Objectives<\/span>:<\/span><\/p>\n This course provides students with the basic tools for designing and researching rigorous research and policy papers in international relations M.A. programs. Its principal aim is to help the student become a discerning consumer<\/em> and effective producer<\/em> of international relations research. The field of international relations spans a broad range of disciplines, each of which embraces multiple research principles, methods and styles of written presentation. At the same time, important commonalities exist in the ways in which scholars and practitioners marshal evidence to make a strong and coherent argument. This course will provide students with a broad overview of and hands-on experience with the main approaches to IR research, with the goal of improving their ability to make a logical argument based on solid evidence.<\/p>\n The course is organized into four interconnected modules. The first considers general principles of theory, concepts and design. These considerations will provide the foundation for everything that follows in the course. The second addresses a number of quantitative research methods and statistical techniques. The emphasis here, as elsewhere, rests firmly on practical considerations and hands-on approaches to theses methods, rather than on mathematical proofs and statistics theory. The third module details a number of concrete research techniques, with an emphasis on qualitative tools and comparisons to their quantitative counterparts. The concluding module ties together loose ends and looks forward to the process of writing the M.A. research or policy paper with a discussion of the practical aspects of preparing research reports.<\/p>\n NB<\/em>: A passing grade in this class satisfies the statistics requirement in the IR graduate program.<\/p>\n Requirements<\/span>:<\/span><\/p>\n Grades will be based on 1) class participation; 2) a series of exercises based on the lab manual, textbook and other assignments; and 3) a final paper of 15-20 pages. Students will hand in a three-page, typed reaction to the week\u2019s readings at the beginning of each class that applies the ideas put forth in the Manheim text to the other assigned readings (if applicable). These short papers will checked but not graded, and will count toward class participation. They must be complete to receive full credit.<\/p>\n Students will choose between one of two options for the final paper: 1) a fully developed proposal for a substantial (even if hypothetical) research or policy paper in the field of international relations, or 2) a collegial methodological critique\/appraisal of the research design and methods of a paper written by another student in the class that applies the lessons learned in this class to this particular real-world example of student research. In order to facilitate the second option, all students will be required to submit electronic copies of one or two of their best papers from their current or prior academic work to the instructor to be made available for anonymous use by other students.<\/p>\n Email and Internet access is required.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Academic integrity<\/span>:<\/p>\n All work for this class is expected to be individual, i.e., not the result of collaboration or a group project. It is imperative that any and all sources used in papers be cited properly. For guidance, see the guideline for source citation on page three of this syllabus or at https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sthacker\/source.htm<\/a>, and the GRS Academic Discipline Procedures (available at GRS or at http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/grs\/academics\/resources\/adp.html<\/a>). Cases of academic misconduct will be referred to the Dean\u2019s office.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Grading<\/span>:<\/span><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 25%\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Class participation, including weekly reaction papers<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 25%\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Exercises, due at the beginning<\/span> of the following class<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 50%\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Final paper, due at the beginning<\/span> of class on December 8<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Improvement over the course of the semester and exceptional class participation can raise a borderline grade.<\/p>\n Grades are calculated on a 100-point scale, converted to letter grades as follows:<\/p>\n