University of Essex

GV914-7-SU-CO:
Research Design

The details

Year: 2024/25

Department: Government

Campus: Colchester Campus

Term: Summer

Level: Postgraduate: Level 7

Status: Current

Start date: Tuesday 22 April 2025

End date: Friday 27 June 2025

Credits: 15

Last updated: 22 April 2024

Requisites for this module

Pre-requisites: (none)

Co-requisites: (none)

Pre and / or co-requisites: (none)

Prohibited modules: (none)

Key module (requisite for): GV915

Key module for

MA L201JS Politics,
MPP L430JS The Essex MPP,
MPHDL20KJS Government,
PHD L20KJS Government

Module description

This module familiarises students with the scientific method in the social sciences. It introduces students to different ways to model social phenomenon, the assumptions that political scientists make when analysing politics, and different topics that contemporary political science addresses. Students will learn how to pose meaningful research questions, define concepts and formulate hypothesis. They will also learn how to empirically measure concepts and select the appropriate research approaches and environments.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:

To introduce students to the principles of the scientific method in the social sciences

To provide students with an overview of specific research designs and their applications in the study of politics

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

Read, understand, and evaluate empirical analyses and scholarly work published in the leading journals;

Understand evaluation methods for particular research questions, research designs, and variables;

Articulate research questions and apply a coherent research strategy to answer them.

Key Skills:

Learn to read core political science texts quickly and extract key information from them.

Learn to concisely summarize and write about key concepts in political science.

Learn to develop questions of interest to modern political science.

Matching appropriate designs to research questions.

Develop a coherent research project in Political Science.

Module information

No additional information available.

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be delivered with a weekly two-hour interactive seminar. Each session will consist of a blend of lecturing, Q&A, group and whole-class discussion – the precise blend to depend in part on student numbers.

Bibliography

Clark, T. et al. (2021f) Bryman’s social research methods. Sixth edition. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/974675.
Knopf, J.W. (2006) ‘Doing a Literature Review’, PS: Political Science & Politics, 39(1), pp. 127–132. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049096506060264.
Johnson, J.B., Reynolds, H.T. and Mycoff, J.D. (2019e) Political Science Research Methods. 9th Revised edition. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications Inc. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/650865.
Kellstedt, P.M. and Whitten, G.D. (2018a) Fundamentals of Political Science Research. 3rd Revised edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (Virtual Publishing). Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/294544.
Adcock, R. and Collier, D. (2001) ‘Measurement Validity: A Shared Standard for Qualitative and Quantitative Research’, American Political Science Review, 95(3), pp. 529–546. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055401003100.
Kellstedt, P.M. and Whitten, G.D. (2018b) Fundamentals of Political Science Research. 3rd Revised edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (Virtual Publishing). Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/294544.
King, G. (1986) ‘How Not to Lie with Statistics: Avoiding Common Mistakes in Quantitative Political Science’, American Journal of Political Science, 30(3). Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/2111095.
Bourke, B. (2014) ‘Positionality: Reflecting on the Research Process’, The Qualitative Report [Preprint]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2014.1026.
Pillow, W. (2003) ‘Confession, catharsis, or cure? Rethinking the uses of reflexivity as methodological power in qualitative research’, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 16(2), pp. 175–196. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/0951839032000060635.
Glynos, J. and Howarth, D. (2008) ‘Critical Explanation in Social Science: A Logics Approach’, 34(1).
Montanaro, L. (no date) ‘Discursive Exit’, American Journal of Political Science, 63(4), pp. 875–887. Available at: https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/doi/10.1111/ajps.12463.
Howarth, D. and Roussos, K. (2023) ‘Radical democracy, the commons and everyday struggles during the Greek crisis’, The British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 25(2), pp. 311–327. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/13691481211067147.
Johnson, J.B., Reynolds, H.T. and Mycoff, J.D. (2020b) Political Science Research Methods. 9th Edition. CQ Press. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/650865.
Reade, J. (2021) ‘Keeping it raw on the ‘gram: Authenticity, relatability and digital intimacy in fitness cultures on Instagram’, New Media & Society, 23(3), pp. 535–553. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444819891699.
Malik, R. (2023) ‘Lesser of Two Evils: Allocating Resources to Opposition Districts in Pakistan’, 48(2). Available at: https://doi-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/lsq.12398.

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam	Description	Deadline	Coursework weighting
Coursework	Moodle Test		30%
Coursework	Literature Review Draft	16/05/2025	30%
Coursework	Final Research Proposal	30/06/2025	40%

Exam format definitions

Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Reassessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Module supervisor and teaching staff

Supervisor: Dr Jimena Vazquez Garcia, email: j.vazquezgarcia@essex.ac.uk.

Teaching staff: Jimena Vazquez Garcia

Contact details: Please contact govpgquery@essex.ac.uk

Availability

Available to incoming Essex Abroad / Exchange students: No

Available to Outside Option: No

Available to Audit: Yes

External examiner

Name: Dr Kyriaki Nanou

Institution: Durham University

Academic role: Associate Professor in European politics

Resources

Teaching materials: Available via Moodle

Lecture recording: No lecture recording information available for this module.

Further information

Department website: Government

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The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.

Module Directory

GV914-7-SU-CO:Research Design