Qualitative methods for social science

The course has two main aims:

• help PhD students identify a research question around which to develop their research proposal (to be presented at the Graduate Student Conference) and, eventually, their dissertation;
• introduce PhD students to some of the relevant qualitative methodologies used in international studies and the social sciences, which they can then apply in their own research work. 

The course is divided into two parts, covering different approaches and methods. Topics covered in the course include textual analysis, interviews, policy research, comparative methods and case studies, discourse and content analysis. Classes will cover both the basic theoretical underpinning of the methods and illustrate their applications in actual research.

Assessment: Paper, Written Exam

Instructors:   

• Louisa Parks
• Emanuele Massetti
• Luisa Antoniolli
• Sondra Faccio
• Manuela Bragagnolo