Methodology at the Leuphana

Current Courses

Prof. Dr. Henrik Wehrden

Advanced statistics

Introduction to interviews and workshops for research in Sustainability Sciences

The colloquium is run by Irene Iniesta-Arandia, who has applied interviews and workshops in her research in Sustainability Science. She is also trained as facilitator for running workshops and meetings.

The colloquium is dedicated to PhDs of Leuphana University with an interdisciplinary focus. It aims at introducing the use of interviews and workshops, two methods that belong to qualitative and participatory paradigms, for research on Sustainability Sciences. The course will touch on the importance of ethics and researchers’ reflexivity in the processes of research design and fieldwork and will help students understand the advantages and disadvantages of using these techniques in Sustainability Sciences. The colloquium will reach these objectives by bringing together insights from the social sciences and humanities, and specifically from feminist theory and group facilitation

Ziel: to understand how interviews and workshops can be deployed in research on Sustainability Sciences

Doctoral Colloquium of the School of Sustainability

Methods of Environmental Sciences

The module conveys basic knowledge and practical research examples through which the diversity of methods available in environmental & sustainability science is exemplified and contextualized. The module presents an overview of approaches to obtain, analyse and interpret data within science, and embeds these into a broader ontological framework. While the focus is generally on how methods can aid and enable the production of knowledge, a connection to the history of science, including the origin and development of each specific method is part of the lecture.

Ziel: The study of environmental & sustainability sciences aims to combine topics that are engaged from different and diverse perspectives, yet is certainly more than the sum of its parts. Environmental & sustainability sciences engage in a holistic perspective and take normative dimensions as well as a focus on transformative knowledge strongly into account. Within this module students will learn to embed methods into the context of knowledge production, spanning across system, normative and transformative knowledge. Students will begin to understand that the choice of and experience in applying methods is a precondition of research. In addition, students will be enabled to recognize the normative dimension of scientific methods by starting to reflect about drawbacks and benefits of specific methods, and how the choice of methods may influence the process of knowledge production.The students will acquire basic skills in the methods of environmental & sustainability sciences, and embed this knowledge into the broader context of methods in science, starting with an introduction into developing study designs building on the application of methods. Through the application of simplified hands-on experience with the specific methods the students will get an initial understanding of the benefits and challenges of the individual methods. The knowledge acquired in the module and applied to exemplary case studies of publications, thereby enabling students to start to get engaged with the scientific canon. By engaging students through blended learning - building on an extensive Wiki as well as Video and podcast formats, which students are expected to engage with in order to pass the exam - they further learn to participate in the scientific discourse.

Tutorial I Module Bachelor Thesis - in English

In addition to the lectures, this tutorial gives you the opportunity to present the planned work to each other and to discuss the respective current, self-determined topics among each other. The tutors also provide valuable impulses for the exchange as well as assistance for the process of writing a bachelor thesis.

The module is accompanied by a Moodle course: https://moodle.leuphana.de Cross-semester Moodle courses, enrolment key: BA-Thesis SoSe 2022

Ziel: You will have the opportunity to familiarize yourself with all formal and content-related aspects of writing a bachelor thesis and to exchange ideas about this process with your fellow students. They acquire the necessary skills to successfully design their bachelor thesis.

Current Courses

Prof. Dr. Christoph Wegener

Research Seminar in Economics

Vorträge zu laufenden Forschungsarbeiten von Promovierenden und Wissenschaftlern des Instituts sowie von auswärtigen Gästen.

Die Referenten sollten möglichst min. eine Woche vor dem Vortrag ihr Papier an Boris Hirsch schicken, der es dann für alle Teilnehmer zugänglich in myStudy hochladen wird. Hierdurch sollen tiefergehende Diskussionen der Papiere ermöglicht werden.

* im Seminarplan: Externe Gäste, mit denen wir vermutlich am Dienstagabend Essen gehen werden, zu dem alle Interessierten gerne mitkommen können (Info bei Boris Hirsch).

