This course introduces the logic of social science inquiry, theory building, and the fundamentals of social science research design. The course focuses on the various steps of empirical social science research, such as

- the formulation of theory and the derivation of predictions

- designing the research process

- developing operational definitions

- data collection

- data analysis.

The course begins with a discussion of the goals and logic of social inquiry. We then introduce the logic of a theory, the principle of parsimony, and the fact that theories allow researchers to derive predictions from assumptions. We also discuss the foundations and limitations of central elements of social science research, including measurement validity, systematic and nonsystematic measurement error, model specification and misspecification, and the logics of hypothesis testing and causal inference. The course discusses alternative research designs and methods and identifies strengths and weaknesses.

Students will learn the basic logic of research designs and discuss a selection of statistical and causal analyses of real-world phenomena commonly used in empirical social research. Emphasis will be placed on modern research designs.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have an overview of different empirical research methods in the social sciences and understand the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. This course also aims to foster critical thinking so that students learn to evaluate empirical research and its validity. Upon completion of the course, students will have acquired the skills necessary to act both as informed "consumers" of empirical articles and as "producers" of small-scale research projects.

The primary goal of this course is to introduce you to the process of conducting research. You should leave this course able to:

- understand different epistemological approaches to the study of social phenomena;

- develop empirical, researchable, and original research questions;

- derive, develop, and test hypotheses from theory;

- understand causal inference and various interpretations of causality;

- understanding theory development

- select the most appropriate design and measures for a given research project;

- understand the strengths and weaknesses of various research designs.

Attendance in this course is compulsory in line with standard rules for absence in practice courses (VUE). The class is a seminar, relying on active participation by all students. We expect students to attend class regularly. More than two absences during the semester will result in zero total points for class. Students are required to attend the first constitutive session of the lecture.

The course relies on the elements of a lecture combined with the idea of learning by doing. Students will learn how to develop a research proposal by actively producing the various elements of a research proposal.

Overall course performance will be evaluated based on two components:

- several brief written assignments such as reflection tasks or readings comprehensions (50 %), and

- a written essay at the end of the semester (50 %).

Grading / Notenschlüssel:

0-50%: Insufficient; 50.1-62.5% Sufficient; 62.6-75% Satisfactory; 75.1-87.5% Good; 87.6-100% Excellent

Academic Conduct

Plagiarism is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Plagiarism is the act of presenting someone else's ideas as your own, either verbatim or in your own words. Please familiarize yourself with the concept of plagiarism.

The use of AI is not permitted unless otherwise indicated.

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