Master
2021/2022
Research Seminar
Type:
Compulsory course (Russian Studies)
Area of studies:
Political Science
Delivered by:
School of Politics and Governance
Where:
Faculty of Social Sciences
When:
2 year, 1-3 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of one campus
Instructors:
Ilya Gorelskiy
Master’s programme:
Российские исследования
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
5
Contact hours:
52
Course Syllabus
Abstract
The broad goal of this course is to sharpen students’ theoretical and methodological skills, discuss with them how to choose an adequate research design, and develop critical thinking in general. The narrow goal of the course is to help students reach high quality of their MA theses and structure their research process. These goals will be achieved due to the rethinking of basic elements of research design, discussions of modern trends and mainstream approaches in political science and some basic introduction to quantitative and qualitative methods of social sciences.
Learning Objectives
- The course is aimed at developing students' critical thinking skills, it introduces them modern research methods and also serves the purpose of forming students' standards of modern research work in the field of political science. The proposed forms of knowledge control are also aimed at improving the skills of writing critical referee reports.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- A student analyzes modern approaches to political research
- A student can collect, evaluate and select literature
- A student compares research design
- A student develops meta-cognitive skills, necessary for conducting research
- A student distinguishes methodologies based on different relationships between knowledge and observation, as well as between the knower and the known
- A student is able to choose a research problem and evaluate research trustworthiness
- A student is able to plan literature review structure
- A student knows the syllabus of the course
Course Contents
- Introduction to the Course
- Developing Reflexivity and Meta-cognition
- Choosing Methodology
- Designing Social Inquiry
- Preparing a Literature Review
- Introduction. How to Approach Research
- Introduction. Rational Choice. Institutions. Regression Analysis: recap
- Media and Politics. Propaganda. Instrumental Variable
- Problems of Quantitative Methods. Discussion of Research Design
- Political Parties and Right-Wing Populism
- Revolutions, Protests and the Role of Technology. Machine Learning.
Assessment Elements
- Written Assignment (Methods)
- Research Proposal
- Research Proposal: Review
- Research Proposal: Answer to critisism
Interim Assessment
- 2021/2022 3rd module0.4 * Research Proposal + 0.3 * Research Proposal: Review + 0.15 * Written Assignment (Methods) + 0.15 * Research Proposal: Answer to critisism