Ziel: Kolloquium (Vortrag) im Rahmen des Promotionskollegs VWL gem. §6 Abs. 4

Introduction to basic principles of empir-ical knowledge production regarding the field of Business and Economics Education

Mathematics for Business and Economics

Content:

Introduction to basic mathematical methods, mathematical analysis and elements of financial mathematics. Business-related questions act as a reference point to illustrate the pertinence of mathematical competences for business studies and economics.

Structure:

1. Introduction

2. Differential calculus

3. Optimization

4. Integration

5. Approximation

6. Fundamentals of financial mathematics

Mathematics for Business and Economics - Tutorial - Group 1

Mathematics for Business and Economics - Tutorial - Group 2

Current Courses

Neha Chauhan

Risk, Vulnerability and Adaptation: Climate Change Models and Methods (Group 1)

Risk, Vulnerability and Adaptation: Climate Change Models and Methods (Group 2)

Current Courses

M.Sc. Dagmar Berg-Mölleken

Reflecting ethical values - scientific perspectives and methods

Liebe Studierende,

ethische Werte und Wertvorstellungen bestimmen unser Handeln auf allen Ebenen, von individuellen bis hin zu globalen Entscheidungen. Das Reflektieren von ethischen Wertvorstellungen in der Wissenschaft ist jedoch sehr herausfordernd: Werte wirken oft implizit auf unser Handeln, und sind entsprechend schwer zugänglich, sowohl für uns selbst als auch für wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen; Werte sind stark subjektiv geprägt, und objektive Messungen werden dieser Subjektivität schwer gerecht; das Aushandeln von gemeinsamen Werten bei gleichzeitiger Anerkennung der Wertepluralität erfordert, insbesondere im Kontext drängender Nachhaltigkeitsprobleme, ein gutes Verständnis und Geschick der Forschenden. Im Seminar nehmen wir gemeinsam verschiedene Perspektiven auf ethische Werte und Wertvorstellungen ein und lernen wissenschaftliche Methoden kennen, die geeignet sind um sich Wertefragen zu nähern.

Grundlegend beziehen wir uns auf die Werteperspektiven nach Horcea-Milcu et al. (2019) "Values in transformational sustainability science: four perspectives for change." Die dort beschriebenen Perspektiven “Sichtbarmachen impliziter Werte“, „Werte aushandeln“, „Werte greifbar machen“ und „Transformation durch Werte“ werden besprochen und anhand praktischer Beispiele mit Methoden verknüpft.

Die Methoden werden aus einem diversen Pool ausgewählt: wir beziehen sowohl bekannte, vielfach genutzte Methoden wie z.B. qualitative Interviews, quantitative Fragebögen oder Formate von Gruppendiskussionen als auch spezifischere Methoden wie z.B. Causal Loops, Serious Play oder Walking Exercises mit ein.

Ziel: Die im folgenden formulierten Arbeitsziele und Kompetenzen sollen euch helfen

a) eine geeignete Seminarauswahl zu treffen, und

b) während des Semesters euren eigenen/unseren gemeinsamen Lernfortschritt zu beobachten.

Arbeitsziele im Seminar:

I) Ihr erhaltet einen Einblick in verschiedene Wertediskurse und setzt euch mit Grundbegriffen und Perspektiven auf ethische Werte in der (Nachhaltigkeits)Wissenschaft auseinander. Ihr reflektiert und verortet eure eigenen Werte.

II) Ihr benennt verschiedene wissenschaftliche Methoden und ordnet diese nach den Design Kriterien aus der Vorlesung ein. In praktischen Übungen wendet ihr die Methoden an und diskutiert systematisch deren Charakteristika.

III) Ihr bearbeitet in Gruppen erste eigene Forschungsfragen zum Thema Ethik und Nachhaltigkeit mit geeigneten wissenschaftlichen Methoden. Ihr übersetzt euer eigenes Forschungsinteresse in eine wissenschaftliche Fragestellung, wählt eine Methode anhand der besprochenen Kriterien aus, und erarbeitet ein Mini-Forschungsdesign.

