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48555-01 - Seminar: Research Methods in Social and Political Science 3 CP

Semester fall semester 2021
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 the 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 in 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:
The first session of the seminar will be held via Zoom on 23 September 2021. This session will serve as an information session for all interested students. Please take not that you will have to decide at the end of this session whether you will continue with the seminar for the rest of the term. Since we have only a limited number of places due to Corona restrictions, we want to make sure that places in the seminar are not blocked by people who will not take part for the full semester. 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. As of the second session we will conduct the sessions in-person according to the current Corona rules.

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 the catch up with the required knowledge.)

- The number of participants is limited to 25 people. The first session of the seminar will be held via Zoom on 23 September 2021. This session will serve as an information session for all interested students. Please take not that you will have to decide at the end of this session whether you will continue with the seminar for the rest of the term. Since we have only a limited number of places due to Corona restrictions, we want to make sure that places in the seminar are not blocked by people who will not take part for the full semester. 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. As of the second session we will conduct the sessions in-person according to the current Corona rules.
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

Date Time Room
Thursday 23.09.2021 14.15-15.45 - Online Präsenz -, Zoom
Thursday 30.09.2021 14.15-15.45 Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004
Thursday 07.10.2021 14.15-15.45 Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004
Thursday 14.10.2021 14.15-15.45 Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004
Thursday 21.10.2021 14.15-15.45 Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004
Thursday 28.10.2021 14.15-15.45 Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004
Thursday 04.11.2021 14.15-15.45 Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004
Thursday 11.11.2021 14.15-15.45 Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004
Thursday 18.11.2021 14.15-15.45 Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004
Thursday 25.11.2021 14.15-15.45 Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004
Thursday 02.12.2021 14.15-15.45 Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004
Thursday 09.12.2021 14.15-15.45 Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004
Thursday 16.12.2021 14.15-15.45 Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004
Thursday 23.12.2021 14.15-15.45 Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004
Modules Modul: Empirische Forschungsmethoden der Politikwissenschaft und der Gesellschaftswissenschaften (Master's degree subject: Political Science)
Modul: Fields: Knowledge Production and Transfer (Master's degree program: African Studies)
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: Research Skills (Master's degree program: African Studies)
Modul: Theorien und Methodologien der Kulturanthropologie (Master's degree subject: Cultural Anthropology)
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)
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

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