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Course Syllabus

Master 2023/2024

Research Methodologies for International Studies

Type: Compulsory course (HSE and Kyung Hee University Double Degree Programme in Economics, Politics, and Business in Asia)
Area of studies: Foreign Regional Studies
Delivered by: Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs
Where: Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs
When: 2 year, 3, 4 module
Mode of studies: offline
Open to: students of one campus
Instructors: Alexandra Sizova
Master’s programme: KHU-HSE Double Degree Program Economics, Politics and Business in Asia
Language: English
ECTS credits: 6
Contact hours: 36

Course Syllabus

Full Syllabus

Abstract

2022-2023 year. Course is aimed at guiding participants in the development and improvement of research skills (analytical, heuristic, creative, etc.) and deepening their knowledge of methodology for the social science and humanities related to conducting, structuring and presenting of a successful Master’s degree research. The seminar implies a detailed critical analysis of the main components of a Master’s course paper and facilitates the acquiring of the necessary competences for completing an independent research in the field. A special attention is paid to the advanced examination of research process, its challenges, logic and structure, work with various sources and theoretical approaches, exploration of the key methods and techniques of effective collecting and analyzing data, argumentation and presentation of research findings in International and Area Studies.2023-2024 year: This course is aimed at a detailed critical analysis of the main components of a Master’s course paper and thesis and facilitates the acquiring of the necessary competencies for completing the Master’s course papers and theses in International and Area Studies. Special attention is paid to the advanced examination of the research process, its challenges, logic, and structure, work with various sources, applying various methods and theoretical approaches, exploration of the key methods and techniques of argumentation, and presentation of research findings in the fields of International and Area Studies at the Master’s level. It is desirable that by the beginning of the course students possess the Bachelor-level background in social sciences/humanities, sufficient knowledge of world culture, history and philosophy as well as the understanding of International and Area Studies (in relation to Asia) as academic disciplines.
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

  • The main goal of this course is to develop participants’ competence in conducting their own independent theoretical and applied research in International and Area Studies, to advance their research skills obtained at the Bachelor’s level and acquire certain Master’s level field-specific knowledge and skills, including research design skills and abilities to create well-developed content of the Master’s thesis in International and Area Studies and structure academic texts in social sciences and humanities, to stimulate students’ critical thinking and scientific reflection, to view research as an integral process and implement new solid knowledge and skills in practice.
  • 2023-2024. This course is aimed at guiding students through the process of planning, designing, and conducting an independent research in the fields of International Relations and Area Studies; improving students’ analytical and creative competencies, argumentation skills, ability to implement their knowledge of the 21st-century methodology of International Relations and Area Studies into interdisciplinary research, to complete and present an original Master’s degree paper in compliance with all formal academic formal requirements.
Expected Learning Outcomes

Expected Learning Outcomes

  • to define the characteristics and challenges of International and Area Studies as research fields;
  • to do various types of research work in IR and Area Studies in compliance with the objectives and tasks of the study and formal requirements of the Master’s course works and theses in these fields;
  • to effectively use the instruments and methods of the contemporary social sciences and humanities methodology in conducting Master’s degree research within the field of expertise;
  • to explain the logic of the research process and identify the key components of it;
  • to identify and create a balanced structure of the research paper in International and Area Studies;
  • to identify the goals and basic principles of the contemporary research in socials sciences and humanities;
  • to professionally work with literature and different types of information resources, to apply contemporary techniques of effective collecting and analyzing various data to own research work;
  • to recognize the classical and cutting-edge trends in the field of study and different theoretical approaches to exploring the chosen research subject in International and Area Studies and develop the theoretical parts of the course works and Masters’ theses;
  • to use the key strategies of the contemporary research design at the Master’s level and adequately use them according to the research tasks;
  • to use the key terms and concepts related to research in socials sciences and humanities and International and Area Studies specifically, including those related to the major theories in these research areas;
Course Contents

Course Contents

  • The Course Overview and Instructions
  • The Current Trends in International and Area Studies and the Role of the Academic Community
  • The Foundations of Research in Social Sciences and Humanities
  • Introduction to Research in International and Area Studies: the Connection Between Theory and Practice
  • Scientific Language and the Main Concepts of International and Area Studies
  • Types of Research and the Key Research Approaches
  • The Research Process, Its Logic and Key Components
  • The Foundations of Contemporary Research Design and Planning a Research
  • Information Sources and Critical Analysis of Data
  • Scientific Methods in International and Area Studies
Assessment Elements

Assessment Elements

  • non-blocking Attendance and in-class participation
    The classes may be taught in both offline and online formats in dependence of the educational goals of certain classes defined by the professor and upon the consultation with the academic head of the educational program. Students should participate in all kinds of work during the course, irrespective of the format (offline or online). A total share of the “Attendance and In-class Participation” part in the final grade is 40%. Attendance of the classes regardless of format is obligatory. A student’s absence at less than a half of classes equals to “0” points for participation, absence at less than 30% of classes without any notice leads to downgrading (the highest possible grade for the “attendance” component in this case would be 7 out of 10). One class participation totals max 10 points. A student abstaining from answer or participation in other types of work at class gets 0 points. Students who stayed away from a class can get additional points by fulfilling some extra tasks assigned by the professor.
  • non-blocking Assignments
  • non-blocking Final exam
  • non-blocking Attendance and In-class Participation (2 year)
  • non-blocking Assignments (2 year)
  • non-blocking Final exam (2 year)
Interim Assessment

