GRADUATE SCHOOL

PhD in Political Science and International Relations

PSIR 601 | Course Introduction and Application Information

Course Name
Research Methods
Code
Semester
Theory
(hour/week)
Application/Lab
(hour/week)
Local Credits
ECTS
PSIR 601
Fall
3
0
3
7.5

Prerequisites
None
Course Language
English
Course Type
Required
Course Level
Third Cycle
Mode of Delivery -
Teaching Methods and Techniques of the Course -
Course Coordinator -
Course Lecturer(s)
Assistant(s)
Course Objectives This course is designed to equip graduate students with tools necessary for doing empirical and systematic research in political science and international relations. Students will learn to identify research questions and hypotheses, conduct a literature review, and collect qualitative and quantitative data.
Learning Outcomes The students who succeeded in this course;
  • To assess the challenges of conducting social science research.
  • To evaluate strengths and weaknesses of different research method techniques.
  • To formulate testable hypotheses.
  • To identify the appropriate data and sources.
  • To prepare interview and survey questions.
  • To identify ethical issues in social sciences.
Course Description This course provides students the basic skills needed to conduct political analysis. All students are expected to come to class having done the required readings of the week and engage in class discussions. Academic Integrity: Any kind of academic dishonesty, including cheating and plagiarizing, will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty will be pursued with disciplinary action and will result in an “F” grade for the class.

 



Course Category

Core Courses
Major Area Courses
X
Supportive Courses
Media and Management Skills Courses
Transferable Skill Courses

 

WEEKLY SUBJECTS AND RELATED PREPARATION STUDIES

Week Subjects Related Preparation
1 Introduction – syllabus presentation and explanation
2 Studying Politics Scientifically Straits ve Singleton, Jr. (2011) Social research: approaches and fundamentals,chp. 1, 2.
3 Research Questions and Theories Straits ve Singleton, Jr. (2011) Social research: approaches and fundamentals,chp. 3.
4 Hypotheses, variables, Operationalization and Measurement Matthews and Ross (2010) Research methods: a practical guide for the social sciences, chp A4, B2, B3.
5 Qualitative and quantitative studies Matthews and Ross (2010) Research methods: a practical guide for the social sciences, chp B4 Qualitative versus Quantitative: What Might This Distinction Mean? Qualitative Methods. 1(1): 4-8. Mahoney, J. and G. Goertz. 2006. A Tale of Two Cultures: Contrasting Quantitative and Qualitative Research. Political Analysis 14: 227-49.
6 Case study designs Gerring, John (2004). What Is a Case Study and What Is It Good For? American Political Science Review. 98(2): 341-54. Seawright, Jason and Gerring, John (2008). Case Selection Techniques in Case Study Research: A Menu of Qualitative and Quantitative Options. Political Research Quarterly. 61(2): 294-308. Geddes, ch. 4. Bennett, Andrew and Colin Elman (2007). Case Study Methods in the International Relations Subfield. Comparative Political Studies 40(2): 170-95.
7 Historical analysis Matthews and Ross (2010) Research methods: a practical guide for the social sciences, chp C8, C9 Thies, Cameron (2002). A Pragmatic Guide to Qualitative Historical Analysis in the Study of International Relations. International Studies Perspectives, 3(4), 351-372.
8 Ethnography and participant observation Matthews and Ross (2010) Research methods: a practical guide for the social sciences, chp C1, C2, C7 Straits ve Singleton, Jr. (2011) Social research: approaches and fundamentals,chp. 10 Wedeen, Lisa. “Reflections on Ethnographic Work in Political Science.” Annual Review of Political Science 13 (2010), pp. 255–272.
9 Interviews Matthews and Ross (2010) Research methods: a practical guide for the social sciences, chp C4 Asking Questions: Techniques for Semistructured Interviews. PS: Political Science & Politics, 35(4): 665-668. Berry, Jeffrey (2002). Validity and Reliability Issues In Elite Interviewing. PS: Political Science & Politics, 35(4): 679-682.
10 Content Analysis and Discourse analysis Matthews and Ross (2010) Research methods: a practical guide for the social sciences, chp D6, D7. Weeden, Lisa. 2010. Reflections on Ethnographic Work in Political Science. Annual Review of Political Science 13: 255-72. Grimmer Justin and Brandon M. Stewart. 2013. Text as Data: The Promise and Pitfalls of Automatic Content Analysis Methods for Political Texts. Political Analysis 21(3):267-297.
11 Survey Research Straits ve Singleton, Jr. (2011) Social research: approaches and fundamentals, chp.8 Smith, Tom W. and Frederick D. Weil (1990) Finding public opinion data: A guide to sources. Public Opinion Quarterly 54(4): 609-626.
12 Controlled Experiments Straits ve Singleton, Jr. (2011) Social research: approaches and fundamentals,chp. 6, 7 McDermott, Rose. 2002. Experimental Methods in Political Science. Annual Review of Political Science 5: 31-61. Mintz, Alex, Yi Yang, and Rose McDermott. 2011. Experimental Approaches to International Relations. International Studies Quarterly 55(2): 493-501.
13 Presenting research findings and ethical problems Straits ve Singleton, Jr. (2011) Social research: approaches and fundamentals,chp. E1, E2, E3, E4 Woliver, Laura (2002). Ethical Dilemmas in Personal Interviewing. PS: Political Science & Politics, 35(4), 677-678.
14 Presentations
15 Presentations
16 Review of the Semester  

