The object of the course is to present and discuss research design and methodology preliminary in connection with Ph.D.-projects. The course gives an interdisciplinary introduction to design and methodology, and the aim is to give inspiration to the Ph.D.-project and pinpoint pitfalls, problems an ethical questions. The course is design for new Ph.D.-students, who are beginning a new project as well as Ph.D. students regarded as well as more senior  Ph.D.-students who wants to reflect on the design, methodology and ethics of their projects.

The Ph.D.-course will include the following main themes.

• steps of the research process, theory and research (epistemology) and the meaning of methodology in different traditions
• research design - a choice between quantitative and qualitative methods - ?
• the problem of measuring and the need for discussion of operationalisation
• ethical and political issues in research

The Ph.D.-course ranges mainly on two levels, which will alternate:

• presentation of main themes (lectures with discussion)
• discussion of Ph.D. projects, where the Ph.D.-students give a presentation of their project based on their paper for the course. Each presentation is followed by opposition from another Ph.D.-student and comments to the design and methodology in the projects by senior researchers present. There is earmarked three quarter of an hour for each Ph.D.-project in the course.

Guest professor David de Vaus from The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia and the organiser of the Ph.D.-course, professor Ruth Emerek and associate professor Gunnar Scott Reinbacher from Aalborg University, will be present during the course, while associate professor Antje Gimler and professor Michael Hviid Jacobsen from Aalborg University will be present during one day.

Literature for the Ph.D.-course will be Research Design in Social Research, Sage, London 2001 by David De Vaus as well as articles and extracts from books.

The discussions of the Ph.D.-student's project will be based on a paper in English of 5-10 pages, which the Ph.D.-student has to deliver not later than two weeks before the course (i. e. not later than the 23'th of August).

Registration for the course no later than the 16'th of August (registration deadline is extended to 16 August for Ph.D. students outside the research school) to the secretariat of the research school, Welfare state and difference. The course starts with lunch on day one and finishes before dinner on day four. If necessary, accommodation can be arranged. The course gives 6 ETCS. The number of participants at the Ph.D.-course will maximum be 16, and price for the course is DKK 1.500.

Programme:

Tuesday the 14'Th of September:  Introduction

11:00-12:00    Arrival and registration

12:00-13:00    Lunch

13:00-13:15    Welcome

13:15-14:00    Introduction to the overall theme for the course:

                        Design, Methodology and Ethics

                        Based on experiences from own research

                        From a more quantitative research perspective by Ruth Emerek

                        From a more qualitative research perspective by Gunnar Scott Reinbacher

                        From a mixed research perspective by David de Vaus

14:00-15:00    Presentation of projects

                        The Ph.D.-students give a short presentation of their background and projects. Short discussions of the projects by the other Ph.D.-students and by David de Vaus, Gunnar Scott Reinbacher and Ruth Emerek

15:00-15:15    Coffee/Tea break

15:15-18:00    Combination of methods and central concepts

Criteria for choice of design. Key words:
a) Induction/deduction, abduction
b) Qualitative or Quantitative - a choice or a combination 
c) Level of analysis micro/mezzo/macro
d) Comparative studies
e) Validity/reliability/generalising in different approaches  

by David de Vaus

19:00-             Dinner in down town Aalborg

Wednesday the 15'Th of September:  Methodology and the Theory of Science

9:00-10:30      Ethical problems in research -

                        Discussion of international and Danish ethical codes for scientific work

                        Introduction from a qualitative perspective by Michal Hviid Jacobsen

10:30-10:45    Coffee/Tea break

10:45-12:15    Discussion of Ph.D.-project (2 students)

12:15-13:00    Lunch

13:00-14:45    Methods and the philosophy of science

                        Keywords:

-          Realism and Anti-realism what's at stake?

-          Objectivity and Methods

-          The pragmatic research process

-          The limits of philosophy of science

                        by Antje Gimmler

14:45-15:00    Coffee/Tea break

15:00-18:00    Discussion of Ph.D.-project (4  students)

                        The Ph.D.-students give a presentation of their project based on their paper for the course. Each presentation is followed by opposition by another Ph.D.-student and comments to the design and methodology in the projects by David de Vaus, Antje Gimmler Gunnar Scott Reinbacher and Ruth Emerek.

                        There is earmarked three quarter of an hour for each Ph.D.-project.

Thursday the 16'Th of September: Design and Methods

                        the relation between problem and method

                        quantitative and qualitative method considerations in a Ph.D.-project.

9:00-10:45      Quantitative studies

                        Keywords:

                        Longitudinal studies

                        More than one levels of analysis

                        Operationalization and measurement

                        Differences and/or inequalities

                        Validity/reliability/generalising

                        by Ruth Emerek

10:45-11:00    Coffee/Tea break

11:00-13:15    Discussion of Ph.D. projects (3 students)

The Ph.D.-students give a presentation of their project based on their paper for the course. Each presentation is followed by opposition by another Ph.D.-student and comments to the design and methodology in the projects by David de Vaus, Gunnar Scott Reinbacher and Ruth Emerek.

There is earmarked three quarter of an hour for each Ph.D.-project.

13:15-14:00    Lunch

14:00-15:45    Qualitative studies

                        by Gunnar Scott Reinbacher

15:45-16:00    Coffee/Tea break

16:00-19:00    Discussion of Ph.D. projects (4 students)

                        The Ph.D.-students give a presentation of their project based on their paper for the course. Each presentation is followed by opposition by another Ph.D.-student and comments to the design and methodology in the projects by David de Vaus, Gunnar Scott Reinbacher and Ruth Emerek.

                        There is earmarked three quarter of an hour for each Ph.D.-project.

19:30-             Dinner etc. in down town Aalborg

Friday the 17'th of September: The choice of design and Ethical problem in research

9:00-10:30      Discussion of Ph.D.-project (2 students)

                        The Ph.D.-students give a presentation of their project based on their paper for the course. Each presentation is followed by opposition by another Ph.D.-student and comments to the design and methodology in the projects by David de Vaus, Antje Gimler, Gunnar Scott Reinbacher and Ruth Emerek.

                        There is earmarked three quarter of an hour for each Ph.D.-project.

10:30-10:45    Coffee/Tea break

10:45-13:00     The choice of design

-       A choice between a quantitative and a qualitative approach or a combination

-       the requirements to operationalising

-       comparisons in time space and culture - as well as historical as between various groups and nationalities

                        by David de Vaus

                        and final reflection, discussion and questions by all participants.

13:00-14:00    Lunch

14:00-15:00    Closing discussion and evaluation of the Ph.D.-course

The course takes place in cooperation between The Faculty of Science and The Research School Welfare State and Diversity