Attendance and active participation are essential components of this course. Students are expected to engage in class discussions based on the weekly readings, lectures, and peer contributions. Participation includes contributions to in-class exercises designed to develop core research skills—such as identifying research questions, evaluating research designs, critiquing scholarly work, and planning data collection strategies. These may include small group critiques, mock research design exercises, or exploratory literature reviews. It also also includes several short, in-class quizzes on the assigned readings and lectures. The response paper and midterm test will assess students' understanding of key methodological concepts and their ability to apply them critically.

Throughout the semester, students will develop a research topic of their own interest, ideally aligned with their broader program or thesis plans. They will receive structured feedback at multiple stages, including during peer discussions and written assignments. The final research proposal will serve as a culminating assignment, demonstrating the student’s ability to formulate a coherent research design that integrates theory, method, and potential evidence.