Quantitative Methods, Research Planning and Applied Statistical Analysis

On completion of this course the students should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge:

The student will have in-depth knowledge of:

• Different knowledge paradigms and explanatory models, and their implications for choice of methodological strategy
• Key concepts within quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods, as well as literature reviews
• Ethical principles in research and their application in quantitative and qualitative research
• The requirements for the master's thesis proposal
• The appropriate use of a range of statistical methods/techniques
• The interpretation of statistical analysis

Skills:

The student has the ability to:

• Pose study questions that can be addressed using statistical methods, e.g., hypothesis testing
• Model data using alternative approaches and decide on final approaches to an analysis
• Annotate and interpret output from statistical analyses
• Format tables and graphs that present statistical analyses
• Design a research project and write a project plan

General competencies:

By the end of the course the student:

• Can critically, analytically and systematically evaluate research literature (in both qualitative and quantitative methods)
• Can think critically, reflectively and creatively about statistical analysis
• Has methodological competencies for statistics-related skills problem-solving
• Can choose appropriate statistical analyses given the nature of the study data