International relations

Data Analysis for Global Challenges

Module code: 038IRA
Level 6
30 credits in autumn semester
Teaching method: Workshop, Project
Assessment modes: Coursework, Project

Ability to work with ‘large datasets’ is becoming a core skill in social science training and related career pathways. Focusing on key socioenvironmental challenges, this module offers a hands-on introduction to basic data analysis for students adverse to numbers and statistics. You will learn where to access and how to use data on key social and environmental dynamics, how to examine the relation between different socio-environmental trends, how to analyse large textual data, how to read tables that report statistical results, and how to communicate/visualise the findings of your research. While working with socio-environmental data, you will deepen your understanding of the interaction between economic and environmental crises in the context of sustainability transition. This module is for students with no background in data or statistical analysis.

Module learning outcomes

• Access, download and use large datasets to support or develop research ideas, projects and findings
• Work with and analyse large textual data
• Analyse key challenges to sustainability transition by utilizing different types of data (qualitative, quantitative, visual)
• Use data visualisations (a) to identify patterns in, and draw insights from, complex data and (b) to communicate effectively research findings to different audiences