PAE306 Agroecology: Action Oriented Research

In this course students must prepare a master’s thesis proposal and a field research report. The focus is on the introduction to the master's thesis proposal, choice of topic, research questions, methods for data collection and annotated bibliography. The course gives students the opportunity to familiarize themselves with participatory action research, field research methods with a focus on a number of qualitative methods and basic quantitative methods. The course emphasizes issues of complexity and change, and the challenges of doing research in unfamiliar situations and places. Critical reflection on different approaches to data collection and analysis, and on the relationship between specific research problems and related methods will be essential.

Attention is given to:

• the participatory action research process;
• challenges of doing action research, how to plan the work, resources;
• basic understanding of epistemological and methodological issues;
• strengths and weaknesses of different methods for data collection, analysis, and processing;
• selection of appropriate sample: selection of case(s)/participants and selection within cases;
• reflection on field research and ethical implications;
• writing: the master’s thesis proposal; how to present and report field research

After completing the course, students are expected to have the following knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

• Be able to design a thesis research proposal
• Know how to get an overview of a research area and present relevant literature related to this
• Be able to describe the topic for the master's thesis within this area
• Be able to describe the purpose of the topic and why it is relevant
• Be able to develop research questions and argue for the choice
• Know how to present yourself to others as a researcher, as the instrument through which we see the world
• Have knowledge of the ethics of action research
• Be able to design and conduct action research using the range of qualitative and quantitative methods and techniques introduced in the course

Skills

• Ability to describe research strategy and methods
• Ability to define the core concepts of the work and explain how you will "measure" them
• Ability to describe what kind of research this is, what the data sources are, what methods will be used for data collection, and why?
• Ability to assess the strengths and limitations of a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods and their complementarity in an action research context
• Ability to assess the use of different research methods, techniques and analysis procedures
• Ability to systematically record, organize, code and analyze empirical data material
• Ability to critically reflect on different approaches to data collection and analysis, and on the relationship between specific research problems and related methods with which you have become familiar
• Ability to discuss the reliability and validity of the study and its results

General competences

• Ability to handle personal data in research and prepare data handling plans
• Ability to reflect on and criticize the research process and what you learned about the techniques and about yourself as a researcher
• Ability to give fellow students feedback in a positive and constructive way
• Ability to write a proposal for a master's thesis
• Ability to report research based on own findings.