POLITICAL SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Bachelor TR-NQF-HE: Level 6 QF-EHEA: First Cycle EQF-LLL: Level 6

Course Introduction and Application Information

Course Code Course Name Semester Theoretical Practical Credit ECTS
POL3232 Research Methods Spring 3 0 3 5
The course opens with the approval of the Department at the beginning of each semester

Basic information

Language of instruction: En
Type of course: Must Course
Course Level: Bachelor
Mode of Delivery: Face to face
Course Coordinator : Assoc. Prof. ESRA ALBAYRAKOĞLU
Course Lecturer(s): Prof. Dr. YILMAZ ESMER
Dr. AHMET İLKAY CEYHAN
Course Objectives: This course is designed to give the students an understanding of the meaning and stages of scientific inquiry and the relationship between theory and empirical data. After a discussion of the major concepts of social scientific research, the course will tackle the thorny issues involved in designing research. A basic review of statistics will be followed by a review of various methods of data collection.

Learning Outputs

The students who have succeeded in this course;
The students who have succeeded in this course;
1. Identify major principles of scientific approach and the logic of scientific explanation as opposed to other ways of explaining phenomena.
2. Explain basic concepts of scientific research such as concepts and their operationalization, variables (independent, dependent, control variables).
3. Grasp the act of measurement (Four levels of measurement and quality of measurement, i.e. issue of reliability and validity);
4. Utilize the basic methods of social scientific data collection such as sample surveys, experimental designs, qualitative methods.
5. Utilize the descriptive and inferential statistics; data analysis including correlation and regression.

Course Content

This course aims at introducing the students to the logic and the basic concepts and methods of scientific explanation in general and social science in particular. Real data and scholarly articles will be used to explain the topics covered in the course.

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week Subject Related Preparation
1) Nature of scientific explanation; criteria scientific explanations must meet; how scientific explanation proceeds. • Babbie, Earl, The Practice of Social Research, Chapter 1, 15th edition, Cengage: Boston, 2021 (although this is the latest edition, any earlier edition will also serve the purpose)
2) Basic concepts: variable, hypothesis, model, theory. Types of variables. • Babbie, Earl, The Practice of Social Research, Chapter 2, 15th edition, Cengage: Boston, 2021 (although this is the latest edition, any earlier edition will also serve the purpose)
3) Basic concepts: variable, hypothesis, model, theory. Types of variables. • Babbie, Earl, The Practice of Social Research, Chapter 2, 15th edition, Cengage: Boston, 2021 (although this is the latest edition, any earlier edition will also serve the purpose)
4) Types of empirical research; descriptive, classification, comparison, relation (correlational, causal). • Babbie, Earl, The Practice of Social Research, Chapter 3, 15th edition, Cengage: Boston, 2021 (although this is the latest edition, any earlier edition will also serve the purpose).
5) Measurement: Four levels of measurement; quality of measurement (reliability, validity) • Babbie, Earl, The Practice of Social Research, Chapter 5, 15th edition, Cengage: Boston, 2021 (although this is the latest edition, any earlier edition will also serve the purpose).
6) Midterm
7) Basic review of statistics. • Babbie, Earl, The Practice of Social Research, Chapter 14, 15th edition, Cengage: Boston, 2021 (although this is the latest edition, any earlier edition will also serve the purpose).
8) Basic review of statistics. • Babbie, Earl, The Practice of Social Research, Chapter 14, 15th edition, Cengage: Boston, 2021 (although this is the latest edition, any earlier edition will also serve the purpose).
9) Introduction to sampling techniques; basic probabilistic and non-probabilistic samples • Babbie, Earl, The Practice of Social Research, Chapter 7, 15th edition, Cengage: Boston, 2021 (although this is the latest edition, any earlier edition will also serve the purpose).
10) The sample survey; questionnaire design and interviewing. • Babbie, Earl, The Practice of Social Research, Chapter 9, 15th edition, Cengage: Boston, 2021 (although this is the latest edition, any earlier edition will also serve the purpose).
11) The sample survey; questionnaire design and interviewing. • Babbie, Earl, The Practice of Social Research, Chapter 9, 15th edition, Cengage: Boston, 2021 (although this is the latest edition, any earlier edition will also serve the purpose).
12) Experimental methods; laboratory experiments; field experiments, natural experiments. • Babbie, Earl, The Practice of Social Research, Chapter 8, 15th edition, Cengage: Boston, 2021 (although this is the latest edition, any earlier edition will also serve the purpose).
13) Qualitative methods • Babbie, Earl, The Practice of Social Research, Chapter 11, 15th edition, Cengage: Boston, 2021 (although this is the latest edition, any earlier edition will also serve the purpose).
14) General Evaluations

Sources

Course Notes: Please note that all book chapters and articles listed on the syllabus are accessible through the BAU Library. --- Ders izlencesinde yer alan tüm kitap bölümleri ve makalelere BAU Kütüphanesi’nden erişilebilir.
References: Weekly assigned articles-Haftalık verilecek okumalar.

Evaluation System

Semester Requirements Number of Activities Level of Contribution
Attendance % 0
Laboratory % 0
Application % 0
Field Work % 0
Special Course Internship (Work Placement) % 0
Quizzes % 0
Homework Assignments % 0
Presentation % 0
Project % 0
Seminar % 0
Midterms 1 % 35
Preliminary Jury % 0
Final 1 % 65
Paper Submission % 0
Jury % 0
Bütünleme % 0
Total % 100
PERCENTAGE OF SEMESTER WORK % 35
PERCENTAGE OF FINAL WORK % 65
Total % 100

ECTS / Workload Table

Activities Number of Activities Workload
Course Hours 13 39
Laboratory
Application
Special Course Internship (Work Placement)
Field Work
Study Hours Out of Class 13 78
Presentations / Seminar
Project
Homework Assignments
Quizzes
Preliminary Jury
Midterms 1 2
Paper Submission
Jury
Final 1 2
Total Workload 121

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

No Effect 1 Lowest 2 Low 3 Average 4 High 5 Highest
           
Program Outcomes Level of Contribution
1) Grasp basic theoretical and conceptual knowledge about the field and relations between them at the level of practice. 5
2) Possess basic knowledge about the causes and effects of political transformations in societies.
3) Possess knowledge about quantitative, qualitative and mixed research methods in social and behavioral sciences. 4
4) Recognize historical patterns while evaluating contemporary political and social developments.
5) Demonstrate interdisciplinary and critical approach while analyzing, synthesizing and forecasting domestic and foreign policy. 3
6) Conduct studies in the field professionally, both independently or as a team member. 5
7) Possess consciousness about lifelong learning based on Research & Development. 5
8) Communicate with peers both orally and in writing, by using a foreign language at least at a level of European Language Portfolio B1 General Level and the necessary informatics and communication technologies. 5
9) Apply field-related knowledge and competences into career advancement, projects for sustainable development goals, and social responsibility initiatives. 5
10) Possess the habit to monitor domestic and foreign policy agenda as well as international developments.
11) Possess competence to interpret the new political actors, theories and concepts in a global era. 4
12) Evaluate the legal and ethical implications of advanced technologies on politics.