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:
- Agustí Bosch Gardella
- Email:
- agusti.bosch@uab.cat
Teaching groups languages
You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject. Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2023.
Teachers
- Agustí Bosch Gardella
- Josep Maria Comellas Bonsfills
- Carolina Galais Gonzalez
- Roberto Pannico
Prerequisites
No necessary prerequesite required.
Objectives and Contextualisation
This subject is taught differently in the two degrees. You may find more information on this issue in the following links:
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
- Apply the methodology of political analysis to specific real or simulated case studies for international relations and design a complete research strategy.
- Arguing from different theoretical perspectives.
- Be familiar with basic methodology in political science.
- Critically assessing the usage of inductive, deductive and comparative methods.
- Critically assessing the use of analytical instruments to validate the hypothesis raised.
- Critically evaluate the use of analytical instruments for the validation of the proposed hypotheses.
- Critically evaluate the use of methods of induction, deduction and comparison.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the logic of scientific analysis applied to political science.
- Demonstrating the comprehension of the logic behind the scientific analysis of political sciences.
- Designing and planning an investigation in the field 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.
- Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
- Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
- Use a data political data base and for each case use the appropriate basic techniques of descriptive statistics.
- Using the main information and documentation techniques (ICT) as an essential tool for the analysis.
- Working autonomously.
Content
The main contents of the subject are the following:
|
Research Design: Social research fundamentals. Epistemologies and methodologies. The research question Theory and hypotheses Generation and collection of data. Research design: concept measurement, control and causality. |
Quantitative Research: Univariate descriptive analysis Sampling and inference Bivariate analysis (1). Contingency table Bivariate analysis (2). Correlation and Difference of Means Bivariate analysis (3). Simple Linear Regression Introduction to multivariate analysis |
Given that this subject is taught differently in the two degrees, you may find more information on the subject contents in the following links:
- Groups 1 & 51 (Political Science and Public Management degree & associated double degrees)
- Group 52 (International Relations degree & associated double degree)
Methodology
This subject is taught differently in the two degrees. You may find more information on this issue in the following links:
- Groups 1 & 51 (Political Science and Public Management degree & associated double degrees)
- Group 52 (International Relations degree & associated double degree)
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 course grade will consist of the weighted mean of the following blocks:
- Two exams: 60% of the final grade
- Continuous evaluable activities and class participation: 40% of the final grade.
There will be a recuperation exam for:
- Students who do not obtain a minimum of 4 in the June exam.
- Students who obtain more than 3 and less than 5 as a weighted average grade of the course.
The result of the recuperation exam will be "Pass"/"Fail". In the case of "pass", this test will count as a 5 in the final grade. In the case of a "fail", the student will not pass the course.
No exams or continuous evaluations will be taken outside of the set dates.
The detection of a copied exam or continuous evaluation activity will lead directly to a fail in the final grade of the subject.
The Faculty Board decided that this subject does not allow the single assessment procedure. Repeating students may have access to it, but are asked to contact the teaching staff at the beginning of the academic year.
Note this subject is taught differently in the two degrees. You may find more information on evaluation in the following links:
- Groups 1 & 51 (Political Science and Public Management degree & associated double degrees)
- Group 52 (International Relations degree & associated double degree)
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continuous evaluation and participation | 40% | 12 | 0.48 | 1, 2, 9, 8, 10, 16, 13, 11, 3, 14, 18, 12, 17, 5, 6, 4, 7 |
| Exams | 60% | 3 | 0.12 | 9, 11, 15, 18, 17 |
Bibliography
This subject is taught differently in the two degrees. You may find more information on this issue in the following links:
Software
This subject is taught differently in the two degrees. You may find more information on this issue in the following links: