Module POLM140 for 2017/8
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
POLM140: Qualitative Methods in Social Research
This module descriptor refers to the 2017/8 academic year.
Module Aims
This module aims to
- equip you with the theoretical understanding and practical skills to apply core qualitative methods used across the different disciplines of the social sciences;
- familiarise you with key critical perspectives on the application of qualitative methods; and
- teach you how to take field notes, write up and present results and satisfy research ethics requirements.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
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Module-Specific Skills | 1. demonstrate in writing a detailed awareness and comprehension of the diversity of evidence utilized in social research using qualitative research strategies; 2. recognize in writing and orally the relevance and significance of different forms of knowledge; 3. recognize and evaluate in writing the diversity of specialised qualitative techniques and approaches involved in collecting research information; 4. critically evaluate in writing and orally the issues involved in the application of qualitative research designs in the context of the social sciences (both in theoretical and practical terms); 5. demonstrate skills in the general principles of research design, data collection and management; 6. show awareness of the specificities of data and data collection strategies when using qualitative research methods; |
Discipline-Specific Skills | 7. recognize and critically discuss orally and in writing the contested and provisional nature of knowledge and understanding; 8. identify and evaluate orally and in writing comprehensive approaches to problem-solving; 9. systematically synthesize information in writing and orally; |
Personal and Key Skills | 10. apply complex ideas and concepts to new situations in writing; 11. demonstrate a systematic and rigorous approach in writing to accuracy, precision and uncertainty; 12. use C&IT effectively and appropriately to locate and extract data from a variety of online sources; 13. undertake independent/self-directed learning (including time management) to achieve consistent, proficient and sustained attainment; 14. critically reflect on the process of learning and evaluate personal strengths and weaknesses; 15. study independently and work in groups; 16. deliver presentations to peers, communicate effectively in speech and writing; and 17. write professional reports and to disseminate research findings accordingly. |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Introduction
- Ethics
- Case selection and the comparative method
- Process tracing
- Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA)
- Historicism and Interpretivism
- Discourse and content analysis
- Interviews
- Focus groups
- Participatory research
- Ethnography
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
---|---|---|
22 | 278 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
Category | Hours of study time | Description |
---|---|---|
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 22 | 11x 2 hour seminars (lectures and student presentations) |
Guided independent study | 100 | Directed readings |
Guided independent study | 42 | Preparation of presentation |
Guided independent study | 136 | Coursework completion - conducting research, analysing data, writing the finished product |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
http://www.compasss.org/about.htm
http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs
https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/moynihan/cqrm/APSA_s_Qualitative_and_Multi-Method_Research_Section/
More links:
http://www.compasss.org/links.htm
Other Learning Resources
Politics Essay Writing Guide:
http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=168656/
You can find lots of advice relating to essay writing at:
http://www.services.ex.ac.uk/cas/employability/askills/essay/index.htm
You can also find other useful advice related to general study skills at: http://www.services.ex.ac.uk/edu/student-learning-skills/resources.shtml
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
Key readings
Lijphart, A. (1971) 'Comparative politics and the comparative method', American Political Science Review 65(3): 682-693.
Blatter, J. and Blume, T. (2008) 'In Search of Co-variance, Causal Mechanisms or Congruence? Towards a Plural Understanding of Case Studies', Swiss Political Science Review 14(2): 315-356.
Berg-Schlosser, D., De Meur, G., Rihoux, B. und C. C. Ragin (2009). „Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) as an Approach“. In: Rihoux, B. und C.C. Ragin (Hrsg.). Configurational Comparative Methods.
Bevir, M. (1999) The Logic of the History of Ideas. Cambridge University Press, pp. 127-142.
Van Dijk T. (1993) Principles of Critical Discourse Analysis. Discourse & Society 4(2): 249-283.