Module: Research Design

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Research Design
Module Code	SBS1002 (ITS: LG600)
Faculty	Humanities & Social Sciences	School	Law & Government
NFQ level	9	Credit Rating	10

Description

This module provides an overview of basic research skills for students engaging in empirical research in the area of politics broadly understood. This includes thinking about research questions, the purpose of the literature review, theory building, and strategies for empirical investigation.

Learning Outcomes

1. You should finish the semester with a firm grasp of research design in politics, public policy, and international relations.
2. You should be able to critically assess research undertaken by scholars in your field.
3. You will develop further the skills to identify the strengths and weaknesses in, and opportunities and challenges that arise from, existing research.
4. You will be able to present and defend an empirical research design in politics, public policy, or international relations.
5. You will be able to critically analyze any claim that research points public policy in a particular direction.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Lecture	12	Please see content
Seminars	12	Please see content
Independent Study	226	Please see content
Total Workload: 250

Section Breakdown
CRN	11622	Part of Term	Semester 1 & 2
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale		Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category		Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Iain McMenamin	Module Teacher

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Assignment	Research design critique of research article.	50%	Week 1
Assignment	Written research design for student project.	50%	Week 1

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

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Indicative Reading List

Books:

William Trochim and James P. Donnelly.: 2007, The Research Methods Knowledge Base,
Gary King, Robert Keohane, Sidney Verba: 0, Designing Social Inquiry,
W Phillips Shively: 0, The Craft of Political Research,
Henry Brady and David Collier: 0, Rethinking Social Inquiry: Diverse Tools, Shared Standards,

Articles:
None

Other Resources

None

Yes! Lots of detail available on Moodle! http://moodle.dcu.ie/course/view.php?id=32045