This course will introduce students to basic principles of research design in social science and to a range of qualitative and quantitative methods commonly used in social science research. The first part of the course will explore general issues in social inquiry and research design. In the second part, we delve into the main research methods that constitute the toolkit of social scientists. For each of them, we focus on underlying principles, practical applications, strengths and weaknesses, and ethical challenges. Assessment is based on class participation, written exams and final assignment in which students work in groups to design a research project in an area of choice, and a series of other assignments related to research topics. There will be a variety of classroom activities that help students better understand the research process and discover the way to apply social science research methods to address their research questions.