Academic Catalog

EAS519 RESEARCH METHODS AND ETHICS

Course Code: 8350519
METU Credit (Theoretical-Laboratory hours/week): 3(3-0)
ECTS Credit: 8.0
Department: Eurasian Studies
Language of Instruction: English
Level of Study: Graduate
Course Coordinator:
Offered Semester: Fall and Spring Semesters.

Course Content

This is a graduate course in Research Methods for Eurasian Studies students. The aim of the course is to provide an understanding of research design, choice of methods and analysis in order to conduct independent research effectively. One of the goals of the class is to give students the tools to write successful masters thesis. Another goal is to provide students with practical skills required to write academic papers.

The course will also introduce students to the basic qualitative techniques used to design and carry out research in social sciences disciplines. It will include overview of research process, data collection (archival or library research, observation, interviews, surveys, field study, case study), as well as data analysis and interpretation of results. Further, the students will learn about the skills of academic writing with its own set of rules and practices (such as making an argument, formulating questions, unifying and developing ideas). More importantly, the course will cover ethical concerns, plagiarism and standard documentation formats. Finally, the main constraints of research in the Eurasian region will be discussed.