Module Code: POU22040
Module Name: Introduction to Political Science Research 2024-25
- ECTS Weighting: 10
- Semester/Term Taught: Full Year
- Contact Hours: Two lectures per week, fortnightly tutorial
- Module Personnel: Dr Dr Lisa Keenan
- Module CO-Requisite: N/A
- Module Prerequisite: POU11012 Introduction to Political Science or POU11022 Politics and Irish Society
- Note: for incoming SF students (2024-25), this module is a prerequisite for the Political Science Capstone in Senior Sophister. No incoming SF student will be permitted to do a Capstone in Political Science unless they have taken POU22040 Introduction to Political Science Research (2024-25
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to: • Conduct a literature review • Identify a gap in an existing body of literature • Evaluate different research methods; • Propose a research question and develop an appropriate strategy to answer it; • Identify sources of data that could be used to answer a research question; • Create a plan for how to manage a research project; • Understand the obligations of a researcher; • Collect and analyse data; • Communicate research ideas to different audiences, using a variety of mediums.
Module Learning Aims
This project aims to build students’ understanding of fundamental research skills, to introduce them to the fundamental principles of research design in Political Science, and to provide a practical introduction to the analysis of different kinds of data.
Module Content
This module is an introduction to evaluating and carrying out research as a political scientist. It provides an introduction to the principles of good research design, a review of the suite of available methods of data collection and analysis, and a practical guide to carrying out an original research project.
Recommended Reading List: TBC
Assessment Details
TBC