Critical Research Design Choices and Considerations for Creating an Integrated Research Design

1. Introduction to Research Design

• Writing a Research Paper: Grounded, Original and Critical
• Processes: Designing and Conducting Research
• Choices and Criticality
• Criticality from Others
• Why Write a Proposal?
• Parts of a Proposal
• Structure of the Book

2. Literature Review and Knowledge Mapping - Balazs Szanto and Robin Ramcharan

• Core Terminology
• Critically Reviewing Literature
• Knowledge Mapping
• Critically Approaching the Existing Body of Knowledge
• Formulating a Problem Statement
• Writing a Critical Literature Review

3. Theoretical Framework

• Difference between the Theoretical Framework and the Literature Review
• Conceptual Definitions
• The Role of Theory
• Constructing a Theoretical Framework
• Writing a Theoretical Framework
• Criticality in the Theoretical Framework

4. Objective Design

• Research Questions
• Research Objectives
• Hypothesis
• Expected Outcome
• Other Practical Components of the Proposal
• Revising Research Questions and Objectives

5. Methodological Concepts

• Research Methodology
• Empirical-Interpretive Divide
• Quantitative, Qualitative and Mixed-mode Designs
• Quantitative Research
• Qualitative Research
• Mixed-mode Research
• Descriptive, Explanatory and Normative Designs
• Primary and Secondary Data
• Case Studies
• Comparative Research
• Ethical Obligations and Review
• Limitations and Critical Engagement

6. Quantitative Research

• The Relevance of Quantitative Designs
• Large Datasets, Generalizability and Sampling
• Independent and Dependent Variables
• Survey Design
• Descriptive Statistics
• Correlation
• Computerized Statistics
• Critical Engagement: Numbers don’t lie, but Statisticians do
• Quantitative Design in the Proposal’s Methodology Section

7. Qualitative Human Subject Research

• Fieldwork
• Interviews
• Differences between Interviews and Surveys
• Classifying Interviews
• Interview Design
• Ethical Obligations for Interviews
• Practical Considerations for Conducting Interviews
• Considerations for the Proposal’s Methodology Section

8. Critical Policy Research

• Change-oriented Research
• Normative Policy Research: How the World should be
• Policy Evaluation: How the World is
• Policy Recommendations: Bridging the Ideal and Reality
• Communicating Methodology and Process Tracing
• Considerations for the Methodology Section

9. Qualitative-Interpretive Research - Kenneth Houston

• Using Interpretive Methodology in IR & Political Science
• What is qualitative-interpretive (QI) methodology?
• Why would we use it in studying International Politics
• The questions QI can help answer
• Subjectivity and Identity
• Language & Discourse
• Power
• Source options for QI research
• Talk and Text
• Naturally Occurring vs Generated Data
• High Data vs ‘Low’ Data
• Interviews (elite actor, expert, technical, etc)
• Documents, ‘Grey Literature’ and Official Discourse
• The ‘nuts and bolts’ of QI Research – how to ‘interpret’ qualitative political data
• Conclusion

10. Writing a Proposal

• What?
• How?
• Why?
• Putting the Defence back into the Defence Panel
• Final Words

Biography

Balazs Szanto is a lecturer at the Defence & Security Programme, Rabdan Academy, UAE. He holds a PhD in International and Strategic Studies from the University of Malaya, and an MA in Critical Geopolitics (Merit) from Newcastle University. His research interests include international security and international relations in the Asia-Pacific, primarily China, Japan, and the ASEAN states, and realist interpretations of the role of military power in foreign policy, in particular in the context of maritime disputes in Asia such as the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands disputes. He has published a number of articles and a previous book with Routledge, War and International Relations: A Critical Analysis (2021).

Kenneth Houston lectures in international relations and global affairs at Mahidol University International College, Bangkok, Thailand. His research interests are conflict resolution, regional integration, social power, political discourse, religion and politics. He has published on the subjects of EU relations with religious associations, the role of language and official discourse in the politics of Myanmar, and ASEAN regional integration. He holds a PhD from Ulster University and an MA in Peace and Conflict Studies (Ulster University), as well as postgraduate diplomas in Mediation and Conflict Resolution (UCD) and Education (University of Nottingham).

Robin Ramcharan teaches and conducts research on ASEAN, international law, and intellectual property rights at Mahidol University International College, Thailand. He is a professor of international relations and has taught in Canada, India, and Switzerland over the past two decades, including at the Universities of Toronto and McGill University. He worked for several years in the cooperation for development sector in the World Intellectual Property Organisation. He also worked in the not-for-profit sector.