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 examMethodology 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.
ECTS5
AssessmentPassed/Not Passed
Type of gradingInternal examination
Criteria of assessmentThe 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 titleMethodology and Methods
Module codeSNIF001
Module typeCourse
Duration1 semester
SemesterAutumn
ECTS5
Language of instructionEnglish
Location of the lectureCampus Aalborg, Campus Copenhagen
Responsible for the module

Organisation

Education ownerMaster of Science (MSc) in Social Sciences in International Relations
Study BoardStudy Board of Politics and Society
DepartmentDepartment of Politics and Society
FacultyFaculty of Social Sciences and Humanities