General Course Information
1.1 Course details
| Course code: | LLAW7002 |
| Course name: | Design and Methods for Qualitative Legal Research |
| Programme offered under: | Research Programme |
| Semester: | First |
1.2 Course description
The seminar will introduce basic issues of (1) research design for small-n cast studies, and (2) methods of qualitative research. It provides an overview of the essential features of any explanatory research project, that is, research that seeks to develop causal theory that involves law, as cause or effect. The seminar also generates a check-list of common problems to avoid.
Participants will become familiar with some of the basic methodological issues routinely encountered in qualitative and comparative methods. Major topics and questions to be covered include:
– What is research design, and how are “methods” and “data collection and analysis” related?
– How to move from a “concept” to a “variable”
– How to write a good literature review and prospectus
– How to manage the problem of “selection bias”
– How to use case studies, and small-n comparison, to develop and test explanatory theory
We will read and critique a selection of research papers, and students taking the seminar for credit will develop their own research, in the form of an analytical literature review, a research prospectus (for a thesis, book, or article), or a full-blown research paper.
The seminar will be graded Pass/Fail. It is expected that students will integrate the seminar into the development of their own original research. Full participation is required to pass, which will include (1) writing short discussion papers responding to the required readings, and (2) submitting an analytical literature review, thesis prospectus, or research paper.
1.3 Course teachers
| Name | E-mail address | Office | Consultation | |
| Course convenor | Alec Stone Sweet | asweet@hku.hk | CCT 903 | By email |
Learning Outcomes
2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for this course
CLO 1 Analyse and assess published qualitative research that presents causal explanations of legal phenomenon.
CLO 2 Write a literature review and prospectus of profession quality.
CLO 3 Identify different types of case studies and their role in building testable propositions.
CLO 4 Explain when selection bias can be justified, and how.
CLO 5 Discuss how a concept can be operationalized as a causal variable.
Assessment(s)
3.1 Assessment Summary
| Assessment task | Due date | Weighting | Feedback method |
| Every student must complete and submit a literature review, prospectus, paper, or thesis chapter to be reviewed. | TBC | 100% | Individual written and oral feedback on literature review, prospectus, paper, or thesis chapter |
3.2 Assessment Detail
To be advised by course convenor.
3.3 Grading Criteria
Students will be assessed on a pass/fail basis.
Learning Resources
4.1 Resources
| Reading materials: | Reading materials are posted on Moodle |
| Core reading list: | TBA |
| Recommended reading list: | TBA |