City University of Hong Kong

Course Syllabus

offered by Department of Asian and International Studies

with effect from Semester A 2018/19

Part I Course Overview

Course Title: Research Design for the Social Sciences

Course Code: AIS5026

Course Duration: One semester

Credit Units: 3

Level: P5

Medium of
Instruction: English

Medium of
Assessment: English

Prerequisites:
(Course Code and Title) Nil

Precursors:
(Course Code and Title) Nil

Equivalent Courses:
(Course Code and Title) Nil

Exclusive Courses:
(Course Code and Title) AIS5022
Part II Course Details

1. Abstract

This course offers an introduction to key methodological approaches required to understand, critically
analyze, and explain problems in social sciences. It first covers philosophical, ethical and practical issues
regarding systematic social inquiry. It will then provide students with specific tools and techniques for
empirical research in social sciences, including literature review, case studies, qualitative interviews, focus
group and participant observation, quantitative surveys and questionnaires, archival research and e-research.
Students will learn the necessary skills for conducting and evaluating social inquiry as well as crafting an
independent research project. The core assignment is a research proposal in which students wishing to write a
Master’s thesis must design an original project (successful completion of the course with a grade of B+ or
above is required). The course will be an opportunity for students to bring their own research questions into
the class and discuss their choice of research design and methodology.

Course Aims

This course aims to provide students with the ability to: (1) design, plan, write and disseminate a polished
research project, (2) identify a research problem and develop hypotheses to effectively describe, examine,
critique, and solve that problem, (3) build arguments that are coherent, empirically supported, theoretically
grounded, and logically sound, as well as evaluate arguments made by others, (4) understand the values and
limitations of different methodological approaches and evaluate scholarly work based on the merits of
research design and instruments, (5) collect data and evaluate the reliability and validity of selected references
and sources, and (6) identify, and comply with, ethical issues related to social inquiry.
2. Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs)
(CILOs state what the student is expected to be able to do at the end of the course according to a given standard of
performance.)

No. CILOs Weighting Discovery-enriched

(if curriculum related
applicable) learning outcomes
(please tick where
appropriate)
A1 A2 A3
1. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of various √ √
methodological approaches to social science research
2. Evaluate the validity and reliability of secondary data √ √ √
sources, independently design data collection and conduct
data analysis
3. Identify and assess ethical issues related to research in √ √
social sciences
4. Design a study to solve open research questions in the √ √ √
social sciences and test original, innovative research
hypothesis
100%

A1: Attitude
Develop an attitude of discovery/innovation/creativity, as demonstrated by students possessing a strong
sense of curiosity, asking questions actively, challenging assumptions or engaging in inquiry together with
teachers.
A2: Ability
Develop the ability/skill needed to discover/innovate/create, as demonstrated by students possessing
critical thinking skills to assess ideas, acquiring research skills, synthesizing knowledge across disciplines
or applying academic knowledge to self-life problems.
A3: Accomplishments
Demonstrate accomplishment of discovery/innovation/creativity through producing /constructing creative
works/new artefacts, effective solutions to real-life problems or new processes.
3. Teaching and Learning Activities (TLAs)
(TLAs designed to facilitate students’ achievement of the CILOs.)

TLA Brief Description CILO No. Hours/week

(if applicable)
1 2 3 4
1 Lectures √ √ √ √
2 Classroom Exercises, debates √ √ √ √
3 Readings √ √
4 Presentation √ √ √ √
5. Research Project √ √ √ √

4. Assessment Tasks/Activities (ATs)

(ATs are designed to assess how well the students achieve the CILOs.)

Attendance and active participation in class discussion is expected. Discussions are based on weekly
required readings. Several skills exercises will be carried out, and evaluated, weekly; they include data
search, focus group, interviews and questionnaire preparation. Students will start thinking about a
research problem of their choice early on, discuss it with the instructor, present their draft project in
class and write a full research proposal before the last session.

