Students:
* Understand common research approaches and their differences.
* Recognize how a different research approach may lead to different research results and a different way in which results are relevant for policy and society.
* Explain why and how a thesis literature review can be performed.
* Understand different methods for data collection (interviews, questionnaires, document analysis) and how to perform these.
* Recognize and understand different methods for data analysis, (coding qualitative data and key quantitative analysis concepts for statistical analysis) and how these can be applied.

Before conducting academic research in the field of sustainability science, it is important to understand the basics of research approaches and methods used within the field. Both the choice for an approach and the method(s), influence the way in which a topic is studied and the research results.

This course aims to provide students with the basic knowledge and experience to perform a thesis-related literature review, understand the methodological underpinnings of a chosen research approach, undertake data collection and engage in data analysis in a scholarly way.

Reference list will be provided.