Social Science Research Methods

In Social Science Research Methods, students experience the kind of inquiry-driven learning that defines Dartmouth College: asking bold questions, digging into real data, and connecting ideas to the issues shaping society today across fields like sociology, psychology, political science, economics, and education.

Through hands-on workshops and mini research projects, students explore quantitative and qualitative research methods including learn how to design research questions, conduct and analyze surveys and interviews, evaluate evidence, and turn findings into clear, persuasive arguments. Along the way, they build the elite academic skills top colleges value—critical thinking, data literacy, ethical reasoning, and confident academic writing—while collaborating with motivated peers in a fast-paced, college-level environment. By the end of the program, students leave with a tangible research project, sharper analytical and communication skills, and the preparation to excel in rigorous college coursework.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

1. Strengthen critical thinking and analytical skills by learning how to assess sources, interpret data, and distinguish well-supported arguments from opinion or speculation.
2. Learn how to ask strong, thoughtful research questions about society and human behavior.
3. Gain hands-on experience with college-level research methods, including surveys, interviews, and introductory data analysis, building confidence in how evidence is gathered and evaluated.
4. Develop clear and persuasive communication skills, practicing academic writing and presentation in ways that prepare them for rigorous college coursework.
5. Understand the ethical responsibilities of research, learning how scholars study people and institutions thoughtfully, responsibly, and with social impact in mind.

Learning Experiences

Sample course activities may include:

• Constructing and administering surveys
• Practice interviewing
• Participant observation around campus and downtown Hanover
• Conducting “breaching experiments” that reveal interpersonal norms
• Workshops with:
• Undergraduate Research Assistantships at Dartmouth
• Leslie Center for the Humanities
• Dickey Center for International Understanding
• Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy
• Guest speaker events with some of Dartmouth’s most published social scientists from multiple departments

*Information subject to change as instructors finalize syllabi