Research Design and Method Selection: Making Good Choices in the Social Sciences

Type: 
Research Group Seminar
Audience: 
Open to the Public
Building: 
Nador u. 11
Room: 
004
Thursday, November 30, 2017 - 1:30pm
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Date: 
Thursday, November 30, 2017 - 1:30pm to 3:00pm

Guest seminar organized by The Political Economy Research Group (PERG)

How to design social science research projects? What is a good research question? Which methods of data collection and which methods of data analysis are available in the social sciences and which ones should be used for a specific project? Students and scholars of the social sciences are confronted with these and similar questions when settling MA or PhD theses, or when designing postdoctoral and other research projects. While this talk cannot cover all questions in detail, it discusses how to exercise the best judgement at critical crossroads when engaging in scientific work in the social sciences. Emphasis will be placed on different types of research designs (explanatory vs. interpretative designs, y-centred vs. x-centred research) and the consequences that follow from these choices. 

Diana Panke holds the Chair of Multi-Level Governance at the University of Freiburg. Diana received her PhD from Free University Berlin in 2007 and was a Lecturer as well as Associate Professor of Political Science at University College Dublin. Since 2012, she is Full Professor at the Political Science Department in Freiburg.  Diana Panke authored (or co-authored) 6 books, 3 edited volumes, 23 book chapters, and 47 peer-reviewed articles in journals like the Review of International Organizations, Journal of European Integration, West European Politics, Journal of European Public Policy, Comparative Political Studies, Comparative European Politics, Journal of Common Market Studies, among others.