Qualitative Research in Politics & International Relations

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Reflect on the strengths and limitations of different approaches to research in politics
• Apply practical skills in gathering qualitative data
• Apply practical skills in analysing qualitative data

Indicative lecture topics:

• Questions of ontology and epistemology
• Designing research questions
• Interviews
• Case studies / comparative method
• Document / discourse analysis
• Participant observation

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching will be 2 hours of lectures per week. All will be recorded and posted on Blackboard. Lectures will be delivered either face to face or online only depending upon University and Public Health England Guidance at the time. Total of 24 hours of lectures (2 hours per week X 12 weeks) per module.

Weekly student participation in online discussion boards. 1 hour per week delivered asynchronously. (1 hour X 12 weeks)

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

John Boswell, Jack Corbett, R.A.W. Rhodes (2019). The Art and Craft of Comparison. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External