Year 2010-11
Quantitative Research methods (21670)
Qualification: Degree in Political and Administration Sciences
Year: 2nd
Term: 3rd
Number of ECTS credits: 6 credits
Hours of student dedication: 30 hours of lectures and 30 hours of seminars
Teaching language: Spanish in Lectures and Spanish, Catalan and English in seminars
1. Introduction to the course
The aim of this course is to teach students how to design research that allows valid inferences about political and social life to be made. To achieve this goal, students must learn to (1) formulate a research question and translate it into hypotheses that can be tested, (2) operationalize these hypotheses using variables and indicators, (3) obtain data that allows for the hypothesis to be tested empirically, and (4) analyze the data using the most appropriate technique. To illustrate the arguments many examples from exiting literature will be used, they will be primarily Spanish examples or hypothetical examples.
The course is divided into two parts. The first part is methodology and will focus on what is the logic of social science research. The second part focuses on the use of SPSS and introduces the basic quantitative techniques for data analysis.
2. Competences to be achieved
The generic competencies to be developed during the subject are: (i) ability to analyse and synthesise, (ii) oral and written communication (iii) ability to work in an interdisciplinary team and (iv) research skills.
The specific competences to be developed are: (i) identification of research methods and techniques used in political and social research, particularly the ability to suggest propose political phenomena to study, design techniques for data collection and hypotheses testing, (ii) use data from quantitative and qualitative research, that is, to know the tools used to analyse quantitative and qualitative data in order to be able to apply them in the research process.
3. Contents
In the first part of the course, in the lectures, the principles to be observed in designing research are identified. The second part, the seminars, introduce basic bivariate statistical techniques through the use of the statistical package SPSS.
The course is organized around four aspects that build on each other progressively.
1. Introduction to the characteristics of social science research.
Inference logic in the social sciences. Qualitative and quantitative research. Scientific knowledge. The importance of methodology. Description and causality. Basic concepts in research. Components of a research design. Relevance of the research questions.
2. The philosophy (of the science) of causality and explanation in social science
Causality and explanation. Causal and spurious relationships. Types of explanation in social sciences. Advantages and problems. Falsifiability. Effects and causal mechanisms.
3. The principles of research design
Rules for scientific inference. The fundamental problem of causal inference. Assumptions for the estimation of causal effects. How to choose observations. Accurate and inaccurate research designs. Bias. Data problems and explanation problems. Aspects that should be avoided in research. Solutions to common problems.
4. Basic quantitative techniques using SPSS.
Using SPSS. The operationalization of concepts. Types of variables. Devising hypothesis. Testing hypothesis. The relationship between sample and population. Statistical significance. Political / sociological interpretation of statistical results.
4. Assessment
The final grade will be calculated based on two parts:
1.) A written exam. This will evaluates the first part of the program, that is, it will be based on the theoretical and practical issues covered in units 1-8 of the program. The exam will be set during the official examination period and will be 50% of the final grade.
2.) A SPSS exam. This exam will evaluate the part of the programme related to quantitative techniques of data analysis (part II of the course) and will involve a set of practical exercises. It will take place on the last seminar, in a computer room and will count towards 50% of the final grade. Since it is important that students are able to follow the instructions on how to use SPSS, assistance to seminars will be crucial in order to pass this exam.
In addition, participation in class (and its quality) will be taken into account.
5. Readings and resources
5.1. Basic bibliography
Textbook for the lectures:
LAGO, Ignacio (2008). La lógica de la explicación en ciencias sociales: una introducción metodológica. Madrid: Alianza Editorial
Reference textbooks for the seminars :
a. use of SPSS:
FILGUEIRA LOPEZ, Esther (2001). Análisis de Datos con SPSSWIN. Madrid: Alianza Editorial.
b. statistical tecniques:
SÁNCHEZ CARRIÓN, Juan Javier (1995). Manual de análisis de datos. Madrid: Alianza Editorial.
5.2. Educational resources
Basic Bibliography
PART I: CORBETTA, Piergiorgio (2003). Social Research. Theory, Methods and Techniques. Londres: Sage. Spanish translatiom: Metodología y técnicas de investigación social. Madrid: McGrawHill, 2003.
HEDSTRÖM, Peter; SWEDBERG, Richard. (ed.) (1998). Social Mechanisms. An Analytical Approach to Social Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
KING, Gary; KEOHANE, Robert; SIDNEY Verba (1994). Designing Social Inquiry. Scientific Inference in Qualitative Research. Princeton: Princeton Universiy Press, Spanish translation: El diseño de la investigación social. La inferencia científica en la investigación cualitativa. Madrid: Alianza, 2000.
