Contemporary International Problems(Seminar Course)

Content

Objective

This seminar aims to provide students with the methodological knowledge and skills required to produce a Master’s thesis that meets the academic standards of the discipline of International Relations. It covers the main stages of the research process, including identifying and using relevant sources, formulating a research question, reviewing the literature, conceptualization, developing a research problem, and structuring a research project. Particular emphasis is placed on qualitative research methods.

Course Content

Key texts on the evolution of methodological debates within the discipline of International Relations are read and discussed interactively. The course then covers the main stages of the research process, including topic selection and delimitation, identifying and formulating a research problem, formulating research questions and hypotheses, conducting a literature review, and structuring a research project. The course also covers qualitative research methods, especially content analysis and discourse analysis. Case studies and practical exercises familiarise students with applying these methods.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

- Identify and discuss the main methodological debates within the discipline of International Relations.
- Understand and distinguish between the main qualitative research methods used in International Relations.
- Identify and formulate research questions and hypotheses, conduct a literature review, and apply these skills in the preparation of academic research, including research papers and master’s theses.

Teaching and Learning Methods

The seminar combines the reading and discussion of selected works on the history and development of International Relations as a discipline, the diversity of approaches to the discipline across different academic contexts, and research and analytical methods. Students then apply the methods discussed through short practical exercises and research activities.

References

- Amitav Acharya, Barry Buzan, "Why is there no non-Western international relations theory? An introduction", International Relations of the Asia-Pacific
Vol. 7, No. 3, 2007, 287-312.
- Ersel Aydınlı, Julie Mathews, "Are the Core and Periphery Irreconcilable? The Curious World of Publishing in Contemporary International Relations", International Studies Perspectives, Vol. 1, No. 3, 2002, 289-303.
- Ersel Aydınlı (Der.), Uluslararası İlişkilerde Metodoloji, İstanbul: Koç Üniversitesi Yayınları, 2022.
- Luigi Curini, Robert Franzese, The SAGE Handbook of Research Methods in Political Science and International Relations, SAGE, 2020.
- Peter M. Kristensen, "How Can Emerging Powers Speak? On Theorists, Native Informants and Quasi-Officials in International Relations Discourse", Third World Quarterly, Vol. 36, No. 4, 2015, 637-653.
- Christopher Lamont, Research Methods in International Relations, SAGE, 2015.

Weekly Contents

Assessment System

ECTS