Assessment Tasks/Activities CILO No. Weighting Remarks

1 2 3 4
Continuous Assessment: 100 %
Attendance, class participation and √ √ √ 20%
skills exercises
Presentation √ √ 20%
Research Proposal √ √ √ 60%
Examination: Nil % (duration: N/A , if applicable)
100%
5. Assessment Rubrics
(Grading of student achievements is based on student performance in assessment tasks/activities with the following rubrics.)

Assessment Task Criterion Excellent Good Fair Marginal Failure

(A+, A, A-) (B+, B, B-) (C+, C, C-) (D) (F)
1. Class Frequency and Excellent Good contributions Fair contributions to Poor contributions to Failure to contribute
participation, quality of contributions to to discussions, discussions, discussions, in discussions,
homework and contributions in discussions, exercises and exercises and exercises and exercises and
exercises discussions, exercises and homework homework homework homework
exercises and homework
homework
2. Presentation Innovativeness, Excellent analysis of Effective analysis of Fair but superficial Incomplete, shallow Failure to complete
quality, and style of existing research, existing research, analysis of existing analysis of existing the assignment.
in-class presentation discussion of discussion of research, lack of research. Poor
innovative ideas persuasive but not original ideas with presentation delivery
with regard to truly innovative regard to and supporting
theory/method, ideas with regard to theory/method. materials
impressive delivery theory/method, Clear presentation
and supporting impressive delivery delivery and
materials and supporting supporting materials
materials
3. Research Ability to write a Outstanding with Generally effective Minimally Major Failure to complete
Proposal proposal for a regard to research but not especially acceptable in its misunderstanding or the assignment, or
hypothetical question, review and original or understanding/applic misuse of course major portions
research project critique of the innovative with ation of course materials, no thereof
(ideally a master’s relevant literature, regard to research materials, but lack of original ideas with
thesis) designed to specification of question, review and any original ideas regard to research
test an innovative theory or hypothesis, critique of the with regard to question, review and
explanatory theory and research design relevant literature, research question, critique of the
specification of review and critique relevant literature,
theory or hypothesis, of the relevant specification of
and research design literature, theory or hypothesis,
specification of and research design
theory or hypothesis,
and research design
Part III Other Information (more details can be provided separately in the teaching plan)

1. Keyword Syllabus
(An indication of the key topics of the course.)

Social Research; Research Design; Ethics of Research; Research Methodology; Theory Building;
Concept Formation; Measurement; Causal Inference; Qualitative Methods; Quantitative Methods; Survey;
Comparative Methods; Case Studies; Ethnography; Fieldwork; Interview; Focus Group; Participant
Observation; Informed Consent; Archival Research; Data Collection; E-Research; Dissemination of
Research.

2. Course Schedule and Reading List

2.1 Weekly Schedule

Week 1 – Introduction
Guiding questions
What are the key components of social research? Can we study political, economic and social phenomena
scientifically? Why are research methods and research designs important?
Required readings
- Kirshner, Jonathan, 1996. “Alfred Hitchcock and the Art of Research”, PS: Political Science and
Politics 29(3): 511-513.
- King, Gary, Robert Keohane and Sidney Verba, 1994. Designing Social Inquiry, Princeton NJ:
Princeton University Press, Chapter 1 “The Science in Social Science”, pp. 3-12.
- Geddes, Barbara, 2003. Paradigms and Sand Castles: Theory Building and Research Design in
Comparative Politics, Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press [Chapter 1 “Research Design and
the Accumulation of Knowledge”, pp. 1-26].
Further readings
- Mahoney, James, 2010. “Review Article. After KKV: The New Methodology of Qualitative Research”,
World Politics 62(1): 120‐147.
- Ragin, Charles C. and Lisa M. Amoroso, 2011. Constructing Social Research (2nd ed.), Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, [Chapter 1 “What Is (and Is Not) Social Research”, pp. 5-32].
- Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb and Joseph M. Williams, 2003. The Craft of Research (2nd ed.),
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, [Chapter 1 “Research, Researchers, and Readers”, pp. 1-34].

