Political Research Methods
Code: 101104 ECTS Credits: 12| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Political Science and Public Management | OB | 2 |
| International Relations | OB | 2 |
Contact
- Name:
- Agustí Bosch Gardella
- Email:
- agusti.bosch@uab.cat
Teachers
- Agustí Bosch Gardella
- Roberto Pannico
- Juan Pérez Rajó
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
No necessary prerequesite required.
Objectives and Contextualisation
This subject is taught differently in the two degrees. You may find more information on this issue in the following links:
Competences
- Political Science and Public Management
- Applying the different behaviour analysis techniques and political actors to real cases from the internal and international political arena.
- Applying the discipline's main theories and different fields to real practical and professional problems.
- Arguing from different theoretical perspectives.
- Demonstrating the comprehension of the logic behind the scientific analysis of political sciences.
- Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
- Managing the methodological foundations of politic sciences.
- Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
- Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
- Using the main information and documentation techniques (ICT) as an essential tool for the analysis.
- Working autonomously.
- International Relations
- Design, plan and carry out projects and studies for analysis and/or intervention in different areas of international relations.
- Recognise the methodological foundations of social science with special emphasis on international relations.
- Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
Learning Outcomes
- Apply the methodology of political analysis to specific real or simulated case studies for international relations and design a complete research strategy.
- Arguing from different theoretical perspectives.
- Be familiar with basic methodology in political science.
- Critically assessing the usage of inductive, deductive and comparative methods.
- Critically assessing the use of analytical instruments to validate the hypothesis raised.
- Critically evaluate the use of analytical instruments for the validation of the proposed hypotheses.
- Critically evaluate the use of methods of induction, deduction and comparison.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the logic of scientific analysis applied to political science.
- Demonstrating the comprehension of the logic behind the scientific analysis of political sciences.
- Designing and planning an investigation in the field of political sciences.
- Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
- Managing the methodological foundations of politic sciences.
- Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
- Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
- Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
- Use a data political data base and for each case use the appropriate basic techniques of descriptive statistics.
- Using the main information and documentation techniques (ICT) as an essential tool for the analysis.
- Working autonomously.
Content
The main contents of the subject are the following:
- Epistemologies and Methodologies
- The Research Question. Theory and Hypotheses
- Data Sources in International Relations
- Introduction to Qualitative Research Techniques
- Basic Notions in Data Analysis
- Univariate Descriptive Analysis
- Sampling and Inference
- Contingency Tables
- Correlation and Difference of Means
- Linear Regression
- Introduction to Multivariate Analysis
- Control and Causality
Given that this subject is taught differently in the two degrees, you may find more detailed information on the subject contents in the following links:
- Groups 1 & 51 (Political Science and Public Management degree & associated double degrees)
- Group 52 (International Relations degree & associated double degree)
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Exercises presentation | 15 | 0.6 | 2, 9, 10, 13, 11, 15, 18, 5, 7 |
| Practical lessons with computer | 30 | 1.2 | 2, 9, 11, 15, 18, 12, 17, 5 |
| Theoretical lessons | 60 | 2.4 | 2, 9, 10, 12, 5, 4 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Tutorials to support exercises elaboration | 30 | 1.2 | 9, 10, 12, 5, 4 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Exercices | 60 | 2.4 | 2, 9, 8, 10, 16, 11, 3, 14, 15, 18, 12, 17, 5, 6, 4 |
| Readings | 30 | 1.2 | 2, 9, 11, 15, 18, 17, 4, 7 |
| Study | 60 | 2.4 | 2, 11, 3, 15, 18, 12, 5, 4 |
This subject is taught differently in the two degrees. You may find more information on this issue in the following links:
- Groups 1 & 51 (Political Science and Public Management degree & associated double degrees)
- Group 52 (International Relations degree & associated double degree)
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continuous evaluation and participation | 40% | 11 | 0.44 | 1, 2, 9, 8, 10, 16, 13, 11, 3, 14, 18, 12, 17, 5, 6, 4, 7 |
| January Exam | 30% | 2 | 0.08 | 9, 11, 15, 18, 17 |
| May Exam | 30% | 2 | 0.08 | 9, 11, 15, 18, 17 |
The final grade for the whole subject will be the weighted average of the following blocks:
- January exam: 30% of the final grade
- May exam: 30% of the final grade
- Continuous assessment activities and class participation: 40% of the final grade.
To pass the course you must:
- Obtain a minimum of 5 in the mean of the whole subject and, in addition:
- Obtain a minimum of 5 in the January exam and, in addition:
- Obtain a minimum of 5 in the May exam.
If the teaching staff considers that a student has not provided enough evidence for assessment, they will be deemed "non-evaluable".
There will be a re-take exam in which student will be able to re-take the January exam, the May exam, or both exams. The continuous assessment activities cannot be re-taken.
No exams will be held outside the dates set by the Faculty. No continuous assessment tests will be taken outside the dates set by the teaching staff.
The detection of a copied test or assessment activity will lead to a zero in that activity. Reiteration will lead to a zero in the subject’s final grade.
In this subject, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted only in certain phases of academic work, such as correcting computer code, reviewing the syntax and grammar of a paper, summarising a text or improving its clarity and structure, asking it to critique what you have written, asking it to instruct you on concepts learned in the course, etc. However, the work submitted by the student to the teaching staff must contain a significant personal contribution to the analysis or it will be considered plagiarism. Even if AI has been used, the student remains the sole responsible for the content of their submitted work. The student will have to clearly identify which parts have been generated with this technology, and specify the tools used. Failure to be transparent about the use of AI will also be considered plagiarism.
The Faculty Board decided that this subject does not foresee the single evaluation system. Repeating students can have access to a synthesis assessment, but they must contact the teaching staff at the beginning of the academic year.
This subject is taught differently in the two degrees. More detailed information on the assessment for this subject can be found in the following links:
Bibliography
This subject is taught differently in the two degrees. You may find more information on this issue in the following links:
Software
This subject is taught differently in the two degrees. You may find more information on this issue in the following links:
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (SEM) Seminars | 1 | Spanish | annual | morning-mixed |
| (SEM) Seminars | 51 | Catalan | annual | afternoon |
| (SEM) Seminars | 52 | English | annual | afternoon |
| (SEM) Seminars | 520 | English | annual | afternoon |
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Spanish | annual | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 51 | Catalan | annual | afternoon |
| (TE) Theory | 52 | English | annual | afternoon |