RDS-33306 Methods, Techniques and Data Analysis for Field Research B

Vak

Studiepunten 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Contents:

This course offers students the opportunity to become acquainted with different quantitative and qualitative methods for field research in non-western countries. The focus is on development issues that concern development sociology/anthropology and development economics. Practical problems of doing research in a situation outside one's own society will be stressed. Major attention is given to:
- the definition and selection of appropriate units of analysis (plot, farm, household, group, village, region);
- the (dis)advanatges of different methods for data colleciton (interviews, questionnaires, observations, etc.);
- choice of appropriate samples;
- different procedures for data analysis and processing, and - different methods for presentation of field results.
Practical cases and (individual and group) exercises are scheduled to faciliate an active learning process. The organisation of the course will stimulate critical reflection on various approaches for data collection and the reslationship between specific research problems and related methods.

Aims:

The main aim of the course is to learn how to design, carry out and process information derived from primary (field) research through practical experience. This will entail the following objectives:
- learning how to think critically and to design research which will check assumptions throughout the research process;
- understanding the selection and use of a wide range of qualitative and quantitive research methodologies and techniques;
- learning to work in multidisciplinary teams, from different academic perspectives;
- learning practical skills of doing research;
- learning different modes of analysis (event analysis, discourse analysis, life histories, case studies incorporating many sources of information, network analysis, actor-oriented analysis, coding and analysing observations, etc).
The target group is students following international MSc programmes or students without a Social Sciences background, who seek socially-sensitive research methods.

Activities:

The course makes use of different types of learning activities:
- problem-oriented case studies. Concrete research problmes are used to illustrate how different research methods could be used;
- practical exercises and assignments on research techniques;
- design research using various methods: observations, informal interviews, semi-structured interviews and structured interviews;
- analysis of primary research data, using multiple modes of anlaysis.
This course will not include the use of computers in data analysis. In place of computer-based analyses, students will apply the research techniques to designing their research for their theses.

Examination:

Written exam: 100%

Literature:

Course guide and literature at beginning of course.