Week 2 – Ethics of Social Research

Guiding questions
What is ethics in research and why is it important? How does it apply to research on/with human
participants? How do you assess risks in your research? Why are privacy and confidentiality important?
What is an informed consent? What is plagiarism (and self-plagiarism)? What is a conflict of interest?
How does research funding come into the picture?
Required readings
- Israel, Mark and Iain Hay, 2006. Research Ethics for Social Scientists: Between Ethical Conduct and
Regulatory Compliance, London: Sage Publications, pp. 1-11.
- Ragin, Charles C. and Lisa M. Amoroso, 2011. Constructing Social Research (2nd ed.), Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, [Chapter 4 “The Ethics of Social Research”, pp. 79-107].
Exemplary empirical work
- Brooten, Lisa and Rosalie Metro, 2014. “Thinking about Ethics in Burma Research”, Journal of
Burma Studies 18(1): 1-22.
- Speckhard, Anne, 2009. “Research Challenges Involved in Field Research and Interviews Regarding
the Militant Jihad, Extremism, and Suicide Terrorism”, Democracy and Security 5(3): 199-222.
Further readings
- Bryman, Alan, 2012. Social Research Methods (4th ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press [Chapter 6
“Ethics and Politics in Social Research”, pp. 129-154].
- Thawnghmung, Ardeth Maung, 2018. “Do Consultancies Compromise Academic Research and Ethics?
A Case Study of Burma/Myanmar”, Asian Journal of Political Science 25(2): 176-193.
Week 3 – Questions, Puzzles, and Hypotheses
Guiding questions
Why is identifying a research “puzzle” important? How to understand a puzzle in our everyday social life?
Why should researcher pursue a “problem”? How to formulate an open research question? What is the
purpose of a research hypothesis? What is casual inference?
Required readings
- Krugman, Paul, 1993. “How I Work”, The American Economist 37(2): 25-31.
- Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb and Joseph M. Williams, 2003. The Craft of Research (2nd ed.),
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, [Chapter 3 “From Topics to Questions”, pp. 40-55 and Chapter
4 “From Questions to Problems”, pp. 56-74].
Exemplary empirical work
- King, Gary, Robert Keohane and Sidney Verba, 1994. Designing Social Inquiry, Princeton NJ:
Princeton University Press, Chapter 3.5 “Rules for Constructing Causal Theories”, pp. 99-114].
- Nathan, Andrew, 2016. “The Puzzle of the Chinese Middle Class”, Journal of Democracy 27(2): 5-19.
- Gambetta, Diego and Steffen Hertog, 2009. “Why Are There So Many Engineers Among Islamic
Radicals?”, Archives Européennes de Sociologie 50(2): 201-230.
- Geddes, Barbara, 2003. Paradigms and Sand Castles: Theory Building and Research Design in
Comparative Politics, Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press [Chapter 2, pp. 27-88].

Week 4 – Theory and Concept Formation

Guiding questions
What is a concept? How to agree on terms and definitions? Why using theory? How to think about a
theoretical framework? Why, and how, do you propose a new theory?
Required readings
- Gerring, John, 1999. “What Makes a Concept Good? A Criterial Framework for Understanding
Concept Formation in the Social Sciences”, Polity 31(3): 357-393.
- Egreteau, Renaud, 2012. “The China-India Rivalry Reconceptualized”, Asian Journal of Political
Science 20(1): 1-22.
Exemplary empirical work
- Lind, Jennifer M., 2004. “Pacifism or Passing the Buck? Testing Theories of Japanese Security
Policy”, International Security 29(1): 92-121.
- Geddes, Barbara, 2003. Paradigms and Sand Castles: Theory Building and Research Design in
Comparative Politics, Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press [Chapter 1 “Research Design and
the Accumulation of Knowledge”, pp. 1-26].

