Postgraduate Course: Development Research Methods (PGSP11255)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Postgrad (School of Social and Political Studies) |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | This course investigates methodological approaches to the theorisation and practice of development. In part this course forms a history of development practice as methodological approaches and the thinking underpinning them have evolved, and reflects the major shifts in development thinking.The course provides training in key methodological approaches themselves, partly to equip students for their dissertations and in part to equip them for careers in development and development organisations. The course covers practical instruction in methodologies and approaches including participatory rural appraisal, monitoring evaluation, qualitative analyses in different contexts (politically-charged environments; elite interviews; language and power issues); and, quantitative analyses (understanding development datasets; deconstructing development indicators). |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | This course is suitable for every postgraduate student with an interest in development and undertaking research in developing countries, regardless of discipline or orientation. |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | This course is suitable for every postgraduate student with an interest in development and undertaking research in developing countries, regardless of discipline or orientation. |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Delivery period: 2012/13 Semester 2, Available to all students (SV1)
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WebCT enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| Central | Lecture | Room 3.D01, Forrest Hill | 1-11 | | | | 16:10 - 18:00 | |
| First Class |
First class information not currently available |
| No Exam Information |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of the course students should be able to:
- Critically examine the relationship between development thinking and development methodologies
- Examine the development and evolution of development methodological approaches
- Be able to select and utilise appropriate methodological approaches
- Understand the complex contexts in which different methodologies may be practiced and recognise their limitations |
Assessment Information
| The course is assessed by one short assessment (policy briefing 40%), maximum 1,500 words; and one long assessment (short essay 60%), maximum 2,500 words. |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Week 1: Development Research Methods: Ethics, Context and the 'Others'
Week 2: Qualitative Methods in Development Research
Week 3: Communicating outcomes with policy briefings
Week 4: Introduction to ethnographic fieldwork
Week 5: Quantitative Methods in Development Research
Week 6: Participatory Approaches
Week 7: Policy Analysis
Week 8: Logical framework analysis and managed learning
Week 9: Outcome mapping
Week 10: Research in difficult environments |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
We do not recommend any specific text book for this course, although there are a number of very good ones currently available in the library and/or bookshops. The following sources, for example, serve as excellent introductions to the field and to the debates that we will be following:
Desai V. and Potter Robert B. (2006), Doing Development Research, SAGE
Mikkelsen B. (2005), Methods for Development Work and Research, second ed., SAGE
Thomas A. and Mohan G., Research Skills for Policy and Development. How to find out Fast, SAGE publications, 2007
Sumner, A. and Tribe, M. (2008) International Development Studies: Theories and Methods in Research and Practice, Sage London |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Barbara Bompani
Tel: (0131 6)51 3891
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Madina Howard
Tel: (0131 6)51 1659
Email: |
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