Information Package / Course Catalogue
| Political Science and International Relations | |||||
| Bachelor | Length of the Programme: 4 | Number of Credits: 240 | TR-NQF-HE: Level 6 | QF-EHEA: First Cycle | EQF: Level 6 |
Ders Genel Tanıtım Bilgileri
| School/Faculty/Institute | Faculty of Econ., Admin. and Social Sciences | |||||
| Course Code | POLS 404 | |||||
| Course Title in English | Research Seminar | |||||
| Course Title in Turkish | Research Seminar | |||||
| Language of Instruction | EN | |||||
| Type of Course | Flipped Classroom | |||||
| Level of Course | Advanced | |||||
| Semester | Spring | |||||
| Contact Hours per Week |
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| Estimated Student Workload | 130 hours per semester | |||||
| Number of Credits | 5 ECTS | |||||
| Grading Mode | Standard Letter Grade | |||||
| Pre-requisites | None | |||||
| Expected Prior Knowledge | Familiarity with how to conduct research in POLS/IR. | |||||
| Co-requisites | None | |||||
| Registration Restrictions | Only Undergraduate Students | |||||
| Overall Educational Objective | To provide the students with advanced skills of evaluating and conducting political science and international relations research. | |||||
| Course Description | This course is designed to provide the students with advanced knowledge and skills of conducting and evaluating political science and international relations research. The first half of the course focuses on the characteristics of a proper research design, and a good research paper in political science/international relations. Considerable attention is also devoted to developing the students’ skills of reviewing essays in the field (peer review skills). The second half of the course concentrates on how to conduct process-tracing as a major qualitative research method, with particular emphasis on improving students’ skills of evaluating (reviewing) examples of process-tracing research. | |||||
| Course Description in Turkish |
Course Learning Outcomes and CompetencesUpon successful completion of the course, the learner is expected to be able to:1) Identify the components of a good research paper. 2) Learn how to do a research design. 3) Develop and apply oral presentation skills. 4) Develop peer review skills by evaluating sample student essays. 5) Learn the method of process-tracing. 6) Evaluate scholarly journal articles on the basis of how well they apply the method of process-tracing. |
| Program Learning Outcomes/Course Learning Outcomes | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1) Adequate knowledge of political history necessary to comprehend and effectively evaluate contemporary Political Science and International Relations issues. | ||||||
| 2) Understanding of the fundamental concepts that exist in the fields of social and behavioral sciences as well as the correlation between these concepts | ||||||
| 3) Ability to analyze the fundamental theories in the field Political Science and International Relations and to assess their reflections into practice | ||||||
| 4) Ability to critically discuss different aspects of theories and developments in Political Science and International Relations both individually and in the course of group work during classroom discussions. | ||||||
| 5) Ability to conduct research independently, or with a team, about the developments taking place in the international arena, make foreign policy analyses, develop research-based conflict resolution models, and prepare comprehensive reports using computers and relevant software | ||||||
| 6) Ability to take decisions as well as to implement these decisions by using the knowledge about the field and the skills that have been acquired during the undergraduate studies | ||||||
| 7) Ability to recognize the relations between scientific thought and ethical behavior; pay attention to being tolerant and properly defend different ideas, ideologies and belief systems | ||||||
| 8) Ability to work in international institutions and multicultural environments, with the help of the knowledge on different cultures, societies, political systems as well as linguistic skills acquired during the undergraduate studies | ||||||
| 9) Ability to display language skills in English at minimum B2 level enough for debating with colleagues on issues of Political Science and International Relations, and also display language skills in a second foreign language at minimum A2 level enough for communicating in daily life | ||||||
| 10) Ability to pursue lifelong learning as well as perform advanced/graduate studies in the field Political Science and International Relations and other social sciences disciplines in academic institutions at home and abroad |
Relation to Program Outcomes and Competences
| N None | S Supportive | H Highly Related |
| Program Outcomes and Competences | Level | Assessed by | |
| 1) | Adequate knowledge of political history necessary to comprehend and effectively evaluate contemporary Political Science and International Relations issues. | S | HW |
| 2) | Understanding of the fundamental concepts that exist in the fields of social and behavioral sciences as well as the correlation between these concepts | S | HW |
| 3) | Ability to analyze the fundamental theories in the field Political Science and International Relations and to assess their reflections into practice | N | |
| 4) | Ability to critically discuss different aspects of theories and developments in Political Science and International Relations both individually and in the course of group work during classroom discussions. | S | HW |
| 5) | Ability to conduct research independently, or with a team, about the developments taking place in the international arena, make foreign policy analyses, develop research-based conflict resolution models, and prepare comprehensive reports using computers and relevant software | H | HW |
| 6) | Ability to take decisions as well as to implement these decisions by using the knowledge about the field and the skills that have been acquired during the undergraduate studies | S | HW |