 

Course Notes/Textbooks

All course readings are available at the University Library and as open sources.

Suggested Readings/Materials

 

EVALUATION SYSTEM

Semester Activities Number Weigthing
Participation
1
20
Laboratory / Application
Field Work
Quizzes / Studio Critiques
Portfolio
Homework / Assignments
Presentation / Jury
2
80
Project
Seminar / Workshop
Oral Exams
Midterm
Final Exam
Total

Weighting of Semester Activities on the Final Grade
2
60
Weighting of End-of-Semester Activities on the Final Grade
1
40
Total

ECTS / WORKLOAD TABLE

Semester Activities Number Duration (Hours) Workload
Theoretical Course Hours
(Including exam week: 16 x total hours)
16
3
48
Laboratory / Application Hours
(Including exam week: '.16.' x total hours)
16
0
Study Hours Out of Class
12
10
120
Field Work
0
Quizzes / Studio Critiques
0
Portfolio
0
Homework / Assignments
0
Presentation / Jury
2
28
56
Project
0
Seminar / Workshop
0
Oral Exam
0
Midterms
0
Final Exam
0
    Total
224

 

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES AND PROGRAM QUALIFICATIONS RELATIONSHIP

#
Program Competencies/Outcomes
* Contribution Level
1
2
3
4
5
1

To be able to improve and deepen the theoretical and conceptual proficiencies on Political Science and International Relations.

X
2

To be able to evaluate critically and analytically the relationships between various factors in the discipline of Political Science and International Relations such as structures, actors, institutions and culture at an advanced level.

X
3

To be able to determine the theoretical and empirical gaps in Political Science and International Relations literature and gain the ability of questioning at an advanced level.

X
4

To be able to gain the ability to develop innovative, leading and original arguments in order to fill the gaps in Political Science and International Relations literature.

X
5

To be able to gather, analyze, and interpret the data by using advanced qualitative or quantitative research methods in Political Science and International Relations.

X
6

To be able to develop original academic works and publish scientific articles in refereed national or international indexed journals in the field of Political Science and International Relations.

7

To be able to describe individual research and contemporary developments in Political Science and International Relations in written, oral, and visual forms.

X
8

To be able to take responsibility in an individual capacity and/or as part of a team in generating innovative and analytical solutions to the problems that arise in relation to the politics in daily life.

9

To be able to develop projects in determining the institutional and political instruments for conflict resolution in national and international politics.

10

To be able to prepare an original thesis in Political Science and International Relations based on scientific criteria.

11

To be able to follow new research and developments, publish scientific articles and participate the debates in academic meetings in Political Science and International Relations through a foreign language.

12

To be able to have ethical, social and scientific values in the stages throughout the processes of gathering, interpreting, disseminating and implementing data relevant to Political Science and International Relations.

*1 Lowest, 2 Low, 3 Average, 4 High, 5 Highest

 


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