Research Methods for Social and Political Sciences

This course will help students acquire the tacit skills, along with some formal skills and knowledge training, required to design and carry out a plan for a doctoral research project. To achieve this, students will begin by developing a research question (or a set of questions) which is researchable in practice. Good research is based on an open system of thought which requires continual testing, review and criticism of other's ideas, and a willingness to explore new ideas. The course will also encourage students to practice research in- motion. The course is conducted as an intensive series of workshops, drawing primarily on students' research projects as cases. As such, the course will have a practical approach which applies active learning, problem-solving, and decision-making to one's own research.