Nikolaos Zahariadis (Rhodes College, Memphis, USA)

Nikolaos Zahariadis is Mertie Buckman Chair and Professor of International Studies at Rhodes College, Memphis, USA. He has written extensively on issues of domestic and foreign policy concerning European and transatlantic relations. Among others, he is three times a Fulbright award recipient, a Policy Studies Organization Fellow, Vice President of the International Public Policy Association, and thrice President of the International Studies Association-South.

Course: Research design and methods in policy research

We will devote equal time in identifying issues of research design and exploring the pros and cons of quantitative and qualitative methods in empirical applications. Students will learn to:

• • • Identify and correct issues and types of comparative case research
    • Understand the ethics and logic of the scientific method
    • Make appropriate decisions regarding theory and methods
    • Design a rigorous policy study
    • Specify ways to increase N-samples, and
    • Explore problems posed by validity problems.

The methods part will cover just a brief overview of appropriate qualitative and quantitative techniques to specific designs. We will use plenty of examples and the students’ own research to illustrate the points.