Scientific Research Methods in Geography
Module Leaders: Thomas Maloutas, Professor, Apostolos G. Papadopoulos , Associate Professor
The main objective of the course is to enable postgraduate students to design and carry out a research project, placing particular emphasis on modern geographical applications. This objective is obtained in view of developing a number of capabilities: a) to formulate research questions and interrelate them to a theoretical framework, b) to elaborate on their research questions in order to decide upon the particular research methods for collecting data, c) to construct the necessary research tools, d) to familiarize with the tools with an eye towards data elaboration and representation, e) to understand the operationalization of data collection and analysis in the context of particular field work sites, and e) to learn how to interpret and/or explain research findings.
The course is structured on the basis of the following themes: Foundations of geographical research. Design and strategies of scientific research. Collection and analysis of quantitative data. Collection and analysis of qualitative data. Multivariate analysis. Qualitative data analysis. Strategies for combining quantitative and qualitative research. Processing and representation of socioeconomic and geographical data. Presentation of research findings.