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MRes Politics

Pathway diagram for MRes Politics

The Convenor for this degree is Dr John Garry  who may be contacted for further information.
IPSOS MORI

This programme provides students with a comprehensive grounding in social science research methodology that will enable them to go on and conduct high quality research in politics and related fields. The programme has four compulsory modules which together are designed to give a comprehensive analysis of research design, quantitative and qualitative methodology, as well as the philosophical foundations of social science knowledge. ‘Approaches to Social Science Research’ elaborates the wide range of different ways of thinking about and conducting research on the political world: comparative analysis, rational choice theory, and institutionalism are, for example, covered, as are the general debates relating to positivism and anti-positivism. In ‘Theory and Design in Social Research’ students are introduced to more practical matters relating to the design of a research project. How exactly should a research question be identified and elaborated? What should govern the specific choice of particular qualitative or quantitative methodological approaches?

British Society is broken poll

In the two modules in the second semester, the emphasis is on the actual conduct of research, both of a quantitative and qualitative nature. In ‘Advanced Quantitative Research Skills’ students are taught the basics of quantitative analysis, from simple descriptive statistics up to multiple regression. In ‘Advanced Qualitative Analysis’ the range of key qualitative approaches to understanding the social and political world are taught, with specific assignments designed to give hands-on real world experience of conducting this type of research. In addition to completing the four modules, students must also complete a dissertation. This will be on a substantive topic of the students’ own choosing and should be of a high quality in terms of its research design and empirical analysis.

A range of academic staff from the School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy teach on the MRes, in cooperation with some of our colleagues in the School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work. Dr John Garry is the convenor of the programme. Dr Garry specialises in the areas of research methodology, elections, public opinion and political parties. His research is typically of a quantitative nature and he has published articles in journals such as American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, British Journal of Political Science, and Electoral Studies. Dr Alistair Clark is also a quantitative-oriented political scientist, specialising in comparative politics, local politics and political participation. Dr Clark has published on these topics in journals such as the British Journal of Politics and International Relations, Scottish Affairs, Representation, and British Elections and Parties Review. Dr Stefan Andreasson focuses on comparative politics, (Southern) African politics, and political economy. He has published on these themes in Political Studies and in Democratization and is completing a book on key issues relating to political economy in Africa. As well as these and other staff from the School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy, Professor Lindsay Prior, Professor Paddy Hillyard and Dr Karen McElrath from the School of Sociology, Social Policy, and Social Work also teach on the programme. Their interests relate to the application of qualitative research methods to social and political questions and also advanced analysis of social and political themes using quantitative methodology.

Testimonials

Recent graduates of the programme have successfully gone on to begin studying at PhD level. For example, Nathan Emmerich graduated from the MRes programme in 2007 and is now studying for a PhD with the School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work, QUB. Nathan says: “The MRes was an excellent course and it enabled me to make the transition from my philosophical background to more empirically based research … The philosophically minded introductory module 'Approaches to Social Science Research' was an excellent and ambitious course complemented by the follow up tutorials. I found the School to be supportive and collegial especially when it came to completing the research for my Dissertation. The course as a whole gave me an excellent overview of social and political research methodology with real master's level depth.”

Emily Jackson graduated from the MRes programme in 2007 and is now conducting an ESRC-funded PhD in Human Geography at Durham University. Emily says: "I would recommend Queen's MRes in Politics because it delivered a wide but rigorous introduction to important topics in the social sciences, from methodology to theory/ philosophy. The MRes enabled me to gain knowledge and insight that helped me achieve ESRC funding, and the course will definitely benefit me while doing my PhD. Although there were times when I found the MRes quite intense and challenging, I think this points to the overall quality of the programme.”