This course introduces to students some of the basic concepts and practices of social research as adopted and codified by social sciences in general and sociology in particular. Comprehensive treatment of major research methods, including survey, in-depth interview, ethnography, and comparative-historical method, will be offered. The logic of social research will also be discussed, with the purpose of clarifying fundamental issues such as the nature of causality and correlation, the criterion and procedure of scientific falsification, etc. Methodological problems in the broad sense, such as the distinction among positivist, interpretive and critical approaches to social reality, will be covered as well.

CILO-1: Develop good research question and design appropriate research. CILO-2: Collect data using a variety of methods. CILO-3: Analyze quantitative data. CILO-4: Evaluate research studies designed by other social scientists critically.