Methodologies for the social sciences III: Qualitative (introductive course)

The course gives an introduction to the qualitative methods that are most commonly used in the social and political sciences. The objective is to provide an encompassing illustration of a wide range of techniques that researchers employ to gather and analyze qualitative data. Moreover, the course will put qualitative methods in the broader context of the overall research process, addressing topics like the consistency between the research puzzle and qualitative methods, the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, and discussing some specific qualitative methods, like participant observation, qualitative interview, discourse analysis. The course will also discuss the role of digital technologies in the process of data gathering and data analysis. The practical details of a given methodological tool will be demonstrated with the help of examples and exercises drawn from empirical research.