Theory and methods

This assignment is worth 15% of your grade. What does the assignment involve? (1) Theory engagement, 600-650 words. In this part of the assignment, you will: (A) build upon the research inquiry you had proposed in your research proposal and refine it with sharper focus and precision; (B) build a map of theories or explanations that existing research/scholarship has provided for your research inquiry. In short, traditionally, this is what is often referred to as literature review. You are also expected to propose a theory or explanatory framework that you are planning to use or advance to answer your research inquiry, and justify your choice. Remember: literature review is NOT about being comprehensive. Rather, it is a careful and deliberate review. In that respect, you have to be selective. (2) Methods discussion, 600-650 words. In this part of the assignment, you will build upon what you had proposed in your research proposal, and discuss your intended methodological plan to carry out your research. Namely, analytical approach, specific methods, systematic rules to go from concepts to variables to measurements to data, and so on. When relevant, you will also name your specific cases and justify your choice(s). Examples of methodology: case study (comparative or otherwise) historiography (different versions) in-depth qualitative examination large-N quantitative analysis experimental design Examples of methods interviews (observations, focus groups etc.) content analysis (primary or secondary sources) critical examination of primary source documents discourse analysis / process tracing statistical analysis (descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, regression modeling, etc.) In your discussion you need to mention the following: What is your methodology? Why is it appropriate? What will your method(s) be? Why are they appropriate? What are your sources of data (qualitative, quantitative or otherwise)? Will you be working with primary or secondary sources (both)? Why? Policies and rules What about the bibliography? You need to provide a list of sources at the end. But you do not need to provide any annotations for your sources. However, you should be careful to cite sources correctly. Where do I submit the assignment? You will submit the assignment via iLearn. What about late assignments? Late assignments will not be accepted. What about plagiarism? Your work will be checked in Safe Assign each time. If you are flagged by Safe Assign, or I feel that your work might not be your own, I will give you the opportunity to discuss the matter with me personally. If it is verified that you have plagiarized, you will penalized. How will the assignment be graded? Category Points Theory: Quality/Applicability and of theories, concepts, and cases 15 Theory: Potential contribution to scholarly knowledge 5 Methods/Methodology: Selection and explanation of appropriate Methods/Methodology 15 Methods/Methodology: Explanation of usage of primary/secondary data 5 Style: Sentence structure. Paraphrasing, using your own words 2.5 Writing Mechanics (spelling, grammar, formatting) 2.5 Citations 2.5 Bibliography 2.5 Total 50