Registration does not begin until 02.10.2026 at 08:00. It ends on 12.10.2026 at 23:59.

The registration is restricted to the following fields or courses of study:

• Leuphana Bachelor / Major Politikwissenschaft (ab Studienbeginn WiSe 24/25) / alle Semester
• Leuphana Bachelor / Major Politikwissenschaft (bis Studienbeginn WiSe 23/24) / alle Semester
• Leuphana Bachelor / Major Studium Individuale / alle Semester
• Leuphana Bachelor / Minor Studium Individuale / alle Semester

Qualitative research is an integral part of political science, with case studies often providing the basis for our theorizing. This course addresses the key elements of qualitative methodology, from research design to different approaches to collecting and analyzing data. It enables students to become “both critical consumers and beginning producers” (Kellstedt and Whitten 2018) of scholarly research on politics. In doing so, the seminar familiarizes students with a wide range of qualitative methods, helping them develop an understanding of their diversity, strengths, and limitations while equipping them to devise their own research designs.

It is divided into three parts. The first part addresses the fundamentals of qualitative research, including research design and case studies, while also paying attention to questions of research ethics and the use of (generative) AI. The second part of the seminar sheds light on different approaches to data collection, including interviews, focus groups, and ethnographic work. The third part delves into data analysis, covering different approaches from Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to process tracing and qualitative content analysis. The course is based on the premise that meaningful discussion of research methods also requires engagement with substantive content. Accordingly, it draws on current examples from peace and conflict studies (and adjacent fields) covering different world regions.

The course adopts a portfolio system. Seminar participants will present and critically engage with a “best practice” example of data collection or data analysis in an oral presentation by a small group of two to three students (40%). For the final paper, students will prepare a research proposal including a literature review, a puzzle, a research question, their own argument and a feasible strategy for applying one of the approaches to data collection and data analysis discussed in the seminar (60%). Data collection and data analysis will not be implemented but may lay the foundation for a larger research project such as a thesis.

At the end of the seminar, students are able to:
- Explain the principles as well as the advantages and drawbacks of several approaches to qualitative data collection and analysis.
- Apply these methods for collecting and processing different types of data
- Devise their own research designs that meaningfully connect substantive research questions with the methods discussed in the seminar
- Reflect on the use and usefulness of different qualitative methods in peace and conflict studies

Further information on teaching evaluation: https://www.leuphana.de/en/teaching/quality-management/evaluation/course-evaluation.html