300250 Methoden quantitativ: Quantitative Research on Forced Migration - Limitations, Challenges and Opportunities (S) (WiSe 2025/2026)

This master seminar will critically examine the potential and limitations of using quantitative methods to study forced migration. Focusing on sociological approaches, participants will critically engage with data sources, methodological challenges, and analytical strategies commonly employed in investigating displacement, asylum, and refugee experiences. They will evaluate the strengths and limitations of different research designs, learning how to navigate issues such as limited data availability, measurement bias, and ethical considerations. Through a combination of theoretical discussions and hands-on empirical exercises using Stata, the course will enable students to interpret existing research critically and conduct their own quantitative studies on forced migration. A good knowledge of quantitative methods and statistics, as well as moderate Stata skills (such as recoding, deriving descriptive statistics and estimating regression models) are required.

By the end of the seminar, students will have a deeper understanding of how to apply quantitative methods to the complex social phenomenon of forced migration, and of how to evaluate the validity and impact of such research in academic and policy contexts.