80% of the module will be assessed by one 2000-word research proposal excluding notes, tables, and references.

After successfully completing this module, students will be able to:

 Learning outcomes: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.

A. Contrast epistemological foundations of social science research

B. Evaluate requirements and challenges of research ethics

C. Identify and critically evaluate literature relevant to a specific research question

D. Critically evaluate needs and challenges of research design

E. Demonstrate understanding and apply methods of data collection and analysis

F. Communicate clearly in writing G. Design a research project and write a research proposal

•   Due by 11:59pm, May 11th 2023 (China Beijing Time)

•    2000 words excluding notes, tables, and references

•    File in Word format

•    Font size 12

•    Citing research articles using Chicago Style

•    The assignment must be submitted to the online dropbox of the course on Learning Mall.

•   A penalty of 5% per working day applies to work submitted late.

Your research proposal should contain the following components to make it successful:

Part 1: Research Question and Significance

The question under investigation must be

•    International relations: IPE, Security, Foreign Policy, etc.

•    General: not a single event

•    Positive: empirically testable, not a normative question

•    Explanatory: a why question, not a descriptive question, not a forecasting question

•    Significance: theoretical and practical

Anything that you find interesting is a potential topic but the issues need to be reasonably related to international relations such as international political economy, security, and foreign policy. Social and political phenomena including poverty, trade, foreign investment, military spending,  infant mortality, and many other things could be suitable topics.