Course Syllabus: PPOL-G 631 Research Methods II

This is the second course of the research methods sequence that is required for students in the PhD program in Public Policy. This course will prepare students to produce professional-quality research, and will provide exposure to a variety of special topics in policy analysis. Students will design and implement a research project suitable for conference presentation that is relevant to their field of interest. The instructor, and guest lecturers as necessary, will provide lectures on topics necessary to develop well-rounded policy researchers, as well as special topics that are responsive to students’ particular needs. The primary goal of this course is to help students understand how different research methods can complement each other to create high-quality research, and to build a community of scholars that provides substantive yet critical assessments of research progress, as opposed to a mastery of individual research methods alone. This course will strive to balance discussion of research methods that may be new to many students, and discussion of students’ own research projects