DA4460 Alternate Research Methods and Defense Analysis

This course is the first in a two-quarter sequence intended to familiarize students with a range of methodological approaches applicable to graduate research across the spectrum of topics included within the concept of defense analysis. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are considered in this course, with equal emphasis given to case studies, heuristics, sociological approaches, statistical analyses and formal modeling and game theory. More esoteric approaches will also be briefly considered, as will the blending of methodologies, with the degree of attention given to these approaches being dependent upon specific student interest and need. Beyond the conceptual study of research methods, students will also be exposed to many examples of scholarly works that employ one or more of the methods being studied. The course, though focused on methods, also introduces the concept of research design to help prepare students for the second course in the sequence. Graded on Pass/Fail basis only. Prerequisites: None.

Lecture Hours

4

Lab Hours

0