IV) Ihr trainiert Grundfähigkeiten des reflektierten wissenschaftlichen Präsentierens und Schreibens, indem ihr entsprechend der Kriterien guter wissenschaftlicher Praxis in Gruppen euer Forschungsdesign vorstellt und begründet, und dazu individuelle Reflexionen schreibt.

Kompetenzen, deren Grundlagen wir im Seminar legen und auf die ihr im weiteren Studium aufbaut:

Fachkompetenzen: Ihr erhaltet Einblick in verschiedene Werteperspektiven und lernt, Wertediskurse zu verorten. Ihr trainiert eure Fähigkeit, relevante Literatur zu recherchieren und aufzubereiten. Ein besonderer Fokus liegt darüber hinaus auf dem Erlernen und Üben von Präsentationsfähigkeiten.

Methodenkompetenzen: Ihr lernt verschiedene Methoden kennen, mit denen ethische Werte und Wertvorstellungen wissenschaftlich untersucht werden können. Ihr lernt, geeignete Methoden zu einer Fragestellung mit Wertebezug auszuwählen und kritisch zu reflektieren.

Sozialkompetenzen: Ihr arbeitet in Gruppen zusammen und übt, euch gemeinsam mit einer Fragestellung auseinanderzusetzen, und eure Gruppenarbeit gemeinsam zu präsentieren.

Selbstkompetenzen: Ihr lernt, eure eigenen Gedanken und euren Lernprozess in Bezug zum Thema und in der Gruppenarbeit zu reflektieren.

Volunteering for a better world?

Dear students,

this seminar aims at you if you have previous experience in volunteering programs or if you are currently engaged in voluntary work. The main goal of this seminar is to open reflection spaces for connecting your real-life experiences with scientific discourses and methods.

The underlying question, that the seminar title is asking, is based on the book “Philosophy for a better world” by Floris van den Berg (2013). In his book, van den Berg introduces the principle of “universal subjectivism” for exploring the diverse notions of “doing good” and “what is better” through the interchange of perspectives. With a methods focus, and based on your own experiences, we will explore the diversity of perspectives in relation to "doing good through volunteering" and "what is a better world through volunteering", taking various scientific discourses (e.g., sustainability, forms of knowledge and learning, care work, equal opportunities, effective altruism), and various scientific methods to research such perspectives (e.g., qualitative interviews, quantitative surveys, focus groups) into account. You are encouraged to bring in your own experiences as case studies to critically reflect on your motivations and learning outcomes, the structures within which the experience took/takes place, and the implications of the experience on your individual and (global-) societal level.

Ziel: The learning goals and competencies formulated below should help you to

a) decide if this is the right seminar for you, because it offers what you are interested in and what you want to learn, and

b) observe your own/our joint learning progress during the semester.

Learning goals:

I. You will engage with core concepts and perspectives on volunteering. You will systematically connect your own experiences to scientific discourses, and discuss and reflect on those connections.

II. You will identify different scientific methods and categorize them according to the design criteria discussed in the lecture. In practical exercises, you will apply these methods and systematically discuss their characteristics to be able to choose appropriate methods in your future scientific work.

III. You will develop your own research question on a topic related to volunteering You will translate your research interest into a mini research design, meaning you formulate a scientific question, select a method based on discussed criteria, and discuss how you would use the method to answer your question.

IV. You will practice core skills of scientific presenting and writing. In small groups you present your research designs and justify them according to the criteria of good scientific practice, and you will write an individual reflection. These are competencies that you will need in your later studies.

Competencies:

Subject-specific competencies: You will gain insight into different scientific discourses on volunteering and learn to locate your own experiences in those discourses. You will train your ability to research and present relevant literature. A special focus is placed on learning and practicing presentation skills.

Methodological competencies: You will learn about different scientific methods for researching questions related to volunteering. You will also learn to choose appropriate methods for a question and to reflect on them critically.

Social competencies: You will work in groups and practice researching and presenting your group work together.

Self-competencies: You will learn to reflect on your own thinking and learning processes.