Publisher's Synopsis
An essential examination of political science research methodology and best practices.
Practical Methods in Political Science Research is an undergraduate text designed to teach students basic theories and usable classroom research methods in political science. It aims to be a readable text that looks at the theoretical or philosophical issues regarding what political science as a field studies and how it does that compared to the sciences and other social sciences. The text steers a middle path between a highly sophisticated quantitative level that relies upon training students in the use of specialized statistical software programs versus an approach that fails to give undergraduate students the tools they need to do good research, especially in their classes. David Schultz emphasizes usable research skills and analysis for undergraduates to use in their own classes and research, drawing upon Microsoft Excel and publicly available data bases and analysis sites to teach political science research methods.
