This course is designed to equip you with essential research skills that are critical for evidence-based decision-making in public administration. Throughout the course, you will learn how to design research, collect relevant data, and analyze that data to provide meaningful insights for public policy and administration.
Course Objectives:
Understand Research Design:
- Learn how to formulate research questions and hypotheses.
- Understand different types of research methodologies (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods).
Data Collection Methods:
- Explore various methods for collecting data, including surveys, interviews, focus groups, and secondary data analysis.
- Understand the importance of validity, reliability, and ethical considerations in data collection.
Data Analysis Techniques:
- Learn how to organize and analyze data using statistical and qualitative techniques.
- Familiarize yourself with tools such as SPSS or Excel for quantitative analysis and coding techniques for qualitative data.
Application to Public Administration:
- Apply research findings to real-world public administration problems.
- Learn how to develop evidence-based policies and strategies.
Minimum requirements for the final paper:
1. Theoretical aspects (in short),
2. Research objectives
3. Initial research hypotheses or questions,
4. Methodology: operationalization of concepts, choice of methods, construction of instruments, population selection
5. Data analysis and interpretation
6. Conclusions and recommendations
- Course creator: Antonie Raluca