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2022/2023

Political Research Methods

Code: 101104 ECTS Credits: 12
Degree Type Year Semester
2500259 Political Science and Public Management OB 2 A
2503778 International Relations OB 2 A

Contact

Name:
Lucía Esther Medina Lindo
Email:
lucia.medina@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
Yes

Other comments on languages

Group 01 in Spanish; group 51 in Catalan; group 52 in English

Teachers

Agustí Bosch Gardella
Jordi Calvet Crespo

Prerequisites

No necessary prerequesite required.

Objectives and Contextualisation

The course is intended as an introduction to all stages of research in Political Science and International Relations. The main purpose is to provide students with the tools to be able to both produce knowledge through original research and to critically evaluate research of political interest by other authors. Thus, the course covers all the aspects necessary to understand the logic of political research: the different ways of producing knowledge, the formulation of questions and tentative answers, the treatment of concepts, the collection of data and their analysis.

The main objectives of the course are:

  1. Being able to design research that produces knowledge.
  2. Being able to transform concepts into variables in a valid and reliable way.
  3. Being able to apply the appropriate statistical tools for categorical variables and for numerical variables, knowing how to use them, and knowing how to interpret them.
  4. Being able to transmit clearly and precisely the results of the research carried out.

Competences

    Political Science and Public Management
  • Applying the different behaviour analysis techniques and political actors to real cases from the internal and international political arena.
  • Applying the discipline's main theories and different fields to real practical and professional problems.
  • Arguing from different theoretical perspectives.
  • Demonstrating the comprehension of the logic behind the scientific analysis of political sciences.
  • Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  • Managing the methodological foundations of politic sciences.
  • Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
  • Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  • Using the main information and documentation techniques (ICT) as an essential tool for the analysis.
  • Working autonomously.
    International Relations
  • Design, plan and carry out projects and studies for analysis and/or intervention in different areas of international relations.
  • Recognise the methodological foundations of social science with special emphasis on international relations.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Apply the methodology of political analysis to specific real or simulated case studies for international relations and design a complete research strategy.
  2. Arguing from different theoretical perspectives.
  3. Be familiar with basic methodology in political science.
  4. Critically assessing the usage of inductive, deductive and comparative methods.
  5. Critically assessing the use of analytical instruments to validate the hypothesis raised.
  6. Critically evaluate the use of analytical instruments for the validation of the proposed hypotheses.
  7. Critically evaluate the use of methods of induction, deduction and comparison.
  8. Demonstrate an understanding of the logic of scientific analysis applied to political science.
  9. Demonstrating the comprehension of the logic behind the scientific analysis of political sciences.
  10. Designing and planning an investigation in the field of political sciences.
  11. Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  12. Managing the methodological foundations of politic sciences.
  13. Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
  14. Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  15. Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  16. Use a data political data base and for each case use the appropriate basic techniques of descriptive statistics.
  17. Using the main information and documentation techniques (ICT) as an essential tool for the analysis.
  18. Working autonomously.

Content

1. The research question

The research question: What? Who? How? Why?

Tentative answers: the literature review and the development of the theoretical framework.

Hypotheses

2. Use and measurement of concepts

The organisation of the data: units, variables and observations, and the structure of the data matrix.

From concepts to variables: the process of operationalisation

Independent variables and dependent variables

Levels of measurement and types of variables

Measurement error: validity and reliability

3. Univariate descriptive analysis

Statistical description

Measures of centrality

Measures of dispersion

Graphical representations

4. Controlling for alternative explanations and research design

What should an explanation contain?

Causality: the relationship between variables

Methods of control: experiments and observations (statistical, comparative and case study methods)

Longitudinal and cross-sectional designs

5. Data generation and collection

Data sources for policy analysis

The standardised interview: the questionnaire

Qualitative interviewing: structured, semi-structured and unstructured interviews

Other ways of generating data: participant observation, document use

6. Sampling and inference

Population and sample

Representativeness and generalisability

Type of sampling

The normal distribution and sampling distribution

Sampling error and confidence level

Sample size

Statistical inference

Significance level

7. Relationships among variables (1). Contingency table

Relationships between variables and hypothesis testing

Contingency tables: cells, columns, rows and marginals

Type of tables: total, row and column percentages

How to interpret tables?

