Scientific Coordination
Dr.
Sebastian E. Wenz
Tel: +49 221 47694-159
Sebastian E. Wenz
Tel: +49 221 47694-159
Administrative Coordination
Angelika Ruf
Tel: +49 221 47694-162
Tel: +49 221 47694-162
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Course 8: Mixed Methods and Multimethod Research
Lecturer(s):
Prof. Dr. Ingo Rohlfing
Date: 17.08 - 21.08.2020 ics-file
Location: Online via Zoom
Course description
[This is a 24 hour class.]
This course deals with mixed-methods and multimethod research (MMR) in the social sciences. We will discuss the broader understanding of combining qualitative and quantitative methods (mixed methods) and the narrower approach of nested analysis. The course aims to reflect the diversity of MMR studies in the discipline to accommodate participants' projects. The relative emphasis we put on specific variants of MMR designs will be adapted to the methods participants are applying in their own research.
The goal of the course is to understand the different varieties in which MMR can be done. We discuss the unique advantages and methodological and practical challenges confronted in mixed-method research.
Topics include the variety of mixed-method designs that are available; the use of concepts in the qualitative and quantitative analysis, case selection for qualitative research, the compatibility of theoretical expectations in the qualitative and quantitative analysis. The discussions are illustrated with examples from different fields of political science. By the end of the course, participants will able to realize their own mixed-methods study in a systematic manner, and to critically evaluate published MMR studies.
A detailed syllabus for this course is available for download here.
Keywords
Target group
Participants will find the course useful if:
- they realize or plan to realize a project with a causal research question,
- that is answered by combining a statistical technique or QCA with a qualitative technique;
- they are familiar with single-method research and want to explore ideas on how to combine multiple techniques;
- they are interested in learning about the opportunities and limits of mixed-method and multimethod research.
Learning objectives
By the end of the course participants will:
Organizational Structure of the Course
The course has about 4 hours of classroom discussion per day about 2 hours that we spend on exercises, tutorials and assignments. The exercises will involve the analysis and discussion of published mixed-methods studies and the participants' projects. Participants are encouraged to apply concepts and insights from the course to their own projects and to discuss ideas for revising them and their further development.
Prerequisites
Software and Hardware Requirements:
There are no special requirements regarding software.