Universität Wien

210027 UE BAK4.1: UE Empirical research using qualitative methods (2018S)

(engl.)

6.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 21 - Politikwissenschaft
Continuous assessment of course work

A registration via u:space during the registration phase is required. Late registrations are NOT possible.
Students who miss the first lesson without prior notification will lose their seat in the course.

Follow the principles of good scientific practice.

The course instructor may invite students to an oral exam about the student’s written contributions in the course. Plagiarized contributions have the consequence that the course won’t be graded (instead the course will be marked with an ‘X’ in the transcript of records).
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. 40 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Wednesday 21.03. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 3 (H3), NIG 2. Stock
  • Friday 23.03. 13:15 - 16:30 Hörsaal 3 (H3), NIG 2. Stock
  • Wednesday 11.04. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 3 (H3), NIG 2. Stock
  • Wednesday 18.04. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 3 (H3), NIG 2. Stock
  • Wednesday 25.04. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 3 (H3), NIG 2. Stock
  • Wednesday 02.05. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 3 (H3), NIG 2. Stock
  • Wednesday 09.05. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 3 (H3), NIG 2. Stock
  • Wednesday 16.05. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 3 (H3), NIG 2. Stock
  • Wednesday 23.05. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 3 (H3), NIG 2. Stock
  • Wednesday 06.06. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 3 (H3), NIG 2. Stock
  • Wednesday 13.06. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 3 (H3), NIG 2. Stock
  • Wednesday 20.06. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 3 (H3), NIG 2. Stock
  • Friday 22.06. 13:15 - 16:30 Hörsaal 3 (H3), NIG 2. Stock
  • Wednesday 27.06. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 3 (H3), NIG 2. Stock

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Voraussetzungen/Course requirements: Prior knowledge of qualitative methods is not required. Students must be able to read English-language texts. The final paper may be written in English or German. It is not possible to replace the written paper with an oral exam.

Inhalte/Course contents: This seminar will offer an overview of the logic and methods of qualitative research. The seminar will be very much hands-on, that is, students are expected to engage in practical assignments and discuss the results in class. In the seminar we will walk through the principal phases of qualitative research, such as, formulating a workable research question, collecting data, analyzing qualitative data, writing research memos, writing a research report. Some of the methods discussed and practiced include: qualitative interviews, ethnographic observation, text analysis, discourse analysis. We will work on a small qualitative research project on a topic to be decided.

Methoden: The pedagogical approach used in this seminar is that of experiential learning: students will learn the basic concepts of qualitative research, practice these insights by doing (aspects of) qualitative research themselves, and reflect on the outcomes of their practice. This set-up requires that students must be present at each lecture and do the assignments on time to be able to present your work in class. Continuous participation is necessary also because in experiential learning the group process is very important for attaining your learning goals. You can only pass the seminar if you have attended a minimum of 9 out of the 11 meetings. Core readings are available on Moodle and are mandatory. Additional readings will be suggested and are strongly recommended.

Ziele/Goals: At the end of the seminar you will:
Know the difference between quantitative and qualitative research;
Be able to formulate a workable and productive research question;
Have knowledge of and some practical experience with the most common methods of qualitative data collection;
Have knowledge of and some practical experience with the analysis of qualitative data;
Have some experience with writing research memos;
Have some experience with writing a research report;
Heave learned to turn worries and anxieties about your research (which are entirely normal) into something productive and enjoy doing research.

Assessment and permitted materials

Art der Leistungskontrolle/Assessment method: a paper of 3500 words (including footnotes, excluding references) that contains the following 5 sections:
1. Research problem, goals of the paper and contribution to the literature. In this section you provide a concise and convincing answer why the reader should read your report. (20 points)
2. Research Question, Design, Methods, and Analysis In this section you explain the design of your project. The design should enable you to provide an answer to your research question (20 points).
3. Explanation of relevant research ethics as they apply to your project (10 points)
4. Presentation and discussion of your empirical results. The results of your study are related tot the relevant literature. This section provides an answer to your research question (30 points)
5. Summary and Conclusions. Here you discuss your contribution to the literature and the societal significance of your results (20 points).

The final paper can be written in English or German. The paper must be grammatically correct and well presented. The references must be correctly structured according to the Harvard method. Failure in any of these formal characteristics will result in a lowering of points. The maximums score is 100 points; you need 50 points to pass the seminar.

The deadline for the paper is ........

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Examination topics

Reading list

Mandatory Literature:
Bryman, A. 1984. The debate about quantitative and qualitative research: A question of method or epistemology? British Journal of Sociology 35(1), 75-92.
Booth, W.C., Colomb, G.G., und Williams, J.M. 2008. The craft of research (3. Edition). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Chapter 3: From topics to questions. S.36-50., chapter 4: From questions to a problem
Weiss, R.S. 1995. Learning from Strangers: The art and method of qualitative interview studies. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Wagenaar, H (2011), Meaning in Action: Interpretation and Dialogue in Policy Analysis, ch. 9 From methods to heuristics.
Schulz, M. 2012. Quick and easy!? Fokusgruppen in der angewandten Sozialwissenschaft. In: Schulz, M., Mack, B., und Renn, O. (Hg). Fokusgruppen in der empirischen Sozialwissenschaft. Von der Konzeption bis zur Auswertung. Wiesbaden: Springer VS. S. 9-22.
Kerchner, B. 2006. Diskursanalyse in der Politikwissenschaft. Ein Forschungsüberblick. In: Kerchner B, Schneider S. (Hg). Foucault: Diskursanalyse der Politik: eine Einführung. Wiesbaden: Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. S. 33-67.
Abbot, A. (2004), Methods of Discovery. Heuristics for the Social Sciences, Norton
Charmaz, K. (2013) Constructing Grounded Theory, Sage, chapter 5 (coding), ch. 7 (memo-writing)
Bartels, K. & Wagenaar H., (2017) Doubt and Excitement: An Experiential Learning Approach to Teaching the Practice of Qualitative Research, Qualitative Research, DOI: 10.1177/1468794117713056

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:38