Policy Analysis and Research Methods in Homeland Security

Catalog description

Requires students to construct an original research proposal that critically analyzes one aspect of the homeland security field within the United States of America. To do so, the course begins with a review of the tenets of sound research in the social sciences and proceeds with the development of a research proposal that includes the formulation of a research question and subsequent hypothesis, a review of the pertinent literature, and the development of a detailed methodology with which to conduct the research. Additional attention is devoted to the practical, ethical, and political issues that arise when conducting research and evaluation within the agencies, organizations, practices, and policies that fall under the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security.