Overview

Course content

This course aims to provide students with a broad-based training in research methodologies which enables them to use a range of research instruments and analyse different types of data in the context of Middle Eastern Studies. This course also exposes students to methodological debates and approaches to help them develop the ability to critically assess academic work. The course encourages students to engage and confront the methodological challenges which arise in a
multidisciplinary context and think constructively on the historical evolution and trajectory of research on the contemporary Middle East.

The course includes discussions about data collection and analysis, highlighting the peculiarities of these processes in the context of Middle Eastern Studies. Through lectures and discussions, students learn how to collect and analyse various types of data, including texts, qualitative, and quantitative data. The course also introduces students to ethnographic approaches and methods, paying particular attention to the ethical issues and validity in the Middle Eastern Studies context. The aim is to bring out the relevance of methods to interdisciplinary research in Middle Eastern Studies.

Online course platform

This course uses Canvas as the online course platform. The course platform will be opened two weeks before the course begins to all students who were accepted. Here you will be able to access literature, assignments, announcements, as well as participate in discussions and communicate with teachers. 

Schedule

The course schedule can be found under the course information on the right. Please note that the final version of the schedule will be made available four weeks before the course begins, and changes may occur until that point. A more detailed schedule will be available on the course platform on Canvas.