Week 5 – Literature Reviews

Guiding questions
Why is a review of extant scholarship required? How do you conduct a literature review? What is a
“critical review”? What does a good literature review look like? What are the differences between
literature review, review essay, and book review?
Required readings
- Bryman, Alan, 2012. Social Research Methods (4th ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press [Chapter 5
“Getting Started: Reviewing the Literature”, pp. 97-128].
Exemplary empirical work
- Carter, April, 2009. “People Power and Protest: The Literature on Civil Resistance in Historical
Context”, in Adam Roberts and Timothy Garton Ash, eds., Civil Resistance and Power Politics: The
Experience of Non-violent Action from Gandhi to the Present, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp.
25-42.
- Sharma, Shalendra D., 2009. “A Political Economy of the Indian State in the Era of Globalisation: A
Review”, South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies 32(3): 354-373.
Week 6 – Research Designs: The Qualitative-Quantitative Divide
Guiding questions
Why choosing different research designs? Are there designs that are more adapted to specific research
questions? What is content analysis? What is distinctive about qualitative and quantitative research
methods? Can we combine both?
Required readings
- Mahoney, James, 2007. “Qualitative Methodology and Comparative Politics”, Comparative Political
Studies 40(2): 122-144.
- Bryman, Alan, 2012. Social Research Methods (4th ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press [Chapter 7
“The Nature of Quantitative Research”, pp. 159-182, and Chapter 17 “The Nature of Qualitative
Research”, pp. 379-414].
- Wood, Elisabeth, 2007. “Field Methods”, in Boix, Carles and Susan C. Stokes, eds., The Oxford
Handbook of Comparative Politics, New York NY: Oxford University Press, pp. 123-146.
Further readings
- Tsai, Lily L., 2010. “Quantitative Research and Issues of Political Sensitivity in Rural China”, in
Carlson, Allen, et al., eds., Contemporary Chinese Politics: New Sources, Methods, and Field
Strategies, New York: Cambridge University Press, pp. 246-265.
- King, Gary, 1986. “How Not to Lie with Statistics: Avoiding Common Mistakes in Quantitative
Political Science”, American Journal of Political Science 30(3): 666-687.
- King, Gary, Michael Tomz and Jason Wittenberg, 2000. “Making the Most of Statistical Analyses:
Improving Interpretation and Presentation”, American Journal of Political Science 44(2): 341-355.

Week 7 – The Logic of Case Study Research

Guiding questions
What is a case study? What are the strengths and weaknesses of case studies? How to select a
single/multiple case study? How to avoid (or diminish) selection bias?
Required readings
- Gerring, John, 2004. “What is a Case Study and What is it Good For?”, American Political Science
Review 98(2): 341-354.
- Levy, Jack, 2008. “Case Studies: Types, Designs and Logic of Inference”, Conflict Management and
Peace Science 25: 1-18.
Exemplary empirical work
- Chauchard, Simon, 2018. “Electoral Handouts in Mumbai Elections: The Cost of Political
Competitions”, Asian Survey 58(2): 341-364.
- George, Alexander L. and Andrew Bennett, 2005. Case Studies and Theory Development in the Social
Sciences. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press [Chapter 1, pp. 3-36].

Week 8 – The Comparative Method

Guiding questions
What are the forms of comparative explanation? What are the strengths and weaknesses of a comparative
research design? How to write on/about comparisons?
Required readings
- Lijphart, Arend, 1971. “Comparative Politics and the Comparative Method”, The American Political
Science Review 65(3): 682-693.
- Landman, Todd, 2008. Issues and Methods in Comparative Politics: An Introduction (3rd ed.), London:
Routledge, [Chapter 1 “Why Compare Countries?”, pp. 3-22]
Exemplary empirical work
- Heller, Patrick, 2000. “Degrees of Democracy: Some Comparative Lessons from India”, World
Politics 52(4): 484-519.
- In-Jin Yoon, 2012. “Migration and the Korean Diaspora: A Comparative Description of Five Cases”,
Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 38(3): 413-435.
Further readings
- Collier, David, 1993. “The Comparative Method”, in Ana Finifter, ed., Political Science: The State of
the Discipline II, Washington DC: APSA, pp. 105-119.
 - Snyder, Richard, 2001. “Scaling Down: The Subnational Comparative Method”, Studies in
Comparative International Development 36(1): 93-110.

