On successful completion of the course, students are able to:

• explain the concept and scope of empirical social research,
• distinguish scientific explanations from non-scientific justifications,
• name and implement the basic standards of scientificity,
• explain the stages of theory building
• name and explain the basic criteria, types and characteristics of hypotheses,
• explain the characteristics and possible applications of qualitative and quantitative research,
• describe and classify the types of research (descriptive, explorative, correlational and causal analyses) and research methods for collecting empirical data (e.g. scientific observation, questionnaire, interview, etc.),
• describe the research logic of empirical studies,
• derive research questions and hypotheses from the given current state of research

none

• Concept, purpose, methods and areas of application of empirical social research
• Theory formation and hypothesis generation
• Comparison of qualitative and quantitative research approaches
• Types of research and research methods
• Overview of the central qualitative and quantitative survey methods in empirical social research and their characteristics
• Structuring and planning the research process

Atteslander, P. (2010). Methoden der empirischen Sozialforschung (13. Auflage). Berlin: Erich Schmidt Verlag.
Baur, N., & Blasius, J. (2019). Handbuch Methoden der empirischen Sozialforschung (2. Auflage). Wiesbaden: Springer.
Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods (5th Edition). Oxford: Oxford University press.
Creswell, J.W. (2014). Research Design. Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed-Method-Approaches (4th Edition). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Döring, N., & Bortz, J. (2016): Forschungsmethoden und Evaluation in den Human- und Sozialwissenschaften (5. Auflage). Berlin: Springer.
Eid, M., Gollwitzer, M., & Schmitt, M. (2015): Statistik und Forschungsmethoden. Weinheim: Beltz.
Friedrichs, J. (1990): Methoden empirischer Sozialforschung (14. Aufl.). Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag.
Kromrey, H. (2009): Empirische Sozialforschung (12. Aufl.). Stuttgart: Lucius & Lucius Verlagsgesellschaft.
Mayring, P. (2002). Einführung in die qualitative Sozialforschung. Eine Anleitung zu qualitativem Denken (5. Auflage). Weinheim: Beltz.
Flick, U., v. Kardorff, E., & Steinke, I. (2015). Qualitative Forschung. Ein Handbuch. Reinbek: Rowohlt.
Lamnek, S. (2005). Qualitative Sozialforschung: Lehrbuch. Weinheim: Beltz.
Teddlie, C., & Tashakkori, A. (2009). Foundations of Mixed Methodology. Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Moderated group work, lecture, processing of case studies

Cumulative module examination
The module grade is calculated weighted by the ECTS credits of the individual courses of the module and results as follows:
ILV " Fundamentals of Empirical Social Research I" - 0.5 ECTS Credits
Assessment type: final assessment
Assessment method/s: written final examination