Logic of Social Inquiry

Undergraduate / Graduate

The social sciences contain a remarkable diversity of research methods, theoretical orientations, and substantive topics. Nevertheless, social scientists have developed a shared language that enables them to discuss and evaluate each other's work. In this course, we will learn to speak that language--the language of research design. Together, we will tackle both the abstract logic of research design as well as the nuts and bolts of executing a methodologically sound project. We will focus on such topics as the relationship between theory and research; the logic of comparison; issues of measurement, bias, and generalizability; basic methods of data collection; and what social scientists do with data once they have collected them. By the end of this course, you will be able to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of published accounts of social science research, and will have hands-on experience designing and executing your own mini mixed-methods pilot study.