Fall 2020 - POL 800 G100
Research Design in Political Science (5)
Class Number: 7209
Delivery Method: Remote
Overview
-
Course Times + Location:
Sep 9 – Dec 8, 2020: Fri, 12:30–2:20 p.m.
Burnaby
-
Instructor:
Eline de Rooij
ead2@sfu.ca
1 778 782-5858
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
This course provides an introduction to designing research in political science. It aims to provide graduate students with the basic knowledge of how to set up their own research project, with an overview of the different ways in which they might do so and with the tools to critically assess existing research.
COURSE DETAILS:
This course provides an introduction to designing research in political science. It aims to provide graduate students with the basic knowledge of how to set up their own research project, with an overview of the different ways in which they might do so, and with the tools to critically assess existing research. We will discuss the practicalities of research design by addressing such questions as: How do you choose a research topic and formulate a good research question? How do you write a literature review and what exactly are ‘theories’ and ‘hypotheses’? What do we mean by ‘evidence’ and how do we use it to build and test theories in political science? We further discuss the importance of conceptualization and measurement, and how to select your cases and observations. A strong emphasis will be placed on evaluating other academics’ research. The next part of the course provides a brief overview of the different ways in which political scientists collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data and materials. The course closes with a discussion of how to write up your own research.
There will be one four-hour seminar each week, two of which will be synchronous.
Grading
- Participation in discussions 13%
- Short quizzes 12%
- Short papers 35%
- Presentation 15%
- Final paper 25%
NOTES:
Students are required to submit their papers to Turnitin.com in order to get credit for the assignment.
The Department of Political Science strictly enforces a policy on plagiarism. For details, see http://www.sfu.ca/politics/undergraduate/program/related_links.html (Plagiarism & Intellectual Dishonesty)
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
- Toshkov, Dimiter. (2016). Research Design in Political Science.London: Palgrave Macmillan. Ebook available through the SFU Library (ISBN: 9781137342843).
Additional articles and book chapters will be available on Canvas or the SFU library.
Graduate Studies Notes:
Important dates and deadlines for graduate students are found here: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/current/important_dates/guidelines.html. The deadline to drop a course with a 100% refund is the end of week 2. The deadline to drop with no notation on your transcript is the end of week 3.
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.
Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html
TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2020
Teaching at SFU in fall 2020 will be conducted primarily through remote methods. There will be in-person course components in a few exceptional cases where this is fundamental to the educational goals of the course. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.
Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).