Methodology and methods in humanitarian studies 2200-9HA-13
I. Introduction
Organisation of the course.
Basic notions in methodology of humanitarian research.
Qualitative, quantitative and mixed research strategies
Common applications of empirical knowledge in humanitarian action
Reading assignment: Babbie, Chapters I & II
Recommended reading: Dijkzeul, Hilhorst, and Walker 2013
Writing assignment: none
Week 2 – 1.03.2016
II. Research design
Conceptualisation of research
Units of analysis
Correlation and causality
Operationalisation of concepts
Quality control
Reading assignment: Babbie, Chapters IV & V
Recommended reading: Clarke et al. 2014
Writing assignment: Drafting a conceptual research proposal - deadline 7.03.2016 , submission via Blackboard
Week 3 – 8.03.2016
III. Doing interviews, pt. I: structured interviews
Types of questions
Structure of interview
Methods of executing surveys
Reading assignment: Babbie, Chapter IX
Recommended readings: Henson and Lindstrom 2013, Doocy et al. 2011
Writing assignment: preparation of a questionnaire - deadline 14.03.2016 , submission via survey site.
Week 4 - 15.03.2016
IV. Sampling
Descriptive and inferential statistics
Types of samples
Sampling errors and bias
Reading assignment: Babbie, Chapter VII
Recommended reading: Jacobsen and Landau 2003
Writing assignment: none
Research exercise I: execution of a sample survey, 5 interviews -deadline 21.03.2016, submission via survey site.
Week 5 - 22.03.2016
V. Analyzing quantitative data pt. I: survey data.
Introduction to quantitative data analysis
Software for analysis of quantitative data
Types of analysis
Interpretation of quantitative data
Reading assignment: Babbie, Chapter IX
Recommended reading: Mazurana, Benelli, and Walker 2013
Writing assignment: - interpretation of survey data gathered during exercise I (300 words) - deadline 29.03.2016, submission via Blackboard
Week 6 - 30.03.2016
VI. Doing interviews, pt. II: in-depth interviews
Objectives of qualitative research
Types of qualitative research
Types and purposes of triangulation
Preparing for in-depth interviews
Conducting in-depth interviews
Reading assignment: Babbie, Chapter IX
Recommended reading: Lucini 2014, chap. 5, 6, 8, Höijer 2004
Writing assignment: preparation of a script for an in-depth interview - deadline 4.04.2016 , submission via Blackboard.
Week 7 - 5.04.2016
VII. Ethical and political concerns in humanitarian research
Power relations in research
Consent of participants
Possible threats
Fads and foibles of evidence-based policy
Reading assignment: Babbie, Chapter III
Recommend reading: Mackenzie et al. 2007
Research exercise II: conducting and transcribing one in-depth interview - deadline 11.04.2016, submission via qualitative research site.
Week 8 - 12.04.2016
VIII. Analyzing qualitative data I: grounded approach
Types of qualitative analysis
Grounded theory as a methodological principle
Inductive coding
Theory building
Software for analysing and visualising qualitative data
Reading assignment: Babbie, Chapter XIII
Recommended reading: Atlani-Duault 2008, chap. 4
Writing assignment: coding and interpretation (300 words) of qualitative data obtained during exercise II - deadline 18.04.2016. Submission via qualitative research site and Blackboard.
Week 9 - 19.04.2016
IX. Collecting/Analyzing quantitative data, pt. II: Using official data.
Sources of official data
Dangers and common problems
Using software for analyzing official data
Building indices
Reading assignment: Babbie, Chapter VI
Recommended reading: Humanitarian Response Index 2011: Addressing the Gender Challenge 2011
Research exercise III: analysis and interpretation (300 words) of data on a selected topic in humanitarian research - deadline 25.04.2016. Submission via Blackboard
Week 10 - 26.04.2016
X. Observing.
Types of observation
Stages of observation in the field
Production of evidence
Reading assignment: Patton, Chapter 6
Recommended reading: Hyndman 2000, chap. 4
Research exercise IV: - participant observation in a site relevant for humanitarian research, provision of notes from fieldwork - deadline 9.05.2016. Submission via survey research site.
Week 11 – 3.05.2016
No class - state holiday
Week 12 – 10.05.2016
XI. Content analysis
Characteristics of the technique
Types of content analysis
Unitizing
Coding schemes
Reading assignment: Krippendorf, Chapters 2, 4.1, 5.1 to 5.3, 7.1 and 7.4
Research exercise V: selection and preparation of content for analysis - deadline 16.05.2016. Submission via qualitative research site.
Week 13 - 17.05.2016
XII. Analysing qualitative data, pt. II: structured and mixed approaches
Quantitative analysis of qualitative data
Qualitative analysis of quantitative data
Intercoder reliabilty
Validity criteria
Reading assignment: Krippendorf, Chapter 9
Recommended reading: Zacher, Brehm, and Savelsberg 2014
Writing assignment: analysis and interpretation of data (300 words) obtained in exercises IV and V. Deadline 23.05.2016. Submission via Blackboard.
Week 14 - 24.05.2016
XIII. Analysing quantitative data, pt. III: Big data and GIS in humanitarian research
Reading assignment: Tomaszewski 2014, 1,3,8
Recommended reading: Meier 2015, chap. 2
Final research project, stage I: writing a proposal. Deadline 30.05.2016. Submission via Blackboard.
