Empirical Political Analysis : Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods

by Brians, Craig Leonard; Willnat, Lars; Manheim, Jarol B.; Rich, Richard C.

• ISBN13: 9780205576401
• ISBN10: 0205576400
• Edition: 7th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-01-01
• Publisher: Prentice Hall

Summary

This comprehensive research methods text introduces students, both concretely and theoretically, to a wide variety of techniques, applications, and concerns that are important to political science research. Organized around the various stages of the research process, and balancing the competing demands placed on an introductory text, each chapter of the book is planned around a series of substantive questions and enhanced with a series of research exercises that give students practical insights into the important issues raised.

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Research Process

Preparing to Do Research

Theory Building: Concepts and Hypotheses in Political Research

Setting the Foundation: Techniques of Systematic Bibliographic Search

Internet Research

From Abstract to Concrete: Operationalization and Measurement

Working from a Plan: Considerations in Research Design

Who, What, Where, When: The Problem of Sampling

Quantitative Methods

Survey Research

Scaling Techniques

Content Analysis

Sources and Applications of Aggregate Data

Comparative Research

Social Network Analysis: Finding Structure in a Complex World

Analyzing Quantitative Data

Data Preparation and Data Processing

Describing the Data: The Construction of Tables and Charts

Statistics IV: Summarizing Distributions on One Variable

Statistics II: Examining Relationships Between Two Variables

Statistics III: Examining Relationships Among Several Variables

Qualitative Methods

Direct Observation

Focus Group Methodologies

Elite and Specialized Interviewing

Conclusion

Writing (and Reading) the Research Report

Overview

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