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48555-01 - Seminar: Research Methods in Social and Political Science (3 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2023 |
| Course frequency | Every fall sem. |
| Lecturers | Daniel Höhmann (daniel.hoehmann@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | This course is designed for students interested in quantitative research methods and statistical analysis who already possess some basic knowledge about statistics and, if possible, regression analysis. In the first three weeks of the course, we revisit some of the fundamentals of statistical inference (such as the Central Limit Theorem, hypotheses tests, etc.) to offer students with limited statistical background the possibility to catch up with the required knowledge. Next, we cover the classical linear regression model, the assumptions we make when running such a model, and how violations of these assumptions can be detected and fixed. In the next section of the course we will discuss maximum likelihood estimation and then apply this technique to binary and categorical dependent variables (logit, probit, count models, etc.). The focus of the course is not on mathematics, but to give students an intuition of how the different modelling techniques actually work. At the end of the course participants should be able to apply the covered material to their own research. In addition, students should learn how to graphically present the results of the models for professional publications. |
| Learning objectives | - Learn the most important statistical estimation techniques for political scientists. - Learn how to use model diagnostics to improve the model. - Learn how to graphically represent the model to better convey the results to the audience during presentations or to readers in papers. |
| Bibliography | - Kellstedt, Paul & Guy Whitten (2013). The Fundamentals of Political Science Research. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. - Weelan, Charles (2013). Naked Statistics. Stripping the Dread from the Data. New York: W.W. Norton. - Lewis‐Beck, Colin and Michael Lewis-Beck (2016). Applied Regression: An Introduction. London: Sage. - Best, Henning & Christof Wolf (2015). The SAGE Handbook of Regression Analysis and Causal Inference. Sage: London. |
| Comments | Attention: Priority will be given to students of Political Science and Sociology. If there are more students than places in this first session, we will distribute the places according the date of registration to the course in Mona. All Seminars will be graded in the Department of Political Science. Grading scale 6.0 to 1.0, whereupon 4.0 is a pass. |
| Admission requirements | - Knowledge of introductory statistics. In the first three weeks of the course, we revisit some of the fundamentals of statistical inference (such as the Central Limit Theorem, hypotheses tests, etc.) to offer students with limited statistical background the possibility to catch up with the required knowledge.) Priority will be given to students of Political Science and Sociology. If there are more students than places in this first session, we will distribute the places according the date of registration to the course in Mona. |
| Course application | durch Belegen in MOnA |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Thursday | 14.15-15.45 | Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004 |
Dates
| Modules |
Modul: Empirische Forschungsmethoden der Politikwissenschaft und der Gesellschaftswissenschaften (Master's degree subject: Political Science) Modul: Methoden der Gesellschaftswissenschaften (Master's Studies: European Global Studies) Modul: Methoden der Near & Middle Eastern Studies und der Gesellschaftswissenschaften (Master's degree subject: Near & Middle Eastern Studies) Modul: Methoden der Soziologie und der Gesellschaftswissenschaften: quantitativ (Master's degree subject: Sociology) Modul: Theorien und Methodologien der Kulturanthropologie (Master's degree subject: Cultural Anthropology) Module: Fields: Knowledge Production and Transfer (Master's degree program: African Studies) Module: Methods for Analyzing Changing Societies (Master's degree program: Changing Societies: Migration – Conflicts – Resources) Module: Preparation Master's Thesis in Social Sciences (Master's Studies: Sustainable Development) Module: Research Skills (Master's degree program: African Studies) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | To pass the seminar, students have to write a term paper that uses any publicly available data set to demonstrate their ability to conduct a data analysis. All Seminars will be graded in the Department of Political Science. Grading scale 6.0 to 1.0, whereupon 4.0 is a pass. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | 1-6 0,5 |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Politikwissenschaft |