Research Design

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course will introduce students to foundational principles and strategies in research design, fieldwork, and data collection methodologies. It is a spring semester course intended for students who plan to conduct fieldwork for an MA or senior thesis in the following summer. The course will focus on three themes. First, we will learn basic principles of research design, including how to develop strong research questions, how to engage with existing theories and literatures, and how to select appropriate cases for study. Second, we will briefly examine a range of empirical methodologies for collecting data, including interviews, ethnography, oral histories, and archival research. Note that we will not go into depth in any of these approaches; students wishing to become proficient in any particular methodology should enroll in a course dedicated to that method. Third, we will discuss various practical and ethical dimensions of fieldwork. Topics will include how to get the most out of your time in the field, how to safely protect and manage data in the field, how to ethically engage with human subjects, and the ethical implications of producing knowledge about communities that are not our own. All students will also complete an IRB application for their project as part of the course. The focus of the course will be on preparing students for fieldwork in the Middle East / Arab World, however students intending to conduct research in other regions are also welcome. The course is required for any students in the MA in Arab Studies who intend to write a thesis. At the discretion of the instructor, it is also open to students from other MA programs and undergraduates writing senior theses.