POLS 753 - Research Methods and Ethics

Basic Information

Course Code:

POLS 753

Course Name:

Research Methods and Ethics

Language of Instruction:

Turkish

Course Type:

Class

Course Level:

Master

ECTS:

6.00

Instructor:

Dr. Öğr. Üyesi İhsan Ercan SADİ

Course Objectives

This course is designed to introduce students the basics of conducting research in social sciences. The objective of the course is to inform students about different research methodologies and analyses in social sciences. It also aims to ensure that students are aware of and implement the ethical considerations and regulations relevant to social sciences. For this purpose, the course provides a general overview of quantitative and qualitative research methods. At the end of this course, students are expected to develop a fundamental understanding about research design, data collection and data analysis. The course is expected to provide a roadmap for graduate-level students to design their original research projects.

Course Content

This course 1) examines the purpose of social science research, 2) introduces the key components of conducting research such as developing a research question, writing a literature review, how to select cases, sampling techniques, 3) introduces the different types of qualitative research methods and qualitative data analysis, 4) introduces different quantitative research methods and quantitative data analysis, 5) examines the divergent types of qualitative and quantitative research in a comparative fashion.

Prerequisites / Corequisites

NA

Course Books / Materials / Recommended Resources

Please refer to the syllabus

Learning Outcomes

Code	Description
LO1	Distinguish the different qualitative and quantitative research methods in the social sciences
LO2	Identify and utilize methods for data collection and data analysis based on the research question and design
LO3	Be aware of and implement the ethical responsibilities of social science research
LO4	Design a research project
LO5	Critically analyze other research designs in the field

Weekly Course Content

Week	Content
1	Introduction to research methods
2	Components of research in the social sciences
3	Significant concepts in research methodology
4	Ethical considerations in research
5	Sampling
6	Qualitative research methods
7	Qualitative research data analysis
8	Midterm Exam
9	Quantitative research methods
10	Quantitative research data analysis
11	Comparing Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods
12	Comparing Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods
13	Student Presentations
14	Student Presentations
15	Review

Workload Calculation

Activity	Count	Duration (Hours)	Total
Attendance	1	45.00	45.00
Post-Class Individual Study	1	45.00	45.00
Midterm Exam/Preparation	1	40.00	40.00
Final Exam/Preparation	1	50.00	50.00
Total Workload (Hours)			180
ECTS Credit (Workload / 25)			6

Assessment

#	Assessment Type	Contribution (%)
1	Midterm Exam	%40
2	Final Exam	%60
TOTAL		%100

PO - LO Matrix

PO \ LO	LO1	LO2	LO3	LO4	LO5
PO-1
PO-2
PO-3
PO-4
PO-5
PO-6
PO-7
PO-8
PO-9
PO-10
PO-11

1

Low Contribution

2

Medium Contribution

3

High Contribution

Teaching and Learning Methods

#	Method Name	Description	Tools
1	Lecture (expository teaching), interactive discussion	Listening and taking notes.	Standard classroom technologies, multimedia tools (projector, computer, digital presentations)
2	Controversial Course	Listening and comprehension, critical thinking	Standard classroom technologies, multimedia tools, projector, computer, overhead projector
3	Problem Solving	* Analyzing physical and physiological problems using problem-solving techniques and developing appropriate solutions.
4	Brainstorming	The purpose of forming pairs is to ensure that they are open to innovation during the idea generation phase	Standard classroom technologies, multimedia tools, projector, computer, overhead projector
5	Seminar	Research – lifelong learning, writing, reading, IT, listening and comprehension, managerial skills	Standard classroom technologies, multimedia tools, projector, computer, overhead projector, special equipment
6	Homework	Solving and analyzing homework questions using a computer and Excel.	Computer

Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence

Violations of scholastic honesty include, but are not limited to cheating, plagiarizing, fabricating information or citations, facilitating acts of dishonesty by others, having unauthorized possession of examinations, submitting work of another person or work previously used without informing the instructor, or tampering with the academic work of other students. Any for of scholastic dishonesty is a serious academic violation and will result in a disciplinary action.