Political Science Research Methods

Johnson, Janet B. Janet Buttolph Johnson is associate professor of political science and international relations at the University of Delaware, where she specializes in public policy, state and local politics, and environmental policy and politics.

Understand the "how" and the "why" behind research in political science.

Step by step, Political Science Research Methods walks students through the logic of research design, carefully explaining how researchers choose which method to employ. The Eighth Edition of this trusted resource offers a greater emphasis on the ways in which particular methods are used by undergraduates, expanded coverage of the role of the Internet in research and analysis, and more international examples.
New to this edition:

Streamlined content that delivers greater clarity of concepts and a tighter focus on what matters most Learning objectives encourage close, focused reading and measurable takeaways New and updated examples of research serve as touchstones throughout the book and demonstrate a greater variety of data collection methods: Greater emphasis on how particular research methods are used by undergraduate students Expanded coverage of the role of the Internet in research and analysis A brand new annotated research article in Chapter 15

With a greater focus on the ways particular methods are used, expanded coverage of the role of the Internet in research and analysis, and more international examples, this eighth edition gets students understanding the "how" and "why" behind research in political science.

Chapter 1: Introduction
Research on Inequality
Who Votes; Who Doesn't?
Politics and the Gender Gap
Repression of Human Rights
A Look into Judicial Decision Making and Its Effects
Influencing Bureaucracies
Effects of Campaign Advertising on Voters
Research on Public Support for US Foreign Involvement
Conclusion
Terms Introduced
Notes
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
Notes
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
Notes
Chapter 4: The Building Blocks of Social Scientific Research: Hypotheses, Concepts, and Variables
Proposing Explanations
Formulating Hypotheses
Defining Concepts
Conclusion
Terms Introduced
Suggested Readings
Notes
Chapter 5: The Building Blocks of Social Scientific Research: Measurement
Devising Measurement Strategies
Examples of Political Measurements: Getting to Operationalization
The Accuracy of Measurements
The Precision of Measurements
Multi-Item Measures
Conclusion
Terms Introduced
Suggested Readings
Notes
Chapter 6: Research Design: Making Causal Inferences
Verifying Causal Assertions
Other Randomized Experiments
Nonrandomized Designs: Quasi-Experiments
Natural Experiments
Observational Studies
Longitudinal (Time Series) Designs
Conclusion
Terms Introduced
Suggested Readings
Notes
Chapter 7: Sampling
The Basics of Sampling
Types of Samples
What Can Be Learned from a Sample of a Population
Conclusion
Terms Introduced
Suggested Readings
Notes
Chapter 8: Making Empirical Observations: Firsthand Observation
Types of Data and Collection Techniques
Firsthand, Direct Observation
Firsthand, Indirect Observation
Ethical Issues in Observation
Conclusion
Terms Introduced
Suggested Readings
Notes
Chapter 9: Document Analysis: Using the Written Record
Content Analysis
Types of Written Records
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Written Record
Conclusion
Terms Introduced
Suggested Readings
Notes
Chapter 10: Survey Research and Interviewing
Fundamentals: Ensuring Validity and Reliability
Survey Research
Using Archived Surveys
Interviewing
Conclusion
Terms Introduced
Suggested Readings
Notes
Chapter 11: Making Sense of Data: First Steps
The Data Matrix
Descriptive Statistics
Graphs for Presentation and Exploration
What's Next
Terms Introduced
Suggested Readings
Notes
Chapter 12: Statistical Inference
Two Kinds of Inference
Confidence Intervals and Confidence Levels
Conclusion
Terms Introduced
Suggested Readings
Notes
Chapter 13: Investigating Relationships between Two Variables
The Basics of Identifying and Measuring Relationships
Table Summaries of Categorical Variable Associations
Measuring Strength of Relationships in Tables
The Relationship between a Categorical and a Quantitative Variable
Regression Analysis
Conclusion
Appendix: Regression Assumptions
Terms Introduced
Suggested Readings
Notes
Chapter 14: Multivariate Analysis
Holding a Variable Constant
Multivariate Analysis of Categorical Data
Linear Models
Categorical Variables and Linear Models
Logistic Regression
Conclusion
Terms Introduced
Suggested Readings
Notes
Chapter 15: The Research Report: An Annotated Example
Annotated Research Report Example