Week 15 – 31.05.2016
XIV. Applying research tools: evaluation studies
Reading assignment: Babbie, Chapter XII
Recommended reading: Puri et al. 2015
Final research project, stage II: designing research tools. Deadline 6.06.2015. Submission via Blackboard, survey site and/or qualitative research site.
Week 16 – 7.06.2016
XV. Applying research tools: need assessments
Reading assignment: Humanitarian Needs Assessment: The Good Enough Guide 2015
Final research project, stage III: conducting the research.
Exam week - 14.06.2016
Final research project, stage IV: data analysis and interpretation. Submission of a report (1000 words). Deadline 20.06.2016. Submission via Blackboard.
Final deadline for delivering all missing or corrected assignments - 20.06.2016
Type of course
Mode
Learning outcomes
Knowledge
• Has developed specialised knowledge and a critical understanding of research methods appropriate for the humanitarian field.
Skills
• Has demonstrated the ability to identify and justify research methods that are ethically appropriate for scientific research in the humanitarian workfield.
• Has demonstrated the ability to implement research methods for humanitarian research in a controlled setting.
Competences
• Has developed the capacity to reflect on the use of a method and the knowledge gained thereof in terms of ethical aspects and the researcher's position.
• Has studied a research topic in depth with an application of relevant methodology, learns from past experiences in order to be prepared for a bigger humanitarian research
Assessment criteria
Activity during class - 20%
Research excercises - 6*8% = 48%
Final research project - 32%
8. Assessment criteria
Activity during class: Quality and quantity of contribution during class discussions and activities,
Research excercises: Quality of individual work, Quality of collaboration with others, Time discipline:
Final research project: Quality of individual work, Quality of collaboration with others,Time discipline
Bibliography
Mandatory reading (excerpts):
1. Babbie, Earl, 2014, The Basics of Social Research, Cengage. (hereinafter "Babbie")
2. Krippendorf. Klaus, 2004, Content Analysis. An Introduction to its Methodology. Sage (2nd edition)
3. Patton, Michael Q, 2001, Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods, Sage.
4. Tomaszewski, Brian. 2014. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Disaster Management. 1 edition. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
5. Humanitarian Needs Assessment: The Good Enough Guide. 2015. Practical Action.
Recommended reading (to be used as additional/illustration material):
1. Atlani-Duault, Laëtitia. 2008. Humanitarian Aid in Post-Soviet Countries: An Anthropological Perspective. Routledge.
2. Clarke, M., C. Allen, F. Archer, D. Wong, A. Eriksson, and J. Puri. 2014. “What Evidence Is Available and What Is Required, in Humanitarian Assistance.” International Initiative for Impact Evaluation, London.
3. Dijkzeul, Dennis, Dorothea Hilhorst, and Peter Walker. 2013. “Introduction: Evidence-Based Action in Humanitarian Crises.” Disasters 37: 1–19.
4. Doocy, Shannon, Adam Sirois, Jamie Anderson, Margarita Tileva, Elizabeth Biermann, J. Douglas Storey, and Gilbert Burnham. 2011. “Food Security and Humanitarian Assistance among Displaced Iraqi Populations in Jordan and Syria.” Social Science & Medicine 72 (2): 273–82.
5. Henson, Spencer, and Johanna Lindstrom. 2013. “‘A Mile Wide and an Inch Deep’? Understanding Public Support for Aid: The Case of the United Kingdom.” World Development 42: 67–75.
6. Höijer, Birgitta. 2004. “The Discourse of Global Compassion: The Audience and Media Reporting of Human Suffering.” Media, Culture & Society 26 (4): 513–31
7. Humanitarian Response Index 2011: Addressing the Gender Challenge. 2011. Madrid: Dara.
8. Hyndman, Jennifer. 2000. Managing Displacement: Refugees and the Politics of Humanitarianism. U of Minnesota Press.
9. Jacobsen, Karen, and Loren B. Landau. 2003. “The Dual Imperative in Refugee Research: Some Methodological and Ethical Considerations in Social Science Research on Forced Migration.” Disasters 27 (3): 185–206.
10. Lucini, Barbara. 2014. Disaster Resilience from a Sociological Perspective: Exploring Three Italian Earthquakes as Models for Disaster Resilience Planning. Springer Science & Business.
11. Mackenzie, Catriona, Christopher McDowell, Eileen Pittaway, A. Zwi, Grove, N, Zion, D, Tarantola, D., and Silove, D. 2007. “Beyond ‘Do No Harm’: The Challenge of Constructing Ethical Relationships in Refugee Research.” Journal of Refugee Studies 20 (2): 299–319.
12. Mazurana, Dyan, Prisca Benelli, and Peter Walker. 2013. “How Sex- and Age-Disaggregated Data and Gender and Generational Analyses Can Improve Humanitarian Response.” Disasters 37: S68–82.
13. Meier, Patrick. 2015. Digital Humanitarians: How Big Data Is Changing the Face of Humanitarian Response. Null edition. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
14. Puri, Jyotsna, Anastasia Aladysheva, Vegard Iversen, Yashodhan Ghorpade, and Tilman Brück. 2015. “What Methods May Be Used in Impact Evaluations of Humanitarian Assistance?”
15. Zacher, Meghan, Hollie Nyseth Brehm, and Joachim J. Savelsberg. 2014. “NGOs, IOs, and the ICC: Diagnosing and Framing Darfur.” In Sociological Forum, 29:29–51. Wiley Online Library.
Additional information
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