Studying at York
Research Skills for Global Development - POL00010C
Module summary
This Module evaluates and explores a range of different research skills for development, both quantitative and qualitative. While the module exposes students to the methodological debates in global development, it also offers hands on experience with data analyses and qualitative interviews to provide a basic understanding of approaches to research design in the study of global development.
Professional requirements
No professional requirements.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 2 2024-25 |
Module aims
The module aims to:
- Encourage students to think critically about the claims and arguments that are made about global development phenomena within academia and beyond;
- Develop awareness of the processes involved in generating new knowledge and making an argument about global development issues.
- Develop confidence and independence as scholars, both within the undergraduate degree and after graduation;
- Begin to prepare students for a research by giving them the skills and confidence to design and carry out a piece of independent research.
Module learning outcomes
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Understand the basic methods of qualitative and quantitative research and their strengths and weaknesses in different contexts
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Have a basic understanding of approaches to research design and methodological approaches in the study of Global Development
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Obtain a basic understanding of how to apply and adapt analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, and identify appropriate theoretical and practical perspectives.
Research skills includes workshops on essay writing, presentation skills, reflection and library skills.
Module content
In the first term the students will be introduced to the reasoning behind methodological approaches to Global Development within various disciplines and traditions and some important methodological debates. In the second term they will focus on qualitative and quantitative methods. Students will design an interview and learn the basics of statistical analysis.
Likely structure will involve:
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Introduction: development research, positionality
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How to formulate a research question, ethics
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Sampling strategies and generalisation - how to decide appropriate methods
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Survey design and administration - questionnaires and interviews
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Data analysis - coding interviews and text. Policy analysis, lit review
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Understanding numerical data in research
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Data analysis - quantitative data, descriptive statistics
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Data analysis - quantitative data, inferential statistics
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Writing and presentation skills for research
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Interpreting data and limitations
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Additional assessment information
If a student fails any assessment of the module, they will be able to re-do the assignments in the summer re-assessment week.
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
Students will receive timely written feedback on their formative and summative assessment. They will also have the opportunity to discuss their feedback during the module tutor’s feedback and guidance hours.
Students will receive written feedback on their summative assessment no later than 25 working days after submission/presentation; and the module tutor will hold a specific session to discuss feedback, which students can also opt to attend. They will also have the opportunity to discuss their feedback during the module tutor’s regular feedback and guidance hours
Indicative reading
Crawford, Gordon, Lena Kruckenberg, Nicholas Loubere, Rosemary Morgan. 2017. Understanding Global Development Research - Fieldwork Issues, Experiences and Reflections. SAGE Publications Ltd
Duvendack, Maren, Richard Palmer-Jones and Laura Camfield. 2016. Impact Evaluation for International Development: The Essential Guide. Routledge Textbooks in Development Economics.
May, T. 2003. Social Research: Issues, Methods and Process. Buckingham: Open University Press.
Montgomerie, Johnna (ed). 2018. Critical Methods in Political and Cultural Economy. Routledge