Research Methods for Language, Linguistics and Translation

Upon successful completion of the course, students have

• knowledge of the basic features of different approaches to research (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods) and of the rationales and different quality criteria that pertain to these
• knowledge of some of the basic data types and analysis methods used in linguistics and translation studies 
• detailed knowledge of common concerns and issues in research ethics and of the regulating bodies, policies, and guidelines that pertain at national and international levels

Upon successful completion of the course, students are able to

• critically assess the methodology used in linguistics and translation studies research
• write a summary of a research article
• outline data and methods to be used in the master's thesis and give a rationale for these (Translation and professional communication and teacher-training students)
• write a critical review of a research topic within linguistics (English discipline and teacher-training students)

Competence

Upon successful completion of the course, students can

think and communicate critically on issues related to research ethics and methodology in general and to research methods and ethics in Translation Studies, educational research or linguistics in particular

This course is a key preparatory course for independent work on master's theses in all three programmes. Topics to be covered include general approaches to research, e.g. quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods research, the role of research methodology in a research project, criteria for research quality, ethical issues, and the specifics of a selection of common methods related to the study of language and translation. Specific topics include experimental methods, corpus analysis, survey methods, and statistics.

The first part of the course (roughly 75%) covers broader issues and a selection of methods relevant for translation, educational and linguistic research. The second part of the course covers questions and issues of more specific interest, and the reading and assignments for this part are programme-specific. Three compulsory assignments train students in the kind of reading, writing, and critical thinking involved in doing research and provide practice in a selection of techniques for data analysis.