Measures of the degree of association between variables

Hypothesis testing: the chi-square test (χ2)

8. Relationships between variables (2). Correlation and Difference of Means

Difference of means

Hypothesis testing: the t-test

Scatter plots

Correlation and Pearson's R

9. Relationships between variables (3). Simple Linear Regression

Simple linear regression

The regression line

The regression coefficient

The constant

The coefficient of determination or R2

10. Introduction to multivariate analysis

Methodology

The teaching plan includes two types of sessions: theoretical and practical.

All sessions will be aimed at the assimilation of the course contents, which must be proven in the different continuous evaluable activities and in the exams.

The practical sessions will be aimed at carrying out computing tasks that put into practise the techniques studied during the course. In this sense, Excel and Jamovi software will be used so that students become familiar with their use and use them in the exercises and examinations that must be carried out throughout the academic year.

Some non-evaluable ‘collaborative learning’ sessions may also be performed during the course. Students may be required to complete some activities in order to join these sessions.

The content and order of the syllabus may vary slightly in the different groups of the course.

 

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Exercises presentation 15 0.6 2, 9, 10, 13, 11, 15, 18, 5, 7
Practical lessons with computer 30 1.2 2, 9, 11, 15, 18, 12, 17, 5
Theoretical lessons 60 2.4 2, 9, 10, 12, 5, 4
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials to support exercises elaboration 30 1.2 9, 10, 12, 5, 4
Type: Autonomous      
Exercices 60 2.4 2, 9, 8, 10, 16, 11, 3, 14, 15, 18, 12, 17, 5, 6, 4
Readings 30 1.2 2, 9, 11, 15, 18, 17, 4, 7
Study 60 2.4 2, 11, 3, 15, 18, 12, 5, 4

Assessment

The final grade of the course will be the weighted average of the following three blocks:

1. January exam (35% of the final grade), on a date to be set by the Faculty.

2. June exam (35% of the final grade), on a date to be set by the faculty. In order to pass the course, a score of 4 or more must be obtained in the June exam.

3. Continuous evaluable activities (30% of the final grade). These are individual activities designed to check the achievement of knowledge.

    During the course, there will be a maximum of 6 evaluable activities.

Important considerations:

1. This is a subject that –due to its content and evaluation– must be followed face-to-face in class. In order to be assessed, it is necessary to have taken more than half of the continuous evaluable activities, as well as to have taken the exams.

2. Taking the continuous evaluable activities implies having attended the corresponding session and handing it in personally. Continuous evaluable activities will not be taken outside the scheduled date.

3. Any case of plagiarism in evaluable activities or exams will imply the loss of the assessment rights as well as a failure in the overall subject, without the right to the recovery exam.

4. In accordance with article 117.2 of the UAB Academic Regulations, the assessment of repeating students may consist of a single synthesis test. Repeating students who wish to make use of this possibility should contact the teaching staff at the beginning of the academic year.

 

RECOVERY EXAM

- Those students who have followed the course (see point 1) and have obtained a minimum of 3 as a weighted average grade will have the right to take a recovery exam.

- The result of the recovery exam will be "Pass" / "Fail". In the case of "pass", this result will be recorded as a 5 in the final grade. In the case of being "not passed", the student will fail the course.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Final exams 70% 3 0.12 9, 11, 15, 18, 17
Practical examination 30% 12 0.48 1, 2, 9, 8, 10, 16, 13, 11, 3, 14, 18, 12, 17, 5, 6, 4, 7

Bibliography

A reference handbook for this subject is:

Pollock, Philip H. (2016) The Essentials of political analysis. New York: Sage. UAB Library (Ciències Socials-Planta 0): 303:32 Pol

Software

Excel and Jamovi