• Be analytical with regard to the types of inferences that can be derived from different types of data and analysis, including the ambiguity of complexities, complementarities and contradictions as they appear in mixed methods research in particular;
• Become better consumers of mixed methods research, developing the skills both to gauge analytical potential and be cognizant of shortcomings and ambiguities in cutting edge social science research;
• Show the ability to understand how different methods introduced in the course can contribute to answering a social science research question in collaboration as group;
• Develop the ability to independently use and reflect on the validity and reliability of mixed methods in individual or group research projects;
• Understand individual ethical responsibilities as researchers working with personal data;
• Hone the skills to disseminate independent research findings to others in a way that concretely communicates both narrow analytical value added and the broader contribution of the research to the state of the art in scholarship and societal wellbeing

The purpose of Advanced Mixed Methods is to make students better consumers and producers of multi-method research. To that end, we will 1) discuss how fundamental building blocks of social scientific research can speak to and qualify one another 2) learn how to apply and combine various concrete methods such as case studies, content analysis, process tracing and relational quantitative methods such as social network analysis, correspondence analysis & sequence analysis and; 3) critically examine and learn from prominent examples of mixed methods in existing research.

Reflecting these learning priorities, the course aims to give students practical experience incorporating mixed methods into their own research design. We will discuss the uses of different types of data in making inference regarding a research question. The goal is to both give students new tools to work with and the ability to consume and assess their past and current application in political research. Each method will be introduced in a set of lectures; then students will get the chance to work with the methods themselves in smaller workshops. These workshops will serve as the foundation of a final research paper - in which mixing methods is a requirement - which functions as the exam assignment for the course.

In relation to Nordic Nine

Advanced Mixed Methods introduces students to a variety of methods, with the aim of teaching them to be analytical and data-driven in making inferences while retaining awareness of the limits, ambiguities, and complexities of such work (NN2). Not only does this make students better producers of knowledge, it also makes them better consumers of it, bolstering their ability to assess the challenges facing humanity and the pathways towards resolving them, incuding the trade-offs and ethical dilemmas this may involve (NN3; NN5; NN7). Pedagogically, the course centers around collaborative group work and mutual learning and teaching within these groups (NN6; NN8).