The reading load is heavy for this course and the exam is a smaller version of the comprehensive exam. The course is intellectually demanding and students normally make it one of their top priorities in the semester they take the course. This class is required of all incoming doctoral students. It is an introduction to research design that familiarizes students with a variety of research techniques and data collection methods. It includes both quantitative and qualitative data collection.
Students conduct fieldwork and collect data as part of the class requirements.
The reading load, by contrast, is light. All students are required to do some survey research. Most will also engage in qualitative data collection or participant observation. Data collection methods include survey research, in-depth interviews, focus groups, and archival research. This class is an advanced electoral seminar on the politics of the poor.