APOL 322 (Research Methods in Political Science) aims to get students acquainted with the concepts and steps of conducting research in Political Science.
Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to differentiate between scientific and non-scientific methods of acquiring knowledge. You should also be able to articulate different scientific methods of knowledge acquisition, understand the various types of research and how they are designed. Students should also be able to access Social Scientific Methods used in Political Science, including the connections between theory, research design, data collection and some level of data analysis.
The following are the key outcomes of the course:
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Students should be able to understand and evaluate a research design.
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Understand why scientific research is undertaken and explain its philosophical dimensions
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Differentiate between different types of research
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Apply the systematic nature and process of research to produce knowledge that meets ethical standards
• Formulate research questions and hypothesis
• know the steps in the process of qualitative data collection.
• Students should understand how research questions are operationalized in practice.
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Develop critical thinking and analytical skills on issues relating to research methodology.