CHARACTERISTICS OF COURSES WITH A METHODOLOGICAL COMPONENT
1) The course should require students to:
a)
b)
c)
d)
formulate potential research questions
test hypotheses
make comparisons
establish relationships
2. It should “speak the language” of social science research. It should introduce students to some of
the following kinds of questions:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
What is the difference between an empirical and normative problem/question?
What does it mean that X causes Y?
What is the independent and dependent variable?
What does it mean to examine a relationship under the condition of a control?
What is a necessary condition, and how does it differ from a sufficient condition?
What is the difference between inductive and deductive theory?
3. The readings in the course should address the problems or pitfalls of social science research.
Some examples might include:
a) bias in the methods employed (e.g. sampling bias)
b) observer bias
c) the feasibility of various research procedures
4. The course should compare and contrast different schools of thinking that prevail in a given subfield
(e.g. neo-realism, constructivism, etc. in IR).
5. The course should include readings about methodology. These could be of two kinds:
a) readings about methodology and/or epistemology (e.g. Hoover and Donovan, The Elements of
Social Scientific Thinking; and Przeworski and Teune, The Logic of Comparative Social Inquiry).
b) readings that are classics because they introduce an innovative methodological approach
and/or have detailed methodological appendixes explaining their underlying research
assumptions.
6. It should also have some “hands on” assignments or research tasks. This need not be an original
research project or paper. Some examples are: a prospectus for a research paper; or a mini paper
on some problem/question that raises methodological issues/dilemmas.