B0136 - RESEARCH METHODS (A)

Academic Year 2022/2023

Learning outcomes

The course is intended to develop core competencies in quantitative research. These competencies include: Statistical literacy - the ability to read, understand, and critically assess quantitative research; Statistical abilities - the ability to determine, apply, and use the appropriate statistical techniques to inform and/or support an argument, as well as understand the limitations of statistical techniques; Research skills - the ability to use and present quantitative methodology to address - and potentially resolve - a research question.

Course contents

This course is designed for Master’s students in Political Science and will serve as an introduction to quantitative methods for social science research. Given that the majority of the highest-level research in Political Science is conducted in the language of quantitative methodology, students will learn the use of quantitative research methods as a tool to further their research and participate in the debates found in the literatures relevant to their own research. Students can expect to be introduced to not only the means for conducting rigorous, empirical, and quantitative research in social science fields but also how this analytical approach adheres to the scientific accumulation of knowledge about these phenomena.

Readings/Bibliography

The textbook: Loveless, Matthew 2023. Political Analysis: A Guide to Data and Statistics. 1st edition. Sage.

Any additional readings will be made available here: https://virtuale.unibo.it/ .

Teaching methods

The course is intended to develop core competencies in quantitative research. These competencies include:

  • Statistical literacy - the ability to read, understand, and critically assess quantitative research
  • Statistical abilities - the ability to determine, apply, and use the appropriate statistical techniques to inform and/or support an argument, as well as understand the limitations of statistical techniques
  • Research skills - the ability to use and present quantitative methodology to address - and potentially resolve - a research question

The teaching follows the University educational innovation project and will be taught as ‘Y’ and has three key pedagogical components.

  • Lectures: Lectures will aim at introducing key concepts of quantitative research in political science, place them within the context of epistemological debates and questions of research design and provide illustrations of applications to selected areas of quantitative study in political science research.
  • Seminars: Smaller seminars will expand on the topics introduced in the lectures and provide opportunities for students to develop their ability to use statistical software to code and analyze quantitative data.
  • Individual Study: Students are expected to read the recommended texts for each session, explore in detail and reflect critically on aspects and issues introduced in the lectures, and link them to wider issues in political and social science research.

 

 

Assessment methods

There are 2 different formats for the final mark: one for students that regularly attend and participate to classes and seminars, and one for students that do not regularly attend classes and seminars. A ‘regularly attending student’ is a student who misses no more than 3 classes and attends all seminars. Participation will be checked regularly.

Final Mark for regularly attending students

The final mark has 2 parts:

  • [1] 50% of the final grade is the mean of 8 weekly assignments (dropping the lowest).
  • [2] 50% of the final grade is a final exam covering material from all parts of the course.

NB: Students will have to take the exam by the final exam session. To take the exam, students will need to sign up on Almaesami. If regularly attending students do not take the exam by the deadline, their grade achieved in the weekly assignments will be automatically cancelled and they will have to take the exam as non-attending students.

Final Mark for non-attending students

The final mark has 1 part:

  • A final exam (100%) covering material from all parts of the course.

NB: To take the exam, students have to sign up on Almaesami.

For all students:

The only valid mark is the one achieved in the most recent attempt to pass the exam.

  • Students who pass the exam can refuse a valid final mark (thus requesting to re-take the exam) only once - in accordance with the university’s teaching regulations. After having rejected a passing mark, any subsequent passing mark will be recorded in the candidate’s transcripts.
  • Each student is personally responsible for his/her registration to the exam session on AlmaEsami. Registration closes 5 days before the exam. Therefore, it is not possible to sign up for the exam in the 5 days before the exam date.
  • Students who change their minds must withdraw their registration no later than 5 days before the exam. Withdrawal from the exam allows students to sign up for the following exam session and avoid a penalization of 3 points applied to the final grade obtained in the exam.
  • Withdrawal during the last 5 days before the exam is possible only in the case of unexpected events (i.e. sickness, bereavement). Students must send from their official UNIBO email account @studio.unibo.it an e-mail to paulmatthew.loveless@unibo.it [mailto:paulmatthew.loveless@unibo.it] providing justification. If this procedure is not followed, a penalization of 3 points will be applied to the final grade obtained in the exam.

Teaching tools

  • We will use Virtuale as the location for the syllabus, assignments, the schedule, and communication (https://virtuale.unibo.it/ ). Any changes or updates will be made there. Please make yourself familiar with it.
  • The slides of the lectures will be made available. Please note, regular preparation and revision is essential as each lecture builds on the material covered in previous lectures. While the Powerpoint slides of the lectures will be provided, they will be neither comprehensive nor fully self-explanatory of the material. Please do not assume that you can do the necessary work in the last minute. This module requires regular and active engagement.
  • Statistical Software: We will use STATA, a statistical software environment for statistical computing. Instructions on how to download it from UNIBO will be provided.

Office hours

See the website of Paul Matthew Loveless