Paper - Academic Registry and Council Secretariat - Queen Mary ...

TPB2012-015
Section 2 - Module Specification
Module Title Policy evaluation and research methods
Module Code
Credit Value 15 Level 7 Mode of Delivery On Campus Semester Semester 2
Module Organiser
Dr Maria Koumenta, Lecturer in Human Resource Management
Pre-requisite modules Co-requisite modules Overlapping modules
n/a n/a n/a
1) Content Description
Provide a description of the module, as it will appear in the Module Directory and on the Student Information
System (approx. 70-80 words).
What are good and bad policies and how can we distinguish between them? This first part of the course aims to familiarise
students with the tools and techniques necessary to evaluate public policies. The second part equips them with the necessary
skills to undertake their final project. Therefore, this part is geared towards preparation for, and successful completion of high
quality, rigorous and systematic applied research required for a dissertation. It begins by offering an introduction to quantitative
methodology and data analysis including multiple regression analysis, modelling of non-linear relationships and dummy
variables. Using regression-based evaluation methods, the second part of the course discusses various approaches in policy
evaluation such as the use of randomised, natural or quasi-experiments, panel data, differences-in-differences estimation,
propensity score matching and fixed effects models. It introduces students to theory-driven (as opposed to inductive or
"grounded") approaches to qualitative coding and analysis in multi-case comparative designs for causal explanatory research.
The course draws on real public management and policy issues and further explores how policy evaluation can take place under
logistical, budgetary and ethical constraints.
2) Module Aims
Specify the aims of the module, i.e. the broad educational purposes for offering this module.
This module aims to provide students with a strong foundation-level understanding of the value, purpose but also the limitations
policy evaluation as a method and as a practice in public management. Secondly, it aims to provide students with firm
understandings of quantitative and qualitative methods in the context of researching public management and policy
management issues.