Research Methods in Political Science (9553.1)
Please note these are the 2015 details for this unit
| Available teaching periods | Delivery mode | Location |
|---|---|---|
| View teaching periods | ||
| EFTSL | Credit points | Faculty |
| 0.125 | 3 | Faculty Of Business, Government & Law |
| Discipline | Study level | HECS Bands |
| Canberra School Of Politics, Economics And Society | Level 2 - Undergraduate Intermediate Unit | Band 2 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021) Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021) Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan Social Work_Exclude 0905) |
Research is an important component of political science; it enables the uncovering of evidence, developing of theories, and better understanding of how the political world operates. This unit will introduce students to some of the basic research tools in the political scientist's "toolkit", and discuss why and how certain tools are used to explore certain phenomena. The course will also teach students to develop and evaluate sensible and systematic scientific research designs examining how political scientists quantify, measure, and operationalize the concepts and variables that are key in understanding the political world. By the end of this unit, students will better understand the qualitative and quantitative techniques that are used within the field and will be able to explain why political scientists choose to use them.
1. Describe the relationship between the scientific method and political science;
2. Formulate research questions, theories and hypotheses;
3. Describe the basics of the standard research approaches in political science;
4. Evaluate the soundness of a research design;
5. Perform basic statistical analyses; and
6. Execute basic research in the political science discipline.
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:1. Describe the relationship between the scientific method and political science;
2. Formulate research questions, theories and hypotheses;
3. Describe the basics of the standard research approaches in political science;
4. Evaluate the soundness of a research design;
5. Perform basic statistical analyses; and
6. Execute basic research in the political science discipline.
Graduate attributes
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
Prerequisites
Introduction to Politics, 9548Corequisites
None.Incompatible units
NONE.Equivalent units
NO.Assumed knowledge
None.| Year | Location | Teaching period | Teaching start date | Delivery mode | Unit convener |
|---|
Not available
Required texts
This unit utilises one text book 'Social Science Research: Principles, Methods, and Practices'. This is included at no cost in pdf format via the links below and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License which allows them to be freely distributed.
In addition, e-Reserve readings must also be read to complete activities contained in this unit. These readings will be available through the library website. The link to the e-Reserve readings will appear on the moodle website.
Participation requirements
Students must submit all assessment items sequentially.
Required IT skills
- Have access to a computer.
- Have continuous broadband Internet access.
- Have the ability/permission to install plug-ins or software (e.g. Adobe Reader or Flash).
- Have the ability to download and save files and documents to a computer.
- Have the ability to open Microsoft files and documents (.doc, .ppt, .xls, etc.). A free alternative is available from http://OpenOffice.org
Work placement, internships or practicums
Not applicable
