Master's Degree in Methods and Techniques of Social Research

Throughout the course, topics that provide a foundation for the study of research designs will be explored. To this end, the different stages of the research process and their variations will be examined, according to the implemented theoretical and methodological strategy and within the framework of integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches. While this workshop will specifically address issues related to social research methodology, the work will be framed within the general principles that guide the production of scientific knowledge. Therefore, the interrelation between theory, method, and techniques in constructing empirical approaches to the studied reality is considered the fundamental core of this production.

Teachers: Néstor Cohen and Gabriela Gómez Rojas

This course brings together researchers with extensive experience in the social sciences to review the main current epistemological and methodological debates, with an emphasis on those most relevant to the socioeconomic, sociocultural, and socioenvironmental problems of Latin America. It will explore epistemic shifts in situated research practices, contemporary methodological debates in the field of qualitative research, and methodological proposals for working together with quantitative and qualitative techniques. The course will also address the process of operationalization in the social sciences as the core of any methodological strategy, the controversies and opportunities related to the advent of big data, and the ethical discussions and criteria linked to social research practices.

Teachers: Juan Piovani and Rodolfo Iuliano

To understand and transform reality, critical theories and robust, diverse research methods are essential. The various research methods used by researchers in the social sciences are a fundamental tool for understanding Latin American social problems. This course brings together Latin American researchers to explore diverse quantitative and qualitative strategies, methods, and techniques (and proposals for overcoming this division, such as mixed methods) for producing social scientific knowledge, emphasizing their properties, strengths, limitations, and ongoing debates.

Teachers: Alberto Riella and Sofía Vanoli

This course will focus on presenting the challenges and procedures involved in conducting quantitative measurements of social reality using survey research techniques. It will cover the theoretical and methodological considerations of survey research, its different modalities, and how to develop and administer measurement instruments. The course will then address the concept of statistical sampling, presenting the most commonly used sample types for surveys and introducing methods for calculating sample size and sample selection.

Teachers: Mauricio Tubío and Juan Romero

Case studies as an empirical research strategy. Main perspectives on case studies. Single and multiple case studies. Why compare, how to compare, and what to compare.

Teachers: Germán Quaranta and Joan Miquel Verd

Construction and analysis of qualitative information applied to social research: ethnographic techniques, discourse analysis, focus groups, and forms of participant observation.

Teachers: Juan Piovani, Leticia Muñiz Terra and Eugenia Rausky

Statistical analysis applied to social research. Databases, descriptive statistics, bivariate and association analysis. Control variables, regression analysis, principal components, and factor analysis.

Teachers: Jesica Plá, Pablo Dalle, Fernando Tavares and Santiago Poy

This course aims to help students synthesize and apply the knowledge and methodological tools acquired in previous modules by developing their own research project. Throughout the course, students will understand the internal logic of a social science research project. The course will analyze its various stages: constructing a research object, defining a problem, and formulating questions, hypotheses, and objectives. Subsequently, students will be guided in developing their methodological strategy to empirically test their hypotheses or answer the questions guiding their research. Attention will be paid to establishing an appropriate relationship between theory and empirical evidence to evaluate the advantages and limitations of different research techniques. Finally, the course will discuss the procedures for analyzing the data produced, the expected results, and the alignment between available resources and project objectives.

Teachers: Alberto Riella and Paola Mascheroni

Students must choose one of the following seminars: 

• Care systems and policies in Latin America
• Migration, gender and care

The seminar is designed to provide theoretical and methodological support to Master's students through the various stages of their own research projects. Based on the research findings, the seminar will support the development of a scientific article that maximizes the application of the content covered during the academic program. This article will serve as the Master's final assessment and will be reviewed by a team of specialists in the field before being submitted to an indexed academic journal for peer review. Projects must be developed according to the five lines of research:

1. Social classes, education and work

2. Culture and identities

3. Gender inequalities and diversity

4. Public policies and political action

5. Rural areas and social conflicts