If there is one thing you should have learned in the master's program, it should be how to identify and conduct excellent academic research. You should be able to assess the state of the existing literature, identify research questions of interest, formulate strategies to answer them, know the methodological tools with which to conduct the research, and write up the results so that they can contribute to existing knowledge.
Using examples from social sciences, the course will familiarize you with current standards of research in social sciences. Along with the course lectures, you will work in groups to formulate a research question, develop hypotheses, and create your own research design to answer your question. Although the course is not in itself a lecture on statistical methods, it also provides an introduction to quantitative methods.

Course Objectives

• Knowledge of the elements and relevance of a research design.
• Critically question the rigor and precision of research designs
• Produce a rigorous and precise research design
• Individual and collective components

Academic Integrity
This course is based on the principles of academic integrity established by Freie Universität Berlin. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. All documents submitted must be your own work and sources must be properly cited.