Political Science Research Methods

"This is a solid text that walks students through the entire process of empirical, quantitative research methods in political science without being too math-heavy.  Students will be able to read this book and come away with an increased understanding of how we use research methods in political science." —Amanda M. Rosen, Webster University   Understand the "how" and the "why" behind research in political science.   Political Science Research Methods helps students to understand the logic behind research design by guiding them through a step-by-step process that explains when and why a researcher would pursue different kinds of methods. The highly anticipated Ninth Edition of this trusted resource provides more international examples, an increased focus on the role ethics play in the research process, increased attention to qualitative research methods, and expanded coverage on the role of the internet in research and analysis.   A Complete Teaching & Learning Package SAGE coursepacks FREE! Easily import our quality instructor and student resource content into your school’s learning management system (LMS) and save time. .  SAGE edge FREE online resources for students that make learning easier.  

Table of Contents:
Tables, Figures, and Features Preface About the Authors Chapter 1 • Introduction Research on Income Inequality Politics and the Gender Gap The Case of Italian (Non) Tax Compliance Protests and Repression in New Democracies The Observer Effect in International Politics: Evidence from a Natural Experiment Conclusion Terms Introduced Chapter 2 • The Empirical Approach to Political Science Elements of Empiricism The Importance of Theory A Brief Overview of the Empirical Research Process Reactions to the Empirical Approach: Practical Objections Competing Points of View Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 3 • Beginning the Research Process: Identifying a Research Topic, Developing Research Questions, and Reviewing the Literature Specifying the Research Question Sources of Ideas for Research Topics Why Conduct a Literature Review? Collecting Sources for a Literature Review Writing a Literature Review Anatomy of a Literature Review Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 4 • The Building Blocks of Social Scientific Research: Hypotheses, Concepts, Variables, and Measurement Proposing Explanations Formulating Hypotheses Defining Concepts Devising Measurement Strategies The Accuracy of Measurements The Precision of Measurements Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 5 • Sampling The Basics of Sampling How Do We Use a Sample to Learn About a Population? Sampling Methods Types of Samples Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 6 • Research Design: Establishing Causation Verifying Causal Assertions Qualitative and Quantitative Methods and Analysis: Causes-of-Effects and Effects-of-Causes Approaches Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 7 • Qualitative Research: Case Study Designs Case Study Methods Case Study Types Using Cases to Explore Causal Mechanisms: Process Tracing Generalizing from Cases Studies Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 8 • Making Empirical Observations: Qualitative Analysis Types of Data and Collection Techniques Data Collection in Qualitative Research Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 9 • Quantitative Research Designs Randomized Experimental Designs Natural Experiments Nonrandomized Designs: Quasi-Experiments Observational Studies Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 10 • Quantitative Methods The Wide Variety of Quantitative Projects Sources of Data for Quantitative Studies Data Management Ethical Concerns with Quantitative Methods Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 11 • Making Sense of Data: First Steps The Data Matrix Descriptive Statistics Graphs for Presentation and Exploration Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 12 • Testing Relationships The Normal Distribution and z Scores Confidence Intervals Hypothesis Testing Testing a Relationship with Two Samples Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 13 • Analyzing Relationships for Categorical Data The Basics of Identifying and Measuring Relationships Table Summaries of Categorical Variable Associations Measuring Strength of Relationships in Tables Measures of Association: Statistics for Reporting the Strength of Relationships in Tables Chi Square Test for Independence Multivariate Analysis of Categorical Data Analysis of Variance: Analyzing the Difference between Means for More Than Two Means Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 14 • Regression Logic of Regression Minimizing the Sum of the Squared Error The Linear Regression Model Maximum Likelihood Models for Dichotomous Dependent Variables Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 15 • The Research Report: An Annotated Example Annotated Research Report Example Appendixes Appendix A: Normal Curve Tail Probabilities Appendix B: Critical Values from t Distribution Appendix C: Chi-Squared Distribution Values for Various Right-Tail Probabilities Appendix D: F Distribution Glossary Index