Week 9 – Interviews and Participant Observation

Guiding questions
What can interviews tell us (or not)? How to prepare and conduct qualitative interviews? What is a focus
group? What can we learn (and not learn) from participant observation? How to mitigate your own biases
during an observation/interview? What are the ethical considerations?
Required readings
- Bryman, Alan, 2012. Social Research Methods (4th ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press [Chapter 19
“Ethnography and Participant Observation”, pp. 430-467].
- Finch, Helen and Jane Lewis, 2003. “Focus-Group”, in Ritchie, Jane and Jane Lewis (eds.),
Qualitative Research Practice: A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers, London: Sage
Publication, pp. 170-198.
Exemplary empirical work
- Ortner, Sherry, 2010. “Access: Reflections on Studying Up Hollywood”, Ethnography 11(2): 211-233.
- Egreteau, Renaud, 2014. “The Idealization of a Lost Paradise: Narratives of Nostalgia and Traumatic
Return Migration among Indian Repatriates from Burma since the 1960s”, Journal of Burma Studies
18(1): 137-180.
Further readings
- Loewen, Peter J., Daniel Rubenson and Leonard Wantchekon, 2010. “Help Me Help You: Conducting
Field Experiments with Political Elites”, The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and
Social Science March 628(1): 165-175.
- Schaeffer, Nora Cate and Stanley Presser, 2003. “The Science of Asking Questions”, Annual Review
of Sociology 29: 65-88.
- Mikecz, Robert, 2013. “Interviewing Elites: Addressing Methodological Issues”, Qualitative Inquiry
18(6): 482-493.

Week 10 – Surveys and Questionnaires

Guiding questions
Why conducting surveys? How to decide on sampling? What are the good (and bad) questions in a
questionnaire? What can we learn from a questionnaire?
Required readings
- Brady, Henry E., 2000. “Contributions of Survey Research to Political Science”, PS: Political Science
and Politics 33(1): 47‐58.
- Johnston, Richard, 2010. “Survey Methodology”, in Box-Steffensmeier, Janet M., Henry E. Brady and
David Collier, eds., The Oxford Handbook of Political Methodology, Oxford: Oxford University Press,
pp. 385-402.
- Bryman, Alan, 2012. Social Research Methods (4th ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press [Chapter 10
“Self-Completion Questionnaires”, pp. 231-244].
Exemplary empirical work
- Detaramani, Champa and Graham Lock, 2003. “Multilingualism in Decline: Language Repertoire, Use
and Shift in Two Hong Kong Indian Communities”, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural
Development 24(4): 249-273.
- Welzel, Christian, 2011. “The Asian Values Thesis Revisited: Evidence from the World Values
Survey”, Japanese Journal of Political Science 12(1): 1-31.
Further readings
- Curtice, John, 2007. “Comparative Opinion Surveys”, in Russell J. Dalton and Hans-Dieter
Klingemann, eds., The Oxford Handbook of Political Behavior, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp.
898-909.
Week 11 – Archival and Internet Research
Guiding questions
Why searching archives? How and where can you do archival research? What can Internet bring you (or
not) in your research? How to avoid the common mistakes in an Internet search?
Required readings
- Thies, Cameron, 2002. “A Pragmatic Guide to Qualitative Historical Analysis in the Study of
International Relations”, International Studies Perspectives 3(4): 351‐372.
- Frisch, Scott A., Douglas B. Harris, Sean Q. Kelly, and David C.W. Parker, 2012. Doing Archival
Research in Political Science, London: Cambria Press [Chapters 2 and 5].
- Bryman, Alan, 2012. Social Research Methods (4th ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press [Chapter 23
“Documents as Sources of Data”, pp. 542-563 and Chapter 28 “E-Research: Internet Research
Methods”, pp. 653-682].
Exemplary empirical work
- Lee, Alexander, 2011. “Who Becomes a Terrorist? Poverty, Education, and the Origins of Political
Violence”, World Politics 63(2): 203-245.

