Methodology and Methods
2024/2025
Content, progress and pedagogy of the module
Objectives
To provide students with a sound understanding of the main components of a research project including the linkage between various methodological choices and research design. To give students further insight into a variety of social scientific research strategies, including qualitative and quantitative research designs and methods as well as the basic principles of problem based learning. To enable students to read and reflect critically upon various types of academic research designs. To enable students to select, describe and implement their own methodological choices and research strategies, and to communicate their choices in their own project writing.
Content
Based on a sound understanding of the main components of a research project, students will explore various methodological choices including theory selection and concrete techniques of data selection, collection and analysis in qualitative research and to a certain extent in quantitative research. This will be applied in actual project work in modules 9 and 18. Emphasis will be on how students can translate these methods into their own practices. Furthermore, strong emphasis will be placed on discussing quality criteria in the contexts of both qualitative and quantitative research designs, in order to enable students to make well-founded and ethically sound choices in their own project work, and read academic research critically.
Learning objectives
Knowledge
- possess knowledge of qualitative and quantitative social scientific methods and insights into issues relating to the implementation of qualitative and quantitative studies
- possess knowledge about quality criteria for social scientific methods, both qualitative and quantitative
- possess knowledge about problem based learning as a research strategy
Skills
- can apply their knowledge to make well-founded methodological choices in their own work
- can apply their knowledge to assess existing research critically
- can plan and undertake their own qualitative and quantitative studies in connection with project writing.
Competences
- can reflect on and argue for their methodological choices in their project writing.
Type of instruction
The module consists of lectures, exercises and student contributions.
Exam
Exams
| Name of exam | Methodology and Methods |
| Type of exam | Active participation/continuous evaluation
The examination for Methodology and Methods is an internally
assessed examination consisting of a requirement of 80% attendance
of the module’s teaching sessions as well as thorough preparation
of and active participation in the module’s activities. The study
board will define the requirements for active participation at the
beginning of the semester.
Any re-examination will be a 48-hour take-home assignment set by the course instructor. The assignment paper must not exceed 6 pages. |
| ECTS | 5 |
| Assessment | Passed/Not Passed |
| Type of grading | Internal examination |
| Criteria of assessment | The criteria of assessment are stated in the Examination Policies and Procedures |
Additional information
Laura Landorff is responsible for the module in Aalborg
Danny Raymond is responsible for the module in Copenhagen.
Facts about the module
| Danish title | Methodology and Methods |
| Module code | SNIF001 |
| Module type | Course |
| Duration | 1 semester |
| Semester | Autumn
|
| ECTS | 5 |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Location of the lecture | Campus Aalborg, Campus Copenhagen |
| Responsible for the module |
Organisation
| Education owner | Master of Science (MSc) in Social Sciences in International Relations |
| Study Board | Study Board of Politics and Society |
| Department | Department of Politics and Society |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities |
