FLKM4410 Research Methodology Course description

The Research Methodology course will serve as both the foundation, and provide some of the tools, for the work on the master’s research project and thesis. Research methodology is related to the practical craft of collecting and analysing data, grounded in a coherent theory of knowledge research paradigm (as introduced in course FLKM4210). Research methodology and specific research methods are covered in teaching activities in connection to each other, and in connection to theories of knowledge.

This course provides an overview of behavioral economics for students and professionals interested in behavioral science. Whereas the focus is on a behavior analytic framework of choice behavior and decision-making, the course is highly interdisciplinary, as it includes concepts and cases drawn from economic, psychological, and social sciences.

Admission to the study program

The course consists of two parts, covering central aspects of social science research methodology and methods as appropriate for international development, education, and sustainabilities:

1. Consolidation of ‘theory of knowledge’ introduced in course FLKM4210, which, among other things, covers:

• fundamental issues of scientific explanation and their manifestation in the social sciences.
• an introduction to the social roles of science and the political, cultural and ethical grounds for and functions of knowledge, with particular reference to the interdisciplinary field of this program

1. Research methodology which, among other things, covers:

• concepts in social science research methodology
• research design in the master’s thesis, including selecting a project topic, formulating research questions, understanding the role of theory, and selecting specific methods, including:
  • Case-study/ies.
  • Interviews.
  • Document / text / policy analysis.
  • Observations and participant observations.
  • Analysis of qualitative and quantitative data.
  • Questions of quality, reliability and validity in social science research.

On successful completion of the course, the student has the following learning outcomes classified as knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student can

• describe and discuss the main distinctions between neoclassical economics, behavioral economics and behavior analysis, and define behavioral economics and describe the origins
• define the concepts of Homo economicus and bounded rationality
• define the core concepts of discounting
• define "beliefs, biases and heuristics" and describe typical heuristics
• define core principles in game theory

Skills

The student can

• discuss discounting in relation to the standard economic model and behavioral economics
• describe and discuss the concepts of  rule-governed and contingency shaped behavior in the light of discounting
• discuss how nudging can affect choice, and analyze nudging in behavioral analytic terms
• discuss the concept of selection at the behavioral and cultural level in relation to micro- and macroeconomics
• discuss ethical concerns when influencing choice in the field of behavioral economics

Competence

The student can

• present core principles of behavioral economics to others in a way that meets the requirements of professional scientific communication
• present core principles of behavioral economics to the Public
• discuss how behavior analysis can contribute to the field of behavioral economics
• present evidence based research from behavioral economics, and discuss different methods and Applications
• discuss how the field of behavioral economics can contribute to further understanding of choice behavior

In the BSCA specialisation, campus-based lectures, exercises, oral presentations, discussions and individual papers are the main teaching methods. Students read selected texts in advance for each day of class, and everyone is expected to participate in class through questions and through joining in discussion. In the BSII specialisation, the main teaching method is digital course sequences, and feedback on details of course content, and supervised discussion groups will be available during pre-determined time periods. Feedback on written assignments is used in both specialisations.

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam:

• Two individual written assignments submitted digitally, each with a maximum length of 9000 characters, including spaces. References are to be included in the 9000 characters.

Individual home examination, 5 hours. Exam questions are in English. Students may submit their exams in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English. 

All

The course assignment will be assessed by two internal examiners.

In accordance with the Guidelines for Appointment and Use of Examiners at OsloMet, the mode of assessment will periodically be reviewed by an external programme supervisor.