In addition, for the seminars students will be using the CIS postelectoral survey for the 2008 general election and analysing it using SPSS. For this reason students must have and bring to class the survey questionnaire.
There is also a webpage for the course where additional material used will be available. http://www.upf.edu/materials/politiques/tecniques1/index.htm
6. Methodology
Given its nature, the course seeks to balance a conceptual approach to the subject with an empirical one and is designed to emphasise the importance of applied research.
On the one hand, lectures will be used. They will be based on teacher presentations with the exception of the penultimate week. Students (no more than four) can submit research based on the logic of inference for it to be used throughout the course. They will be discussed among all students and the teacher will critically review its methodological strengths and weaknesses. The penultimate session will be devoted to discussing some answers to previous exam questions in addition to materials such as newspaper and scientific articles. Students will therefore know what is required from them in the final exam and will be able to see how the course contents can be applied.
On the other hand, seminars, in a computer room, are set. Each student will need to use a computer to follow the classes, which will be based on the analysis of the CIS post-election survey on the 2008 general elections.
The last week will be devoted to revision.
For lectures students are divided into two groups (based on alphabetical lists), while for the seminars they are divided into four. Assistance to class is voluntary.
7. Programme of activities
Lectures:
Week 1: Classroom based activity: lecture.
Week 2: Classroom based activity: lecture.
Week 3: Classroom based activity: lecture.
Week 4: Classroom based activity: lecture.
Week 5: Classroom based activity: lecture.
Week 6: Classroom based activity: lecture.
Week 7: Classroom based activity: lecture.
Week 8: Classroom based activity: lecture.
Week 9: Classroom based activity: past exam discussion / project presentations. Non-classroom based activity: reading of course notes.
Week 10: classroom based activity: revision. Non classroom based activity: revision of course notes.
Seminars:
Week 1: Classroom based activity: introduction of quantitative techniques and exercise. Non-classroom based activity: exercises*
Week 2: Classroom based activity: introduction of quantitative techniques and exercise. Non-classroom based activity: exercises*
Week 3: Classroom based activity: introduction of quantitative techniques and exercise. Non-classroom based activity: exercises*
Week 4: Classroom based activity: introduction of quantitative techniques and exercise. Non-classroom based activity: exercises*
Week 5: Classroom based activity: Revision. Non-classroom based activity: reading of course notes
Week 6 Classroom based activity: introduction of quantitative techniques and exercise. Non-classroom based activity: exercises*
Week 7: Classroom based activity: introduction of quantitative techniques and exercise. Non-classroom based activity: exercises*
Week 8: Classroom based activity: introduction of quantitative techniques and exercise. Non-classroom based activity: exercises*
Week 9: Classroom based activity: introduction of quantitative techniques and exercise. Non-classroom based activity: exercises*
Week 10: Classroom based activity: revision and exam. Non-classroom based activity: reading of course notes
*Voluntary
Lectures
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Classroom based activity |
Non calssroom based ativity |
Assessement |
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week
|
Learning activity |
Educational resourrces |
Time dedicated |
Learning activities |
Educational resources |
Estimated time |
Assessed element |
Type (compulsory/voluntary) |
Estimated time |
|
1 |
Lecture topic 1 |
Power point and other materials |
2 hours* |
|
|
|
Participation in class |
voluntary |
|
|
2 |
Lecture topic: 2 |
Power point and other materials |
2 hours* |
|
|
|
Participation in class |
voluntary |
|
|
3 |
Lecture topic:3 |
Power point and other materials |
2 hours* |
|
|
|
Participation in class |
voluntary |
|
|
4 |
Lecture topic 4 |
Power point and other materials |
2 hours* |
|
|
|
Participation in class |
voluntary |
|
|
5 |
Lecture topic 5 |
Power point and other materials |
2 hours* |
|
|
|
Participation in class |
voluntary |
|
|
6 |
Lecture topic 6 |
Power point and other materials |
2 hours* |
|
|
|
Participation in class |
voluntary |
|
|
7 |
Lecture topic 7 |
Power point and other materials |
2 hours* |
|
|
|
Participation in class |
voluntary |
|
|
8 |
Lecture topic 8 |
Power point and other materials |
2 hours* |
|
|
|
Participation in class |
voluntary |
|
|
9 |
Discussion of materials |
Past exam papers |
2 hours* |
Reading course notes |
Lecture notes and textbooks |
2h |
Participation in class |
voluntary |
|
|
10 |
Revision |
Power point |
2 hours* |
Reading course notes |
Lecture notes and textbooks |
1h |
Participation in class |
voluntary |
|
* 5-10 minute break