Sprache: Deutsch/Englisch

The course offers an introduction to theoretical foundations and some basic techniques of quantitative research. In addition to input from the lecturer, we will discuss research projects of participants. Both components, input and discussion, will alternate during the classes. The content of the class will be linked, as far possible, to the work of participants. The aim of the course is to provide orientation with regard to the methodological foundation and structuring of research projects.
The class begins with a discussion of ontological and epistemological foundations of empirical social research. We then discuss different research designs and research logics. In the next step, we will elaborate most important decisions that researchers have to make in different phases of work on their projects. Among other things, we will address the formulation of the research question, the hypotheses and concept specification. The problem of operationalization is also mentioned. The latter topic, however, will be dealt with in greater depth in the subsequent course on questionnaire design.
After discussing the theoretical foundations and the individual steps of the research process, the last part of the course will offer an overview of basic procedures of data preparation and data analysis. We start with descriptive statistics. This includes an exchange on good practices related to presenting the most important information about the data used in one’s own project in scientific context. Correct and transparent presentation of the data makes a project understandable, accessible and increases the chance of getting constructive feedback. In addition, selected basic examples of bivariate analysis are discussed. The relevance of measurement level in selecting the appropriate method will be discussed and illustrated using examples from participants' projects. Among other things, contingency tables, chi-square test, the t-test for mean comparisons and Pearson's correlation coefficient are presented.
The knowledge of methodological principles as well as univariate and bivariate analysis should primarily help participants to improve the quality of their own work. Secondly, it will lay a foundation for dealing with more complex multivariate methods, which will take place at a later date as part of statistical software courses.


Der Referent:
PD Dr. Kamil Marcinkiewicz ist ein Assistant Professor of Political and Social Activities an der Universität Breslau (Uniwersytet Wroclawski, Polen). Er hat im Fach Politikwissenschaft an der Technischen Universität Chemnitz promoviert und wurde im Jahre 2019 an der Universität Hamburg habilitiert. In seiner Forschung befasst er sich mit der politischen Soziologie, insbesondere mit verschiedenen Aspekten des politischen Verhaltens. Er untersucht u.a. Wahlsysteme, Wähler- und Abgeordnetenverhalten sowie politische Konsequenzen des Wertewandels. Vor seiner Berufung in Breslau hat er u.a. an der Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg und an der Universität Hamburg gearbeitet. In den Jahren 2014 bis 2015 vertrat er die Professur für Methoden der empirischen Sozialforschung an der Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg. Die Ergebnisse seiner Forschung wurden in führenden internationalen Zeitschriften veröffentlicht, wie z.B. Political Behavior, Party Politics, Electoral Studies, Acta Politica, PS: Political Science & Politics, Politics & Gender, German Politics, East European Politics, East European Politics & Societies, Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft, Zeitschrift für Politikberatung, Methoden-Daten-Analysen usw. Neben der akademischen Erfahrung verfügt er über praktische Kenntnisse, die er während seiner Beschäftigung in einem internationalen Beratungsunternehmen gesammelt hat.

Webseite: https://politologia.uni.wroc.pl/Pracownicy/Kamil-Marcinkiewicz#:~:text=Zainteresowania%20naukowe%3A-,Dr%20hab.,w%20Instytucie%20Politologii%20Uniwersytetu%20Wroc%C5%82awskiego.
Publikationsliste (Google Scholar): https://scholar.google.de/citations?user=za_-BYMAAAAJ&hl=en