Research Methods and Design

Code	School	Level	Credits	Semesters
PHIR4008	Politics and International Relations	4	20	Spring Malaysia

Code: PHIR4008
School: Politics and International Relations
Level: 4
Credits: 20
Semesters: Spring Malaysia

Summary

The module is designed to allow students to develop a critical understanding of the methodological issues involved in designing and undertaking research in the disciplines of international relations and development studies and to strengthen their ability to read and evaluate literature more generally. The first part of the module focuses on issues of research design. It exposes students to a broad range of methodological issues involved in designing, conducting and writing up research based on a relative small number of cases. Topics that are addressed in the module include developing a research question, problems of conceptualisation, measurement, and strategies and approaches to causal theorising in small N research. The second part of the module addresses various methods of generating and processing data for research in international relations and development studies. Methods that are covered include the use of documentary sources, textual analysis observation and ethnographic research, and various forms of interviewing. Throughout the module students will be required to develop their own feasible research proposal, which will in turn inform their choice of dissertation topic.

Target Students

PHIR MA/MSc students Available to JYA/Erasmus students.

Classes

One 2-hour tutorial each week for 12 weeks
One 1-hour lecture each week for 12 weeks

wdcf

Assessment

40% Coursework 1: 2000 word critical review or research essay
60% Coursework 2: 3000 word research report

Educational Aims

Prepare students for their Masters’ dissertations and sharpen their understanding of the methodological, ethical and conceptual issues surrounding research in international relations and development studies

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the module, students are expected to:

have developed a critical understanding of the main methodological issues involved in designing and undertaking IR/development studies research;

be able to apply and critically consider different qualitative methods of generating data;

be able to critically evaluate scholarly literature from a methodological point of view;

have acquired the basic toolkit to design their own research project.

In line with these general academic aims, the module seeks to help students achieve the following objectives:

to provide students with an understanding of the stages and issues that are involved in designing research in development studies and international relations;

to encourage students to apply the research design tools for the critical assessment of the scholarly literature;

to familiarise students with different techniques of generating and processing data, and to encourage students to critically use and assess these techniques;

to promote students' ability to develop and design their own research project.

The ability to deliver a professional, word processed document with accompanying bibliography and footnotes;

The skill to draw information and documents from WebCT and conduct online research via online journals and elibrary functions

Conveners

Conveners unspecified.

View in Curriculum Catalogue

Last updated 09/01/2025.