POLITICS 701 Research Design in Empirical Political Inquiry - Course Outlines

Course Prescription

Explores a range of tools and approaches commonly used by political and other social scientists in the course of conducting empirical research. The course is designed to assist postgraduate students in Politics and International Relations, as well as cognate disciplines, in developing their own research projects.

Course Overview

This postgraduate course is meant to serve students in Politics and International Relations, including those pursuing the Honours (Hons), Master's In Terrorism and Conflict Studies (MCTS), and Master's in Professional Studies in Human Rights and International Relations (MPS IRHR) degrees, as well as cognate social science disciplines through a comparative introduction to some of the main tools and approaches in professional political inquiry. By the end of the course, students will have an understanding of the relative merits and drawbacks of a range of methodological tools, demonstrate an awareness of the trade-offs inherent in any research design strategy, and will be able to apply these tools and approaches as appropriate to a research project of their choosing. The main aim of the course is to enable students to formulate a cogent research design for their own dissertation projects, providing a justification for the research methods and approaches chosen. Secondarily, the course aims to make students more informed consumers of research.

The course will consist of four parts. Part one explores the epistemological and ontological debates that inform approaches to political research, and develops an awareness of the properties of theory. Part two then examines the core approaches in contemporary empirical research, framing each in the context of scholarly debate regarding the benefits and drawbacks of each. These approaches include rational choice and game theoretic modelling, political opportunity structures, historic and liberal institutionalisms, and the role of ideas in political research, including cognition, constructivism, and culture. Part three undertakes an exploration of methodological techniques commonly employed in the conduct of empirical political science. Topics may shift to accommodate student interests but might include an introduction to the basics of quantitative analysis (i.e. sampling techniques, randomisation), case studies and case selection, small-n structured comparisons, historiography and process- tracing, and experimental methods (including natural experiments). The fourth component of the course will consider questions relating to research ethics, the sociological composition of social science disciplines and their effects on how knowledge is built. The final session of the semester will take the form of a student colloquium, at which students will be expected to communicate their research plans through prepared poster presentations.

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Demonstrate familiarity with a wide range of methodological tools and approaches in the social sciences, and apply these appropriately (Capability 3.2)
Communicate effectively and professionally in English through writing and presentation-based assignments (Capability 4.2)
Understand the relative strengths and limitations of one's own arguments (Capability 5.2)
Demonstrate awareness of the ethical implications of research design choices (Capability 6.3)

Assessments

Assessment Type	Percentage	Classification
Precis of research hypotheses	25%	Individual Coursework
Poster presentation	25%	Individual Coursework
Research Design Proposal	50%	Individual Coursework
3 types	100%

Next offered

S2 2021

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard [15] point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect [2] hours of lectures, [4] hours of reading and thinking about the content and [4] hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities, including seminars, but is not required to complete/receive credit for components of the course.

Seminars will be available as recordings. Other learning activities will not be available as recordings.

The course may include live online events, if delivery circumstances so warrant.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Capability 3:	Solution Seeking
Capability 4:	Communication and Engagement
Capability 5:	Independence and Integrity
Capability 6:	Social and Environmental Responsibilities

POLITICS 701 : Research Design in Empirical Political Inquiry

Arts

2021 Semester Two (1215) (15 POINTS)