| 7) | Ability to recognize the relations between scientific thought and ethical behavior; pay attention to being tolerant and properly defend different ideas, ideologies and belief systems | H | HW |
| 8) | Ability to work in international institutions and multicultural environments, with the help of the knowledge on different cultures, societies, political systems as well as linguistic skills acquired during the undergraduate studies | S | Participation |
| 9) | Ability to display language skills in English at minimum B2 level enough for debating with colleagues on issues of Political Science and International Relations, and also display language skills in a second foreign language at minimum A2 level enough for communicating in daily life | H | Presentation |
| 10) | Ability to pursue lifelong learning as well as perform advanced/graduate studies in the field Political Science and International Relations and other social sciences disciplines in academic institutions at home and abroad | S | Presentation |
| Prepared by and Date | BEKEN SAATÇİOĞLU , January 2024 |
| Course Coordinator | BEKEN SAATÇİOĞLU |
| Semester | Spring |
| Name of Instructor | Prof. Dr. BEKEN SAATÇİOĞLU |
Course Contents
| Week | Subject |
| 1) | Course Introduction |
| 2) | Baglione, Chapter 1: “So you have to write a research paper” (p.1-7), Chapter 2, textbook: “Getting Started: Finding a Research Question” (p. 15-39). |
| 3) | Baglione, Chapter 3: “Learning Proper Citation Forms, Finding the Scholarly Debate, and Summarizing and Classifying Arguments: The Annotated Bibliography” (41-71). Baglione, Chapter 4: “Making Sense of the Scholarly Answers to Your Research Question: Writing the Literature Review” (p. 75-91). Baglione, Chapter 5: “Effectively Distilling Your Argument: The Thesis, Model, and Hypothesis” (p. 93-106). |
| 4) | Baglione, Chapter 6: “Revising and Editing Your Work: The Writing-Thinking Spiral” (p. 109-119). Baglione, Chapter 7: “Making Your Plan and Protecting Yourself from Criticism: The Research Design” (p. 121-151). |
| 5) | Discussion of sample student essays (available on Blackboard). |
| 6) | Exam I |
| 7) | Beach and Pedersen, Chapter 1 “Process-Tracing in the Social Sciences”, p. 1-8. Beach and Pedersen, Chapter 2 “The Three Different Variants of Process-Tracing and their Uses”, p. 9-21. |
| 8) | Beach and Pedersen, Chapter 4 “Working with Theories of Causal Mechanisms”, p. 45-63. Beach and Pedersen, Chapter 5 “Causal Inference and Process-Tracing Methods”, p. 68-88. |
| 9) | Discussion of John M. Owen’s article: “How Liberalism Produces Democratic Peace”, International Organization 19 (2) (Fall 1994): 87-125. |
| 10) | Discussion of Alexandra Gheciu’s article (available on Blackboard): “Security Institutions as Agents of Socialization? NATO and the ‘New Europe’”, International Organization 59 (4) (Autumn 2005): 973-1012. |
| 11) | Discussion of Frank Schimmelfennig’s article (available on Blackboard): “The Community Trap: Liberal Norms, Rhetorical Action, and the Eastern Enlargement of the European Union”, International Organization 55 (1) (Winter 2001): 47-80. |
| 12) | Exam II: Article Review |
| 13) | Student Presentations of the Article Review (Exam II). |
| 14) | Student Presentations of the Article Review (Exam II). |
| 15) | Conclusion and final thoughts. |
| Required/Recommended Readings | • Lisa A. Baglione, Writing a Research Paper in Political Science: A Practical Guide to Inquiry, Structure, and Methods, 3rd ed. (Sage Publishing, CQ Press, 2016). • Derek Beach and Rasmus Brun Pedersen, Process-Tracing Methods: Foundations and Guidelines (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2013). • John M. Owen, “How Liberalism Produces Democratic Peace”, International Organization 19 (2) (Fall 1994): 87-125. • Alexandra Gheciu, “Security Institutions as Agents of Socialization? NATO and the ‘New Europe’”, International Organization 59 (4) (Autumn 2005): 973-1012. • Frank Schimmelfennig, “The Community Trap: Liberal Norms, Rhetorical Action, and the Eastern Enlargement of the European Union”, International Organization 55 (1) (Winter 2001): 47-80. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Teaching Methods | Lectures, class discussions, group work. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Homework and Projects | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||
| Laboratory Work | None | ||||||||||||||||||
| Computer Use | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||
| Other Activities | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||
| Assessment Methods |
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| Course Administration |
beken.saatcioglu@mef.edu.tr 02123953678 Office Hours: 1.5 hours per week & by appointment Rules for attendance: Students are not graded based on class attendance alone but they are expected to attend regularly and are graded based on class participation. A reminder of proper classroom behavior, code of student conduct: Students are expected to show full respect vis-à-vis the professor and fellow students. Individuals who consistently act inappropriately in the classroom will be asked to leave. Statement on cheating and plagiarism: Cheating and plagiarism are serious offenses and will be treated according to the university’s regulations. Students caught cheating and/or plagiarizing will be reported to the Dean and face further disciplinary action. Any improper behavior, academic dishonesty or plagiarism is subject to the YÖK Disciplinary Regulation. -- |
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ECTS Student Workload Estimation
| Activity | No/Weeks | Hours | Calculation | ||||
| No/Weeks per Semester | Preparing for the Activity | Spent in the Activity Itself | Completing the Activity Requirements | ||||
| Course Hours | 14 | 2 | 2 | 56 | |||
| Presentations / Seminar | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||
| Homework Assignments | 1 | 20 | 5 | 6 | 31 | ||
| Midterm(s) | 2 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 40 | ||
| Total Workload | 130 | ||||||
| Total Workload/25 | 5.2 | ||||||
| ECTS | 5 | ||||||