autumn 2012
SOA-3022 Research Methods and Project Management - 20 ECTS

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  3. Research Methods and Project Management

Type of course

Only students at Master Programme in Human Rights Practice may take this course.

Course content

This module is part of the MA in Human Rights Practice. The main focus of the MA in Human Rights Practice is on ways to work with the protection, promotion and implementation of human rights effectively in a changing global context.

This course focuses on different aspects and stages of research project management. The course will provide knowledge of and practice in a range of social science research methods and writing as a preparation for independent research on Human Rights related issues. Furthermore, the course will address methodological challenges to research on Human rights practice, specifically ethical challenges.

The teaching runs over three terms:

Part 1 (Gothenburg) Preparing for Research
This part of the module focuses on how to prepare for the research process. It will include: Conducting literature surveys; Planning and structuring research; and Academic writing.

Part 2 - (Roehampton) Project Management and Social Scientific Research Methods
The second part of the module takes place at Roehampton and introduces students to data collection and project management techniques. It will include: Participant observation and interview techniques; Survey methods and statistical analysis; Project management techniques; Log Frame and Stakeholder analysis

Part 3 - (Tromsø) The Practice of Social Science
The last part is taught in Tromsø and provides the most substantive component, with an emphasis on a critical training in research methods techniques appropriate for human rights investigations and as a preparation for the dissertation. It will include: Research design; Research management; Social and ethical considerations; Research and policy; Doing your own research; and the Dissertation.

Objectives of the course

Students who have successfully completed the will have the following learning outcome:

Design their own research project.

  • Demonstrate knowledge of and practice in fieldwork methods, interview techniques, us of documents and statistics as sources of data, data analysis and comparative analysis.
  • Critically assess ethical issues and theoretical frameworks within different research contexts.
  • Write academic texts and other reports in a convincing style with due reference to the audience.
  • Demonstrate a critical awareness of the politics of research on Human rights practice

    Competence:
    This module also enables students to develop research and project management skills that will enable them to perform in a service agency or in the NGO sector or doing research on Human Rights practice.

Language of instruction and examination

English

Teaching methods

The teaching will consist of:

  • Lectures focusing on social science methods and research practice as well as the relationship between methods, data and theory
  • Seminars: practical workshops and student presentations of their work.
  • Tutoring: Face to face and/or written feedback on assignments.

Assessment

The course will be assessed on the basis of two written assignments (mandatory course work) and one final course examination (research paper).

Assignment 1: Research plan. 1500 words, based on the teaching in Gothenburg.
Each student is to write a short social science research proposal, based on a research question of his/her own choosing, but related to the overall theme of Human Rights Practice. Graded as approved/not approved.

Assignment 2: Research methodologies, 2000 words, based on the teaching at Roehampton.
The student answers one from a list of three titles. Graded as approved/not-approved.

Final exam: A home essay, 4000 words, written over 10 days, concerned with methodological, theoretical, political and/or ethical issues related to research on Human Rights Practise. The student answers one from a list of three titles. The essay may also draw on issues related to the dissertation they will write in the following semester.

The essay is graded on the scale of A to F, where F=Fail.

Important: This module will in addition provide guidance for developing an individual research project, which is a mandatory preparation for the Dissertation module (SOA 3902) of the fourth term. Each student will submit a research plan (2 pages) by the end of the second semester, identifying main topic and proposed theoretical and methodological approach.

By the end of the third term a full (8-10 pages) research proposal shall be submitted. This proposal must be approved before fieldwork/in situ data gathering can be accepted as resource material for the dissertation. Graded as approved/not approved.

Recommended reading/syllabus

1400 pages.

Error rendering component

  • About the course
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  • ECTS: 20
  • Course code: SOA-3022
  • Tidligere år og semester for dette emnet