Philosophy of Science and Research Methods (MEE125)

Content

The course consists of two main themes:

1. Philosophy of science: Topics here include the nature of science and the question of how to demarcate science from non-science and the nature of scientific reasoning and rationality. Included are also the questions regarding: the difference between social science and natural science; the social construction of social reality and science; how knowledge is produced and situated; the role values play in research, and what consequences this has for issues of scientific objectivity and subjectivity.
2. Research design and evaluation: Topics here include tools for evaluating the scientific quality of research publications; the nature of scientific constructs and conceptual models; forms of scientific analysis and measurement; and the difference between quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

The course is organised in a number of modules, combining lectures and discussions with active participation among students. Students will be working in groups with dedicated tasks for each module. Students will also hand in a written assignments based on this work. Active participation is therefore required in order to complete the course. While lectures offer students the theoretical frameworks and conceptual tools necessary for an overview of the philosophy of science, mandatory tasks and activities will facilitate students’ learning and analyses with regard to their own programme areas and its relation to other subjects.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

Upon successful completion of the course, students will have:

• Knowledge of central issues and approaches relating to research evaluation, design, and practice in social science.
• Knowledge of central issues and approaches in the philosophy of science in general, and the philosophy of social science in particular.
• Knowledge of how the two sets of issues and approaches relate to one another.

Skills

Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to:

• Present and discuss issues relating to research evaluation, design, and practice in an informed and independent way.
• Present and discuss issues in the philosophy of science in general and the philosophy of social science in particular, in an informed and independent way.
• Present and discuss the relation between the two sets of issues in an informed and independent way.

General competence

Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to:

• Acquire knowledge of issues of academic importance.
• Analyse and discussing issues of academic importance in independent ways.
• Critically assess the uses and usefulness of key approaches in the philosophy of science in relation to research and/or working life.

Required prerequisite knowledge

Exam

Coursework requirements

The course is common for several Master's programmes at the Department of Media and Social Sciences. Students in English-language programmes will submit all work in English. Students in Norwegian-language programmes may choose to submit their work in either English or a Scandinavian language.

The course requires active participation and students will have to a hand in a compulsory written assignment during the semester in order to qualify for the final exam. Detailed information on deadline, nature and length of the written assignment is provided both in the introductory lecture and at the beginning of the course period. This assignment will be evaluated according to a Pass/Fail grade. Failure to pass this compulsory assignment will disqualify the student from taking the final exam.

Course teacher(s)

Course coordinator:

Course teacher:

Method of work

Open for

Course assessment

Literature