Attendance at the course is compulsory for students in Peace and Conflict Research major and recommended to others in the Peace-programme.

Course is available only for the Master’s degree students in PEACE programme.

Aim: This course introduces to students how to choose their research topic, frameworks and questions. It also offers an introduction to selected methodical approaches relevant in peace and conflict studies.

Skills: After the course students are able to choose their own research topic and define relevant methods to his/her theme.

The student will be able to describe, identify and analyse theoretical and philosophical questions relevant to peace and conflict studies.

The key topics such as what is required to transform from consumer of knowledge as producer of knowledge and how to choose research topic and to find relevant methodologies will be discussed during the course. Principles of multi- and intra-disciplinary approaches will be discussed during the course. Selected literature.

Course consists of different parts with various lecturers:

1)   24.3. Marko Lehti: Introduction to research methods in peace and conflict research

2)  31.3. Bruno Lefort:  Interviews and anthropological approach

3) 7.4 Teemu Palosaari: Foreign Policy Analysis

4) 14.4 Benedikt Schoenborn: Archive sources and historical approach

5) 28.4. and 5.5 Guest lecturer Dr Nelia Nacima Hyndman-Rizk

6) 14.5 Intensive beginning of thesis seminar. Brainstorming session (whole day) in May. Students will write research plan for their master thesis. The plans should include introduction to the theme, overview to previous research, selected list of literature and suggested theoretical framework, methodology and research questions. Research plans will be discussed and commented in the classroom.

pass/fail