Research Guide In Political Science

This text introduces students to the discipline of political science and the research process by teaching them how to conduct basic political research without overwhelming them with statistical theorizing and calculation. Political Science Research has three objectives. First, it gives students the scope of the discipline by acquainting them with what political scientists do and study. Second, it familiarizes readers with the methods that political scientists use to examine pertinent questions. Third, the text guides readers through each stage of the research process: topic selection, literature review, hypothesis formulation, data collection, input and analysis, and the writing of the final report.

The American PoZiticaZ Science Research Guide to their efforts. Individuals in administra is a new series dealing generally with Ameri tive positions will also find that the APSRG offers a means for keeping current on public can government and specifically with public administration, state and local government, policy questions, despite the normal restric the legislative and executive branches, and tions of time and circumstance. the judiciary. The key to the entire program is the use of the data base of the Political Science Series of As an innovative idea, the APSRG is an approach to political research which focuses upon a the Universal Reference System. Combining ele single area within the discpline of political ments of the definitive URS Supplement and a science. The first in a proposed series of refined indexing procedure, the APSRG is pro softcover research guides, the APSRG is repre duced under the superv~s~on of the same schol sentative of the guiding principle of provid ars who develop that annual supplement.

This Handbook offers a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art research methods and applications currently in use in political science. It combines theory and methodology (qualitative and quantitative), and offers insights into the major approaches and their roots in the philosophy of scientific knowledge. Including a comprehensive discussion of the relevance of a host of digital data sources, plus the dos and don’ts of data collection in general, the book also explains how to use diverse research tools and highlights when and how to apply these techniques.

In Writing a Research Paper in Political Science, author Lisa Baglione breaks down the research paper into its constituent parts and shows students precisely how to complete each component. The author provides encouragement at each stage and faces pitfalls head on, giving advice and examples so that students move through each task successfully. Students are shown how to craft the right research question, find good sources and properly summarize them, operationalize concepts, design good tests for their hypotheses, and present and analyze quantitative and qualitative data. Even writing an introduction, coming up with effective headings and titles, presenting a conclusion, and the important steps of editing and revising are covered. Practical summaries, recipes for success, worksheets, exercises, and a series of handy checklists make this a must-have supplement for any writing-intensive political science course. In this Third Edition, updated sample research topics come from American government, gender studies, comparative politics, and international relations. And now, more extensive materials are available on the web, including checklists and worksheets that help students tackle each step, calendar ideas to help them complete their paper on time, and a glossary.

"Stephen Van Evera's Guide to Methods makes an important contribution toward improving the use of case studies for theory development and testing in the social sciences. His trenchant and concise views on issues ranging from epistemology to specific research techniques manage to convey not only the methods but the ethos of research. This book is essential reading for social science students at all levels who aspire to conduct rigorous research."—Alexander L. George, Stanford University, and Andrew Bennett, Georgetown University "Van Evera has a keen awareness of the questions that arise in every phase of the political science research project—from initial conception to final presentation. Although others may not agree with all of his specific advice, all will appreciate his user-friendly introduction to what is sometimes seen as an abstract and difficult topic."—Timothy J. McKeown, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill For the last few years, Stephen Van Evera has greeted new graduate students at MIT with a commonsense introduction to qualitative methods in the social sciences. His helpful hints, always warmly received, grew from a handful of memos to an underground classic primer. That primer has now evolved into a book of how-to information about graduate study, which is essential reading for graduate students and undergraduates in political science, sociology, anthropology, economics, and history—and for their advisers.