Welcome to "Comparative Methods in Political Science with a Focus on Africa" at Dalarna University

The course focuses on comparative methods applied in the context of Africa. The course deals with different types of comparative methods and their main approaches, basic assumptions, merits and problems. The course also covers research design and how methods are chosen in relation to a research question. The course problematises the relationship between the quantitative and qualitative method families and also looks at research ethics considerations.

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

• independently present different forms of comparative methods that are applied in the context of the African continent
• problematise and critically reflect on different comparative research methods and analyses
• independently choose a suitable research design and method
• manage research ethical aspects and considerations.

In practice, the course features a selected set of comparative methods, ranging from case studies to focused comparisons and large-N studies. In the course, we utilize recorded lectures, available here on Canvas according to schedule and real-time seminars as well as one LIVE working session. In this way, we hope to offer you introductions to the theoretical foundations of the methods as well as the opportunity to practice your methodological skills as well as to discuss both the theory and know-how together with your classmates and instructors. 

Here you can find the preliminary schedule for the course and here you can find the Course Guide.

Again-most welcome to the course!

	Syllabus			Contact information
	Reading List			Jenny Åberg Course Coordinator jae@du.se
				Kjetil Duvold Lecturer dkj@du.se
				Ali Abdelzadeh Lecturer aaz@du.se