 Eingang 7.1 2H-O1-25
  • Monday 17.05. 09:45 - 12:45 PC-Raum 2 UniCampus Hof 7 Eingang 7.1 2H-O1-25
  • Monday 31.05. 09:45 - 12:45 PC-Raum 2 UniCampus Hof 7 Eingang 7.1 2H-O1-25
  • Monday 07.06. 09:45 - 12:45 PC-Raum 2 UniCampus Hof 7 Eingang 7.1 2H-O1-25
  • Monday 14.06. 09:45 - 12:45 PC-Raum 2 UniCampus Hof 7 Eingang 7.1 2H-O1-25
  • Monday 21.06. 09:45 - 12:45 PC-Raum 2 UniCampus Hof 7 Eingang 7.1 2H-O1-25
  • Monday 28.06. 09:45 - 12:45 PC-Raum 2 UniCampus Hof 7 Eingang 7.1 2H-O1-25

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

The course deals with the development of a research design. For this purpose all key concepts and steps of the research design are discussed: formulation of a research question, literature review, theory, hypothesis definition and testing, concept definitions and operationalization, case selection and empirical verification. Some of the questions that will be discussed include the following: How do I find a research question? How to formulate a research question? What elements should a quantitative research design include? How can a research question be adequately justified theoretically? The seminar also discusses statistical methods that are useful for answering the research question and to verify the hypotheses formulated. The empirical analyses are carried out using R.

Learning Outcomes
Assuming that you have read the material and participated regularly in class, the seminar will:
- sharpen your ability to produce original research in social science while developing skills in designing and conducting research studies, collecting and analysing data, drawing appropriate conclusions based on statistical results, and writing up scientific reports;
- help you choosing your MA thesis research question, collecting data and evidence, drawing conclusions and writing up your thesis;
- help you in analysing quantitative data and interpreting your results using R, a common statistical analysis programme used in the social sciences;
- develop your capacity for critically evaluating “scientific evidence” that is communicated in academic journals, the popular press, and other outlets such as reports from government agencies, non-profit organizations, and corporations.

Assessment and permitted materials

The final grade is made up of:
- homeworks (40%),
- research outline (10%),
- final paper (40%),
- active class participation (10%).

Only 2 class absences are allowed.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Students can only pass this course if certain minimum requirements are met namely students submit the homework in time, miss only two classes, and submit the research outline and final paper on time.

The software Turnitin will be used to check plagiarism.

Examination topics

Students will be assessed based on their ability to formulate and implement a research question as well as on their knowledge of key quantitative skills.

Reading list

--- Kellstedt, P. M. and Whitten, G. D. (2013) The Fundamentals of Political Science Research, Cambridge University Press.

--- Agresti A. (2018) Statistical methods for the Social Sciences, 5th Edition.

--- Garrett Grolemund and Hadley Wickham. R for Data Science. https://r4ds.had.co.nz/

--- James Long and Paul Teetor. R cookbook (2nd edition) https://rc2e.com/

--- Imai, K. (2018) Quantitative social science: An introduction. Princeton University Press.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Th 20.02.2025 00:15