Corsi di Studio del Dipartimento di Culture, Politica e Società

In line with the learning objectives of the Intercultural Communication degree, this course provides an extensive introduction to the methodology and logic of social science research, covering both quantitative and qualitative methods. In relation to the specific learning objectives of the methodological area, the course will equip students with the knowledge, skills and vocabulary necessary to translate a general enquiry about a social phenomenon or issue into a specific research question.

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

- articulate a research question and define the phenomenon under investigation appropriately;

- understand the differences between various quantitative and qualitative research designs, and recognise their respective advantages and limitations.

- understand the main research and data collection techniques;

- independently outline the main research operations to be carried out;

- consciously interpret results from sociological and/or political science empirical research as reported in tables and graphs, as well as in texts of various kinds.

The course provides an introduction to the methodology and techniques of quantitative and qualitative social research. The main topics concern the research design, the data collection and measurement instruments. The differences between quantitative and qualitative approaches will be also addressed. In particular, the following topics are covered:

- Method and research techniques: quantitative and qualitative approaches.

- Research design: what, how and why

- From theory to empirical research: concepts and indicators

- Validity and reliability of the indicators

- Measurement and types of variables

- Sampling

- The survey: assumptions and formulation of the questions

- Causality and the experimental logic

- Basic terms for reading tables and graphs: univariate and bivariate analyses (contingency tables).

- Participant observation

- In-depth interview

- Focus group

- Visual methods and comics 

- An introduction to digital research

Attendance is strongly recommended.

The in-person written exam consists of four open questions, each worth a maximum of five points, and 14 closed questions, each worth one point with a -0.25 penalty for incorrect answers. To pass the exam, it is necessary to obtain at least 7 out of 14 points, but this is not sufficient: open questions will not be corrected if the score is lower than 7.

A score of 32 guarantees a pass with honours.

Students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) or disabilities may request adaptations to the assessment methods, while maintaining the same learning objectives. These adaptations may include, for example, additional time, evaluation focused on content rather than form, and the use of concept maps. Concept maps must be submitted to both instructors for review at least 7 working days before the exam date and should generally consist of keywords and logical connectors, not structured and detailed outlines ("notes"). For more information, students are encouraged to consult the following pages

Individual and group tutoring. More information will be given in class and on the Moodle course page.

Possible additional readings will be indicated during the classes.

In-person classes take place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

For students applying for the 6 ECTS exam (History degree), the relevant lectures are during the first six weeks of the course. The study materials are as follows:

- Cardano & Gariglio, 'Metodi qualitativi. Pratiche di ricerca in presenza, a distanza e ibride' (2022), Carocci: chapters 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10.

- Grüning & Scavarda, 'Sociologia del fumetto. Concetti, metodi e pratiche di ricerca', 2025, Carocci: capitolo 5.