Course 2016-2017 a.y.

20469 - INSTITUTIONS, GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY - MODULE I


DES-ESS

Department of Social and Political Sciences

Course taught in English

Go to class group/s: 20 - 21
DES-ESS (6 credits - I sem. - OB  |  SECS-P/07)
Course Director:
GIOVANNI FATTORE

Classes: 20 (I sem.) - 21 (I sem.)
Instructors:
Class 20: GIOVANNI FATTORE, Class 21: NICOLA BELLE'


Course Objectives

In this course students are introduced to the main concepts and methods that are used in social science research with a special focus on policy evaluation. The class seeks to prepare students to conceive of research projects of their own and identify the methodologies they would need to learn and the data they would need to gather to execute the project. After completing this course, students have an overall understanding of the range of methodologies for data collection and analysis as well as the fundamentals for study design in the social sciences.

Intended Learning Outcomes
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Course Content Summary

  • Epistemologic perspectives in social science research
  • Validity of research designs: statistical, internal, construct and external validity
  • Randomized experiments and generalized causal inference
  • Lab experiments in the social sciences
  • Quasi-experiments
  • Propensity Score Matching, Double Difference and Discontinuity Regression
  • Survey methods and sampling
  • Social Network Analysis
  • Content Analysis
  • Systematic literature reviews and meta-analysis

Teaching methods
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Assessment methods
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Detailed Description of Assessment Methods

Attending students:
  • 30% team presentation of a research proposal, 70% final written exam.
Non-attending students:
  • 30% individual research proposal, 70% final written exam.

Textbooks

  • W.R. Shadish, W.R. Cook, D.T. Campbel, Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs for generalized Causal Inference, Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2002.
  • The reading material will be made available at the beginning of the course.
Exam textbooks & Online Articles (check availability at the Library)

Prerequisites

NONE
Last change 21/03/2016 12:31