The Fundamentals of Political Science Research

by Paul M. Kellstedt , Guy D. Whitten

• ISBN13: 9780521697880
• ISBN10: 0521697883
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-12-15
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Paul M. Kellstedt's and Guy D. Whitten's The Fundamentals of Political Science Research provides an introduction to the scientific study of politics, supplying students with the basic tools needed to be both critical consumers and producers of scholarly research in political science. The book begins with a discussion of what it means to take a scientific approach to the study of politics. At the core of such an approach is the development of causal theories. Because there is no magic formula by which theories are developed, the authors present a series of strategies and develop an integrated approach to research design and empirical analyses that allows students to determine the plausibility of their causal theories. The text's accessible presentation of mathematical concepts and regression models with two or more independent variables is a key component to this process, along with the integration of examples from political science and the real world to help students grasp the fundamental concepts.

Table of Contents

The scientific study of politics

The art of theory building

Evaluating causal relationships

Research design

Measurement

Descriptive statistics and graphs

Statistical inference

Bivariate hypothesis testing

Bivariate regression models

Multiple regression models I: the basics

Multiple regression models II: crucial extensions

Multiple regression models III: applications

critical values of chi-square

critical values of t

the link function for binomial logit models

the link function for binomial probit models

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