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

• derive research questions and hypotheses from the given current state of research
• describe the research logic of empirical studies,
• 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.),
• explain the characteristics and possible applications of qualitative and quantitative research,
• name and explain the basic criteria, types and characteristics of hypotheses,
• explain the stages of theory building
• name and implement the basic standards of scientificity,
• distinguish scientific explanations from non-scientific justifications,
• explain the concept and scope of empirical social Research,

none

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

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