PRM100 | Research Methodology

Description

The course begins with an exposition on complexity involved in understanding the nature of social world and different assumptions in epistemology and ontology to understand this world. After familiarizing with different traditions of social science research, course participants are taken through stages of research. Here, they will be encouraged to read original research writings (journal articles, dissertations completed etc). Then they learn formulating research problem, research question, Design aspects of research, Hypothesis testing, sampling methods, analyzing different forms of data.

This is course focused on skills of research, which they will apply in different courses, CLP and most importantly in the second year when they write dissertation.

As part of Introduction to Data Systems course in first trimester, students were introduced to several tools of primary data gathering. Some of these tools were applied by students during the fieldwork segment. A reflexive engagement with the use of these tools is envisaged in this course.

This is a three credit course organized in five modules. One key component of this course is hands on training in software (organised in Module 5 – running parallel to rest of the course from fourth week of trimester). This module will build on the statistics modules of the Introduction to Data System Course held in first trimester.