This course introduces the students a range of commonly used methods of social research at an introductory level. Particular emphasis will be on the needs of the research in political science and international relations disciplines. As the course is about how to conduct research, it will focus on how to formulate research questions and subsequent hypotheses, how to design a research plan, determining what methodologies are appropriate, and performing the specified analysis. The course is not restricted to purely quantitative or qualitative approaches, rather it will emphasize determining appropriate methodologies given specific research areas of interest.

The general objective of this course is to develop the student's capacity to conduct empirical research in political and other social sciences and to critically evaluate the research of others.