EDS312 Research Methods

EDS312 is a broad introductory course in research methods at master’s level. The course allows students to acquire basic research competence and skills relevant to the master's programs M-IES, M-GDS, and M-IR, with main emphasis on social science methods. The course covers a range of tools and skills to prepare and carry out the students' own master's thesis research, and considers how design and execution of research affects what knowledge claims one can make and defend, as well as of ethical implications involved. To this end, the course discusses research ethics, epistemological premises and assumptions shaping research, and issues of interdisciplinary and combining quantitative and qualitative strategies.

The course covers the following research methods and design features:

- Quantitative module (autumn parallel): quantitative research design, sampling, data collection, and statistical analysis

- Qualitative /methodology module (spring parallel): qualitative sample selection, qualitative interviewing, observation and text analysis (content, discourse analysis), archive research and document analysis, qualitative data analysis, use of some visual methods. Case study design, ethnography, and participatory action research are discussed.

Knowledge, competence: The student has a good understanding of main qualitative and quantitative research tools and approaches used in the fields of environment, development and international relations. The student can make thesis research choices informed by their understanding of:

• characteristics of quantitative and qualitative research questions and design, the similarities and differences in the logic underpinning these strategies, and potential implications of combining them
• potentials and limitations of qualitative and quantitative methods of sampling, data collection, and analysis
• quality criteria of qualitative and quantitative research; in what ways good research design and practices promote empirically and theoretically strong research outcomes
• meta-theoretical debates and philosophical issues related to working across disciplines, strategies, and epistemic communities
• ethical considerations and methodological challenges related to research involving humans, including power relations in research, positionality, and representation issues

Skills: The student has a basic set of skills in research design and planning, and in application of research methods they choose to apply in course assignments. Having taken advantage of the opportunity given in the course to experiment with and reflect on use of design and methods tools, the student is able to

• formulate good research questions and hypotheses for an empirical study
• create a theoretical/conceptual framework for an empirical study, incorporating relevant literature
• develop a robust design and carry out a Master's-level research study, selecting appropriate research methods and justifying methodological choices made
• effectively apply and evaluate methods for sampling, data collection and analysis
• evaluate the quality of published qualitative and quantitative research
• critically reflect on methodological challenges in own and published research involving humans, including ethical and quality issues and demands
• effectively communicate own research problems, objectives, research design, findings, and conclusions in proposal and thesis. Further develop academic writing skills and familiarity with genre.

Attitudes: The student is aware of, and able to, critically reflect on trustworthiness/validity and ethical implications of own epistemological leanings and pre-analytical assumptions, and of own choices and actions when conducting and using research. The student has a clear understanding of the importance of consciously and meticulously addressing these matters in their own studies and research.