Interim Assessment

  • 2022/2023 3rd module
    0.4 * Assignments + 0.4 * Attendance and in-class participation + 0.2 * Final exam
  • 2023/2024 4th module
    0.4 * Assignments (2 year) + 0.2 * Attendance and In-class Participation (2 year) + 0.4 * Final exam (2 year)
Bibliography

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

  • Alan Bryman, & The Programme Aims. (2001). Social research methods. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.151A861A
  • Babbie, E. R. (2016). The Practice of Social Research: Vol. Fourteenth editon. Cengage Learning.
  • Geoffrey R. Marczyk, David DeMatteo, & David Festinger. (2005). Essentials of Research Design and Methodology. Wiley.
  • Jackson, R. H. . (DE-588)123370647, (DE-627)082514666, (DE-576)293679835, aut. (2010). Introduction to international relations theories and approaches Robert Jackson; Georg Sørensen.
  • Kuada, J. E. (2012). Research Methodology : A Project Guide for University Students (Vol. 1st edition). Frederiksberg C [Denmark]: Samfundslitteratur Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=503632
  • Van Evera, S. (DE-588)133410056, (DE-627)545631025, (DE-576)17898163X, aut. (1997). Guide to methods for students of political science Stephen Van Evera.
  • Vickers, P. R. (2020). K. Mielke u.a. (Hrsg.): Area Studies at the Crossroads [Rezension].

Recommended Additional Bibliography

  • Baylis, J. (DE-588)139834338, (DE-627)613794974, (DE-576)160207436, aut. (2011). The globalization of world politics an introduction to international relations John Baylis; Steve Smith; Patricia Owens.
  • Bhattacherjee, A. (2012). Social Science Research: Principles, Methods, and Practices.
  • Collier, D. (1995). Translating Quantitative Methods for Qualitative Researchers: The Case of Selection Bias. https://doi.org/10.2307/2082442
  • Contemporary international relations a guide to theory ed. by A. J. R. Groom . (1994).
  • Contemporary security studies ed. by Alan Collins. (2010).
  • Creswell, J. W. (1998). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design : Choosing Among Five Traditions. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications Inc. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=63251
  • Emilian Kavalski. (2012). Book Review: Handbook of Politics: State and Society in a Global Perspective By Kevin T. Leicht and J. Craig Jenkins (eds).
  • Eriksson, L. (2011). Rational Choice Theory : Potential and Limits. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1525124
  • Fischer, F., Miller, G., & Sidney, M. S. (2007). Handbook of Public Policy Analysis : Theory, Politics, and Methods. Boca Raton: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=184464
  • GERRING, J. (2004). What Is a Case Study and What Is It Good for? https://doi.org/10.1017/s0003055404001182
  • Halperin, S. (DE-588)171616154, (DE-627)061837849, (DE-576)177909633, aut. (2012). Political research methods and practical skills Sandra Halperin and Oliver Heath.
  • Jill Steans, Lloyd Pettiford, Thomas Diez, & Imad El-Anis. (2010). An Introduction to International Relations Theory : Perspectives and Themes: Vol. Third edition. Routledge.
  • Johnson, J. B. (DE-588)143613529, (DE-627)647702657, (DE-576)337971323, aut. (2012). Political science research methods Janet Buttolph Johnson; H. T. Reynolds.
  • King, G. (DE-588)135604311, (DE-627)568593324, (DE-576)166299405, aut. (1994). Designing social inquiry scientific inference in qualitative research Gary King; Robert O. Keohane; Sidney Verba.
  • Klieman, A. S. (2015). Great Powers and Geopolitics : International Affairs in a Rebalancing World. Cham: Springer. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=975365
  • Mansfield, E. D., & Goldstein, A. (2012). The Nexus of Economics, Security, and International Relations in East Asia. Stanford Security Studies.
  • Oxford handbook of the international relations of Asia / edited by Saadia M. Pekkanen, John Ravenhill and Rosemary Foot. (2014). New York, NY [u.a.]: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.414586344
  • Remaking area studies teaching and learning across Asia and the Pacific ed. by Terence Wesley-Smith and Jon Goss. (2010).
  • Sharon Roe Anderson, Ariane Auquier, Walter W. Hauck, David Oakes, Walter Vandaele, & Herbert I. Weisberg. (1980). Statistical Methods for Comparative Studies : Techniques for Bias Reduction. Wiley-Interscience.
  • Singh, Y. K. (2006). Fundamental of Research Methodology and Statistics. New Age International.
  • Wallerstein, I. M. (DE-588)11862878X, (DE-627)035157690, (DE-576)163467552, aut. (2004). World-systems analysis an introduction Immanuel Wallerstein.
  • Wang, G. T., & Park, K. (2016). Student Research and Report Writing : From Topic Selection to the Complete Paper. West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1108252
  • Wendt, A. (1999). Social Theory of International Politics. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511612183

Authors

  • SIZOVA ALEKSANDRA ALEKSANDROVNA
  • Базарова Евгения Сергеевна