Methodology of Research and Data Analysis on Social Sciences

General

• Code: 551
• Semester: 5th
• Study Level: Undergraduate
• Course type: Special Background
• Teaching and exams language: Greek
• Teaching Methods (Hours/Week): Lectures and Practice work (3)
• ECTS Units: 6
• Instructors: Mantzaris Ioannis

Course Contents

1. Basic principles of scientific research, philosophy as a source of knowledge in sciences. Types of philosophical threads, theories of scientific progress (Kuhn, Lakatos, Laudan, Feyerabend). Pragmatism, naturalism and various realisms, Frankfurter Schule.
2. Scientific research, scientific methods and methodologies, concepts and definitions of scientific theory.
3. Methodology and development of economic theories, formation of economic models. Evolution of economic theories, classical antiquity, middle ages, physiocrats, classics, socialist theory. Neoclassical theory, John Maynard Keynes, modern economic thought and economic theories.
4. Scientific texts, forms of scientific texts, collection and analysis of data, presentation of scientific texts.
5. Time scheduling and process of writing scientific papers, Empirical investigations, Evaluation of scientific papers.
6. Research approach and literature review. Research design and statement of research purpose. Research questions and hypotheses.
7. Research designs and methods of analysis. Selection Procedures (Sampling).
8. Data Collection Techniques. Create a questionnaire.
9. Data Preparation. Data analysis.
10. Statistical research methods. Data reporting.
11. Communication and dissemination of scientific knowledge.
12. Techniques of presenting topics to an audience, rhetoric, methods and tactics of developing topics to an audience.
13. Student behavior during exams, written and oral exams, Knowledge Management, University Knowledge Management, its goals and evaluation.

Educational Goals

This course aims to transfer knowledge to students related to science and scientific knowledge,  methods and methodology used by the various sciences and especially the social Sciences, the way of approaching the various quantitative and qualitative researches, the evolution of the various economic theories and in general the ways of writing – formulating and presenting the various scientific papers. The student, as a carrier of scientific knowledge, must know how knowledge is derived, analyzed, shaped and presented through scientific texts, which follow the various formalistic and writing international Standards. An attempt is made to understand approximate methods of the Cause-Effect form, making use of inductive and deductive ways of thinking. Through the lectures, especially the practical exercises, the student learns how to organize, manage and finally write papers with a theoretical and empirical part. The student learns to formulate questionnaires, organize primary research, search for secondary sources, review the international literature, process the data and capture it in a written, scientifically acceptable, text. This is necessary to do especially today, when knowledge is transmitted rapidly, it is multi-layered, easy to locate, but difficult to use on purpose, and the recognition of the scientist is mainly through his published written and original work. These goals are  achieved through the various levels of study (bachelor, master, doctorate), through presentations at international Conferences , from scientific Papers, in international scientific journals, from monographs and generally from internationally recognized publications of various scientific associations and institutions.

After successfully completion of  the course, the student will be able to:

• Know the basic principles of the development of the sciences and especially of the social sciences, an area in which Economics also moves and to recognize what is scientific knowledge and what is not.
• Approach various subjects based on scientific methods and methodology and to distinguish what is important for the realization of his goal.
• Implement primary research with questionnaires, interviews, polls, and other forms of public opinion recording and produce meaningful and applicable results.
• Make combined use of knowledge and to meet at least the formal requirements of his thesis, master’s degree, and doctorate.
• Analyze and capture in reports the results of the investigations and to make the first estimates of their trends.
• To make use of secondary sources, Greek and international literature on matters of scientific interest and to apply them by integrating them into written assignments.
• Write, format and present scientific papers in scientific journals and conferences.
• Finally, to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to face the challenges at a higher educational level, but also those of his professional career in a demanding national and international environment.

General Skills

• Team work.
• Search for, analysis and synthesis of data and information, with the use of the necessary technology.
• Decision making.
• Production of free, creative and inductive thinking.
• Working in an interdisciplinary environment.

Teaching Methods

• In the classroom, face to face.

Use of ICT means

• Basic software (windows, word, power point, the web, etc.).
• Support of learning process through the electronic platform / e-class.

Teaching Organization

Students Evaluation

Written final exams (60%) that may include:

• Judgemental questions
• Short answer questions
• Composite theoratical questions

In each question, corresponding evaluation points are specified.
Optional assignment (Essay writing and presentation) corresponds to 40% of the final grade.

Recommended Bibliography

1. Μαντζάρης Γιάννης: Έρευνα στις Κοινωνικές Επιστήμες: Μια φιλοσοφική – επιστημολογική προσέγγιση, Εκδόσεις Λογισμός, 2021, ISBN 9786188496712.
2. Λιαργκόβας, Π., Δερμάτης, Ζ., Κομνηνός, Δ., 2019, Μεθοδολογία της Έρευνας και Συγγραφή Επιστημονικών Εργασιών, Εκδ. Τζιόλα, Θεσσαλονίκη.
3. Creswell J.D., Creswell J.W., Σχεδιασμός Έρευνας – Προσεγγίσεις Ποιοτικών, Ποσοτικών και Μεικτών Μεθόδων, Εκδ. Προπομπός, Αθήνα, 2019.
4. Pamela S. Schindler, Μέθοδοι έρευνας για τις επιχειρήσεις, Εκδ. Κριτική, Αθήνα, 2019.

Related Research Journals

1. Journal of Business Economics and Management.
2. International Journal of the Economics of Business.
3. Journal of Economics and Business.
4. European Research on Management and Business Economics.
5. Journal of Business & Economic Statistics.
6. Journal of International Economics.