Universität Wien

210160 VO Mixed Methods: Alternating subjects (2021S)

/engl.)

3.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 21 - Politikwissenschaft
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.

Nicht-prüfungsimmanente (n-pi) Lehrveranstaltung. Eine Anmeldung über u:space ist erforderlich. Mit der Anmeldung werden Sie automatisch für die entsprechende Moodle-Plattform freigeschaltet. Vorlesungen unterliegen keinen Zugangsbeschränkungen.

VO-Prüfungstermine erfordern eine gesonderte Anmeldung.
Schummelversuche und erschlichene Prüfungsleistungen führen zur Nichtbewertung der Lehrveranstaltung (Eintragung eines 'X' im Sammelzeugnis).

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


Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

*** Due to the continuing difficult COVID-19 situation this course will take place in a digital format. The course sessions will take place synchronously, which means students should attend the online lectures at the specified lecture times (Thursdays 4:45 - 6:15pm). It may be possible to switch to a hybrid format later in the semester, but that depends on how the pandemic situation develops. ***

The course offers an introduction to mixed research methods in the social sciences with a particular focus on how different methods can be combined to answer a wide range of research questions. The question of how to conduct meaningful research using robust designs is at the centre of the course. It begins with an overview of the philosophical underpinnings of social science research. Students are then introduced to a range of methods such as interviews, focus groups, case studies, ethnography, discourse and content analyses. The course also covers a range of approaches such as qualitative comparative analysis and interpretive analysis. The course includes applications of qualitative research to real world problems as well as empirical investigations of current social and political problems.

The course has three aims. First, to introduce students to a range of methods that researchers, policymakers and analysts use in answering social, political and economic questions. Second, to help students understand the uses, benefits, and challenges of various methodological tools for their own research projects. Third, at the end of the course students should be able to evaluate the quality of empirical social science research.

This course is a lecture series. Regular attendance is recommended.

Assessment and permitted materials

Assessment for this course is in digital format in form of a Take Home Exam. The exam questions will be available on Moodle at 4pm on the exam day and you will have until 6pm on the same day to complete and to upload the exam.

The first exam date is Thursday, 24th June 2021, from 4-6pm.
The second exam date is Thursday, 15th July 2021, from 4-6pm.

Further exam dates will be announced as soon as they are available.

The exam will be a written exam in the form of short essay questions. You will be given a choice of four questions of which you need to answer two. There will be no multiple choice questions. The questions will be short answer questions to be answered in a maximum of 3 pages (in total, not per question).

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Grading scale:
100 – 80 points: Very good/Sehr gut (1)
79 – 65 points: Good/Gut (2)
64 - 56 points: Satisfactory/Befriedigend (3)
55 - 48 points: Pass/Genügend (4)
47 - 0 points: Not satisfactory/Nicht Genügend (5)

Please note that this course is held in English. Students must be willing and able to read and understand academic literature in English. The exam will also be given in English.
Students are not required to have previous knowledge of mixed methods in social science research.

Examination topics

The content of the written exam will be the content of the lectures, the lecture slides as well as a number of academic articles, which will be highlighted in the full syllabus and in the lectures.

Reading list

The literature list for this course will be uploaded on Moodle, along with a full syllabus at the start of the course.

The literature that is relevant for the exam includes:

Della Porta. D, and Keating, M. (2008): “How many approaches in the social sciences? An epistemological introduction”, in: Approaches and Methodologies in the Social Sciences: A Pluralist Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Schmitter, P. (2008) “The Design of Social and Political Research” in Della Porta, D., and Keating, M. Approaches and Methodologies in the Social Sciences: A Pluralist Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Teddlie, C., and Yu, F. (2007) “Mixed methods sampling: A typology with examples”. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1(1), 77-100. DOI 10.1177/1558689806292430

Kitzinger, J. (1995) “Qualitative Research: Introducing focus groups”, British Medical Journal, 311(7000). DOI:10.1136/bmj.311.7000.299

Saldana, J. (2009) “An Introduction to Codes and Coding”, Chapter 1 in The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers, London: Sage Publications.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Fr 12.05.2023 00:19