Introduction to Social Research-E2
| Numbering Code | U-LAS04 20031 LE45 | Year/Term | 2022 ・ Second semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Credits | 2 | Course Type | Lecture |
| Target Year | All students | Target Student | For all majors |
| Language | English | Day/Period | Mon.3 |
| Instructor name | Stephane Heim (Graduate School of Letters Associate Professor) | ||
| Outline and Purpose of the Course | Social sciences, whose aim is an in-depth understanding of human behaviors, share with natural and engineering sciences a common "scientific frame", while having also specific and diverse research methodologies. Those methodologies are usually divided into quantitative and qualitative approaches. The qualitative approaches are presented in this lecture. We will see both how a research can be conduced from the building of a sound problematic to the final report writing, and how several well-known surveys produced knowledge about human behaviors. | ||
| Course Goals | This course aims to familiarize students with different qualitative research methods so as to develop their critical sense and ability in analyzing social, economic, and political issues presented and debated in the media, and in leading qualitative researches on their own. A great variety of researches will be exposed and discussed, as well as the construction of, and issues linked with each step of a qualitative research. | ||
| Schedule and Contents |
Week 1. Introduction to Field Research Week 2. Literature Reviews Week 3. Research Design: Hypothesis and Research Question Week 4. Field Research and Questionnaire Week 5. Interviews, Observation, and Participation Week 6. Documents and Archives Week 7. Interpretation, Qualitative Data Analysis, and Content Analysis Week 8. Conceptualization, Operationalization Week 9. Writing Research Reports Week 10. Historical/Comparative Research Week 11. Field Research and Social Surveys Week 12. Social Research in Critical Perspective Week 13. Research Ethics Week 14. Course Conclusions Total: 14 classes, 1 Feedback session |
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| Evaluation Methods and Policy | Final report. | ||
| Course Requirements | The lectures will be delivered in English. There are no prerequisite to take this course. | ||
| Study outside of Class (preparation and review) | During each class, the first ten-fifteen minutes are dedicated to the review of the previous class. Students are asked to prepare each lesson on a weekly basis. | ||
