Module overview
This module aims to give students a strong and in-depth understanding of qualitative research methods in political science. It introduces key qualitative approaches and explains what makes them distinctive, what kinds of research questions they are best suited to address, and what their limitations are.
The module does not aim to cover all qualitative methods exhaustively. Instead, it focuses on a selected set of methods that are commonly used in interpretivist research in political science, examining them in greater depth. These include ethnography, interviews, the study of elites, narrative analysis, visual methods, and focus groups.
A central aim of the module is to equip students with the skills needed to design and carry out qualitative research for their undergraduate dissertation. Throughout the module, students will learn how to approach research design from a qualitative perspective and will be supported in applying the methods and concepts introduced in the module to their own research interests.