Comparative Research Designs and Methods

Online Course

edX
Comparative Research Designs and Methods

What is the course about?

Comparative Research Designs and Methods
The course Comparative Research Designs and Methods is an online class provided by Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II through edX. The skill level of the course is Intermediate. It may be possible to receive a verified certification or use the course to prepare for a degree.

Explore comparative analysis and its importance in the social sciences. You’ll learn how to use comparative methods for constructive explanation and theory building and apply it to real-world politics.

Course description

This course is part of the IPSAMOOC project, a joint venture Federica Weblearning – IPSA, the International Political Science AssociationEmile Durkheim, one of the founders of modern empirical social science, once stated that the comparative method is the only one that suits the social sciences. But Descartes had posited that “comparaison n’est pas raison,” which means that comparison is not reason (or theory) by itself. So what’s the right answer?This course provides an introduction and overview of systematic comparative analysis in the social sciences, and shows you how to use this method for constructive explanation and theory building. A major portion of the course is devoted to new approaches and software that have been developed in recent years to handle highly complex cases. Such cases include comparisons of EU member states, Latin American political systems, and particular policy areas.  Procedures such as Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and related methods are able to reduce complexity and to arrive at “configurational” solutions based on set theory and Boolean algebra. These are more meaningful in this context than commonly used, broad-based statistical methods. In the last section, these methods are contrasted with more common statistical comparative methods at the macro-level. We’ll discuss various states or societies and their respective strengths and weaknesses.

Prerequisites & Facts

Comparative Research Designs and Methods

Course Topic

Social Sciences

University, College, Institution

Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II

Course Skill Level

Intermediate

Course Language

English

Place of class

Online, self-paced (see curriculum for more information)

Degree

Certificate

Degree & Cost

Comparative Research Designs and Methods

To obtain a verified certificate from edX / Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II you have to finish this course or the latest version of it, if there is a new edition. The class may be free of charge, but there could be some cost to receive a verified certificate (59.00 USD) or to access the learning materials. The specifics of the course may have been changed, please consult the provider to get the latest quotes and news.
Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II
Comparative Research Designs and Methods
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School: Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II
Topic: Social Sciences