Research Design and Methods

This course provides an introduction to qualitative and quantitative research methods in political science. The topics in this course address issues related to defining and operationalizing research questions, theory building (e.g., case studies, counterfactuals, formal theory, and interviews) as well as theory testing (e.g., observational studies, surveys, and experiments). Technical issues related to these methods are not the focus of this course. Theoretical issues regarding the advantages and disadvantages of the different approaches are instead. Ultimately, the goal of this course is threefold: (1) to instruct students to critically analyze scholarly articles with particular attention to research design, (2) develop skills associated with practical applications of particular methods, and (3) to guide students in how to design an original research project, such as a senior thesis. Note: This course counts towards the undergraduate Political Methods subfield.
Course Attributes: EN S; AS SSC; FA SSC; AR SSC

Research Design and Methods

POLITICAL SCIENCE 495

Section 01