This course provides a focused overview of key issues in research design and interpretation that are foundational to producing (and recognizing) high-quality research, regardless of whether it uses a quantitative or qualitative approach. It is within this framework that the course will also review key methods used in the field, so that students are able to see past common divides between quantitative and qualitative research, which will expand their flexibility and expertise. This course provides MA graduates with core skills that are more important than ever for conducting and evaluating research in the non-academic world. The course will help students to align a substantive problem with the appropriate research methodologies for resolving it.