300450 Research Design (MA: Politische Soziologie) (S) (WiSe 2024/2025)

Research Design: How to develop a Research Design Proposal for a MA thesis?

The aim of the seminar is to equip students with the meta-theoretical insights, methodological skills, and reflexive capacities to develop a sound research design for a MA thesis. After the seminar, students will be able to conduct independent research in form of a MA thesis.

Approach: The seminar has a two-fold approach: Students will read texts that sensitize for methodological problems and provide guidance in developing a research design. We intertwine these sessions with “application sessions” in which students pick-up the readings and apply them. To this end, participants choose a project topic at the beginning of the seminar and develop this topic throughout the semester. At the end of the seminar, a draft research design for this project is presented and discussed. It can then be developed into a term paper.

Audience: This seminar is an advanced MA course designed for students at the end of their studies. Students are free to choose their own projects in the realm of political science, political sociology, world studies, or science studies. The course language is English; students may write their “applications” in German.