During the course we will address and discuss the following topics: What is expected of academic research. Types of social research designs. Social research strategies. Steps and components of a research project. Relevance of the chosen research subject. Formulation of research objectives and questions. Theoretical approach. Research methods. Data collection and analysis. Ethical issues. Research project planning and writing.
Recommended readings and provisional references (N.B.: the following texts are merely indicative and may be subject to changes)
Agnoli, M. S. (2004). "Typologies of social research drawings" in: Il disegno della ricerca sociale, Rome: Carocci, pp. 81-115.
Bryman, A. (2016). Social Research Methods, Oxford: University Press, ch. 3 and 4, pp. 45-96.
Leedy, P. D. & Ormrod, J. E. (2016). Practical research: Planning and design. Pearson Education. In particular, chapters 4 "Planning your Research Project" and 5 "Writing the Research Proposal".
Oddbjørn, B. (2019). Designing Social Science Research, London, Palgrave Macmillan. In particular, the chapters: "Design of Research Projects", pp. 73-96 and "The Design process", pp. 193-214.
Walliman, N. (2019) Your Research Project Fourth Edition Designing, Planning, and Getting Started. Fourth edition, Oxford Brookes University, UK. In particular chapter 8 "The Research Proposal: Planning and Structuring Your Ideas".
Learning Objectives
To distinguish between (a) common uses of the term “research” that reflect misconceptions about what research involves and (b) the true nature of academic research.
To understand the cyclical and iterative nature of research, including the different steps that a research project involves.
To identify examples of research tools that can play a significant role in the planning and implementation of a research project.
To acquire the key components to write a research project.
Prerequisites
A good knowledge of English is desirable (but not mandatory) as many of the materials used will be in English.
Teaching Methods
Interactive lessons; individual and group exercises, classroom discussions, final project design.
Further information
Since this is a learning-by-doing course, regular attendance is essential.
Type of Assessment
Final written work consisting of a detailed presentation of a research project.
Course program
Social research is a complex system of choices and activities that is carried out through a series of procedures, techniques and tools organized in a clear and succinct work-plan. The work plan constitutes the research design, and although this latter may change (and often changes) during the course of the work, it is essential that its fundamental components are described and clarified from the very beginning of a research project. The course «Laboratory of research design» illustrates and exemplifies the various processes through which the plan of social research is carried out and the various theoretical and methodological considerations that guide its choices and methods of implementation. During the course, the topics covered will be exemplified through the illustration and discussion of potential or already realized research projects.
Regardless of whether you conduct basic or applied research, a research project is likely to take a significant amount of your time and energy, so whatever problem you study should be worth your time and energy. As you begin the process of identifying a suitable research problem to tackle, keep two fundamental criteria in mind. First, your problem should address an important question, such that the answer can actually make a difference in some way. And second, it should advance the frontiers of knowledge, perhaps by leading to new ways of thinking, suggesting possible applications, or paving the way for further research in the field. To accomplish both of these ends, your research project must involve not only the collection of data but also the interpretation of those data. To achieve both these objectives, your research project must include not only data collection, but also their effective interpretation and the research question(s) must be clear, manageable, neither too broad nor too narrow.
The course provides the tools to tackle all these challenges.