OAS4400 Research Methods and Theory of Science Course description

Emnet gir inngående kunnskap om vitenskapsteoretiske grunnlagsproblemer og de ulike fasene i forskningsprosessen. Studentene skal også tilegne seg den kunnskap og de ferdigheter som kreves for å planlegge og gjennomføre en masteroppgave i offentlig administrasjon og styring. Studentene skal også kunne forholde seg til internasjonal forskning.

Emnet forutsetter grunnleggende kunnskaper om forskningsmetode og vitenskapsteori tilsvarende emnet BAL2200 Forskningsmetoder og vitenskapsteori.

On successful completion of the course, the student shall have the following knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge:

The student has:

• in-depth knowledge of key scientific theoretical traditions and positions
• in-depth knowledge of various qualitative and quantitative research designs
• in-depth knowledge of various methods for collecting and analyzing qualitative research data
• in-depth knowledge of various methods for collecting and analyzing quantitative research data, including mulitvariate methods such as multiple regression analysis, logistic regression analysis and factor analysis
• in-depth knowledge of assessing data's relevance and reliability

Skills:

The student can:

• formulate research questions and relate them to the choice of research methods
• analyze qualitative and quantitative data to answer research questions
• apply relevant theory of science, other theory and methods in the master thesis
• use qualitative and quantitative analyses, and interpret the results of these
• apply relevant multivariate analysis methods and interpret the results of these
• carry out an independent, limited research project in the form of a master thesis under supervision and in accordance with current research ethical norms

General competence:

• assess ethical issues that may arise in research and application of research results
• identify and assess relevant issues related to theory of science and research
• interpret and communicate results from empirical surveys
• apply knowledge and skills in the collection and analysis of relevant data sources
• assess the quality of current research
• communicate about methodological social science issues with specialists and to the general public

None

Knowledge

The student has

• in-depth knowledge of the concepts governance and management and their use in different contexts
• in-depth knowledge of key public governance instruments
• in-depth knowledge of the connection between social changes and governance challenges in the public sector, and between governance challenges and changes in forms of governance and management
• in-depth knowledge of international trends in public sector reforms and Norwegian management policy
• insight into the relationship between systems of governance and civil society and an understanding of democratic implications relating to the development of different forms of governance
• insight into ethical issues relating to public governance

Skills

The student is capable of

• analysing governance challenges in the public sector
• assessing how these challenges can be met through reforms and measures
• assessing different governance tools in public policy

Competence

The student is capable of

• disseminating the results of independent work, writing reports, and giving oral presentations as forms of communication
• applying knowledge and skills in obtaining and using relevant sources, literature and other information, masters reference and quotation techniques, and is capable of defining what constitutes plagiarism and cheating
• communicating with both specialists in the field and the general public about relevant issues, analyses and conclusions relating to reforms and management policy
• playing an active role in renewal and reform work and contributing critical perspectives to such processes

The teaching is session-based in the form of lectures, student presentations, discussions, group work and seminars. Students will write assignments between the sessions. A high degree of independent activity is expected. The teaching will mainly be problem-based using examples and cases from the students' practical experiences.

Students will submit an individual presentation note of maximum three pages (that require an oral presentation). If the note is unsatisfactory, an improved version must be submitted within a short deadline stipulated by the lecturer. The note and presentation must be approved before the student can take the exam.

Individuell semesteroppgave med et omfang på 8-10 sider, maksimalt 3,500 ord referanseliste/litteraturliste er ikke medregnet). Skrifttype og skriftstørrelse: Arial / Calibri 12pkt. Linjeavstand: 1,5.

En student kan ved ikke bestått levere omarbeidet versjon av oppgaven til sensur én gang.

Alle hjelpemidler er tillatt så lenge regler for kildehenvisning følges.

A grade scale with grades from A to E for pass and F for fail is used.