social science methodology

[leo.np]

Hello all

I am planning to pursue a PhD in social science and my topic involves corruption and institutional capacity in developing countries. My professor has already agreed on the context but I am currently facing issues in methodology (professor wants me to propose a methodology). 

I want to analyze both corruption and institutional capacity together. Any social scientists here have suggestions on the methodology?My data,I think, will be subjective in nature and will be using primary data.I am going through all the past works but haven't found a right way. Please propose me relevant theoritical models, regression analysis you think is suitable.

Thanks and looking forward.

[draco.malfoy]

In reading your post, I'm a bit confused about your research question. When you say that you want to "analyze corruption and "institutional capacity"" (a working definition of this concept would be helpful), what do you really want to know? And when you say "subjective in nature" - do you mean qualitative? When you say "primary data," do you mean primary sources? Like, in the historical sense? It really depends on your research question... and I honestly think that methodology is an interest in itself, and not just a tool. What methodology do you enjoy?

For instance, you could do this project using a comparative-historical methodology, or ethnographic, or interviews and surveys for a more quantitative approach, which I think you're inclined to? because you mentioned regression analysis.

[rising_star]

I think you need to read existing studies investigating either corruption or "institutional capacity", focusing specifically on their research questions, hypotheses, and methods. Keep track of these so you can compare the work being done and the methods being used to do it by various scholars. Only after doing an extensive review of the methodologies others are using would I decide on a methodology for my own project.

[limonchello]

Great advice from @rising_star and @draco.malfoy! In addition to the other comments, you really need to decide whether you're taking a quantitative or qualitative approach. You mention "subjective" which makes me feel like you're leaning qual, but qual isn't necessarily subjective at its core. You could go either way and it does totally come down to your research question. What do you ACTUALLY want to know? Based on your post I feel like you haven't taken a social research methods class (at least not recently) so I would pick up a textbook (my preference is Social Research Methods by Bryman, but it may only be UK based) and explore the topic of how to formulate a research question, how to begin reviewing the literature, how to find gaps etc. Good luck!