Faculty of Social Sciences
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Chair in Qualitative Empirical Research Methods

Our teaching

Our current teachers: 

Links are provided to each instructor's QIS page, where you can find the current course materials, syllabi, etc.

The idea of our teaching

In our teaching, we primarily cover the fundamentals of empirical social research methods, (comparative) case study methods, and quantitative methods such as QCA. Whenever possible, we integrate methodological instruction with social science content, as we believe that methods are best learned through their application. In our courses, we strive to foster an atmosphere of mutual respect and a culture of constructive and helpful feedback. Our teaching is guided by the conviction that classroom instruction and self-study must complement each other effectively. We adopt a pedagogically differentiated approach, in which each course follows its own logic. We strive to provide student support (tutorials, etc.) wherever the budget allows. We look forward to welcoming creative, motivated, committed, and interested students to our courses and view teaching as a collaboration between instructors and learners.

teaching in the current semester 

Stock_Seminar

Advanced Methodology

The in-depth method courses build directly on the introductory course. While the introductory course is designed as a lecture, the in-depth method courses serve the practical application of methods. For this purpose, the format "Research Design" provides a general topic on which student group research projects are then carried out. The format "research technique", on the other hand, picks out a method and applies it to various topics.

Subject-specific courses

In the undergraduate courses, key topics and concepts in the field are systematically introduced and discussed. The goal is to develop a critical understanding of fundamental theoretical approaches and their practical applications, and to lay a solid foundation for further studies.

Course from Summer 2025

Einführung in die Methoden der empirischen Sozialforschung
Prof. Dr. Claudius Wagemann
Evaluation

Introduction to the methods of empirical social research

The introduction to methods of empirical social research has been a compulsory course in the bachelor's programs in political science and sociology for several years. It serves to provide a methodological foundation for the content-related interest of (beginning) students and gives a broad and pluralistic overview of the possibilities of methods of empirical social research. We teach this course alternately with Daniela Grunow's professorship.

Research Design: Comparative Case Studies

The Research Design course takes place in English each winter semester and is a required course in the Comparative Democracy Master's program, but is also open to students in the department's other Master's programs. The course is devoted to comparative research designs and discusses their implementation. Practical advice is also given on how to write one's own papers. A complementary course on Statistical Inference with Prof. Ruhe takes place in the summer semester.

Research Design: Comparative Case Studies

The Research Design course takes place in English each winter semester and is a required course in the Comparative Democracy Master's program, but is also open to students in the department's other Master's programs. The course is devoted to comparative research designs and discusses their implementation. Practical advice is also given on how to write one's own papers. A complementary course on Statistical Inference with Prof. Ruhe takes place in the summer semester.

Research internship

The research internship is not considered a "premium product" of teaching at the department for nothing. Our professorship also regularly offers a course here. Claudius Wagemann's research internship follows a methodological focus and is devoted to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and other set-theoretical methods. Benedikt Bender's research internship has a substantive focus and deals with questions of political economy and the welfare state.

Advanced Methodology

The in-depth method courses build directly on the introductory course. While the introductory course is designed as a lecture, the in-depth method courses serve the practical application of methods. For this purpose, the format "Research Design" provides a general topic on which student group research projects are then carried out. The format "research technique", on the other hand, picks out a method and applies it to various topics.