Today, data is everywhere. Data is not only collected for scientific studies. Governments, companies and non-profit organisations are amassing and increasingly sharing data at an unprecedented level. How can we use this information to study politics and international relations?

This module shows you how to make the most out of data. You will learn to handle and analyse data efficiently and how to communicate results effectively, e.g. by visualising them. Together, we will tackle two fundamental problems of all research. First, we will address the problem of counterfactuals when measuring causal effects. For example, imagine a new law introduced mandatory environmental protection for farm land. A year later, biologists measure that harmful substances in ground water are down by 20%. Was this the effect of the policy? Or was it maybe just a particularly rainy year that washed all pollutants away? In addition, you will learn how to infer anything about a population on the basis of a few hundred observations. It is indeed possible to have a fairly good idea about all British citizens’ voting intentions by asking only about one thousand of them. We will cover why.

The module is particularly relevant if you are planning to undertake a dissertation, helping you to identify your research interests and to develop these into a coherent research project. It is equally useful to all students interested in developing analytical skills for the purposes of understanding and explaining politics and international relations. Overall, a high emphasis is given on the development of skills that will contribute to your employability.

• Handling data efficiently;
• Writing easy R-code to implement all analyses;
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of the requirements and tools appropriate in designing, carrying out and disseminating research within different contexts;
• Evaluate the soundness of a research design;
• Critically assess the key issues in developing and designing a small scale research project within academic and non-academic settings;
• Understand the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches, methods and techniques in carrying out political research;
• Gather, organise, analyse and review a range of research data and sources;
• Identify, examine and develop solutions to research problems;
• Reflect on own learning and make use of constructive feedback.
• Communicating with data effectively;
• Use the appropriate presentational and writing skills to communicate ideas effectively and fluently in response to different research briefs;
• Use communication and information technologies for the retrieval and presentation of information;
• Work independently, demonstrating initiative, self-organisation and effective time management;
• Collaborating with others in small group work to deliver set tasks

The module will be delivered through a mix of large group and small group sessions, as well as online teaching and learning activities and materials – including, where relevant, asynchronous materials such as lecture recordings. Full details on the delivery mode of this module will be available on Learning Central at the start of the academic year – and may be, in part, determined by Welsh Government and Public Health Wales guidance relating to COVID-19.  

• Analysing a range of research data sources;
• Communicating results effectively;
• Handling data efficiently;
• Writing R Code;
• Using the appropriate presentational and writing skills in responding to different research contexts;
• Understanding the key debates in the development and design of political research.

Intellectual Skills:

• Gather, organise, analyse and review a range of research data and sources;
• Identify, examine and develop solutions to research problems;
• Evaluate the soundness of a research design;
• Reflect on own learning and make use of constructive feedback.

Transferable Skills:

• Use the appropriate presentational and writing skills to communicate ideas effectively and fluently in response to different research briefs;
• Use communication and information technologies for the retrieval and presentation of information;
• Work independently, demonstrating initiative, self-organisation and effective time management;
• Collaborating with others in small group work to deliver set tasks;

The module will be assessed by:

Lab report  (20 %)

Lab report  (20 %)

Lab report  (20 %)

Lab report  (20 %)

Team work evaluation (20%)

Re-assessment: where required, students will repeat failed/absent assessments

1. Data handling
2. Analysing data
3. Communicating results and data visualisation
4. Causal effects
5. Inference