This course is the first of two courses which introduces students to research methods in governance. The course builds on the elementary knowledge of social research, political science and statistics provided in the first year of the degree programme. It is designed to provide students with a grounding in theories, methodologies, methods and the processes of empirical political science research. Students will be able to engage in discussions regarding how and why political science research is conducted. They will learn to test as well as develop political theories. The course will give students key knowledge and analytical skills to plan a political science research proposal as well as the capacity to evaluate the research done by others. Emphasis will also be placed on developing a basic understanding of the philosophy and the logic underlying social-scientific inquiry, and appropriate research strategies, both quantitative and qualitative. Students will develop a research proposal which outlines the background for the study, the research question(s) and hypotheses, the literature review, a comprehensive research design as well as the delimitation and limitations of the study. Topics to be covered include the theoretical paradigms underlying political/policy research, conceptualisation and operationalisation, measurement theory, common data-collection strategies, training in use of computers and SPSS, and the completion of a full research proposal.