Week 12 – Writing Down Your Research

Guiding questions
How to start writing your research? How do you structure a research paper? How do you include
references and sources? How to write a concise abstract? Are footnotes and endnotes useful tools? How to
structure your bibliography?
Required readings
- Bryman, Alan, 2012. Social Research Methods (4th ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press [Chapter 29
“Writing Up Social Research”, pp. 683-708].
- Hall, Peter A., 1990. “Helpful Hints for Writing Dissertations in Comparative Politics”, PS: Political
Science and Politics 23(4): 596-598.
Further readings
- Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb and Joseph M. Williams, 2003. The Craft of Research (2nd ed.),
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, [Section 4 “Preparing to Draft, Drafting, and Revising”, pp.
183-282].

Week 13 – Presenting and Disseminating Your Research

Guiding questions
How to present efficiently your paper (and research ideas)? How do you make your research available to
others? What are some examples of effective dissemination?
Suggested readings
- Marston, Hunter, 2011. “Practiced at the Heart of Deception: How the Regime Has Controlled
Elections in Modern Burma”, Penn State Journal of International Affairs (Fall): 39-49.
- Please find and browse a handful of university blogs and journals to read how graduate students
contribute and disseminate their own research. For instance:
o http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/
o http://ieas.berkeley.edu/gas/sjas/
o http://www.cseashawaii.org/students/explorations/
o http://www.asia-studies.com/GJAPS.html
2.2 Additional Readings
(Additional references for students to learn to expand their knowledge about the subject.)

- Brady, Henry E. and David Collier, eds. 2010. Rethinking Social Inquiry: Diverse Tools, Shared
Standards (2nd ed.), Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
- Emerson, Robert M., Rachel I. Fretz and Linda L. Shaw, 1995. Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes,
Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Flick, Uwe, 2002. “Qualitative Research: State of the Art”, Social Science Information 41(5): 5-24.
- Gaines, Brian J., James H. Kuklinski and Paul J. Quirk, 2007. “The Logic of the Survey Experiment
Reexamined”, Political Analysis 15(1): 1-20.
- Gerring, John, 2007. Case Study Research: Principles and Practices. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
- Green, Donald P., Mary C. McGrath and Peter M. Aronow, 2013. “Field Experiments and the Study of
Voter Turnout”, Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties 23(1): 27-48.
- Israel, Mark and Iain Hay, 2006. Research Ethics for Social Scientists: Between Ethical Conduct and
Regulatory Compliance, London: Sage Publications.
- Mahoney, James, Erin Kimball and Kendra Koivu, 2009. “The Logic of Historical Explanation in the
Social Sciences”, Comparative Political Studies 42(1): 114‐146.
- Mahoney, James and Gary Goertz, 2006. “A Tale of Two Cultures: Contrasting Quantitative and
Qualitative Research”, Political Analysis 14(3): 227-249.
- Ritchie, Jane and Jane Lewis (eds.), 2003. Qualitative Research Practice: A Guide for Social Science
Students and Researchers, London: Sage Publication.
- Seawright & John Gerring, 2008. “Case Selection Techniques in Case Study Research: A Menu of
Qualitative and Quantitative Options’, Political Research Quarterly 61(2): 294-308.
- Weiss, Robert S., 1994. Learning from Strangers: The Art and Method of Qualitative Interview Studies,
New York: The Free Press.
- Willis, Jerry W., 2007. Foundations of Qualitative Research: Interpretive and Critical Approaches,
Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.