Guide to Methods for Students of Political Science

by Van Evera, Stephen

• ISBN13: 9780801484575
• ISBN10: 080148457X
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-09-01
• Publisher: Cornell Univ Pr

Summary

"Stephen Van Evera's Guide to Methods makes an important contribution toward improving the use of case studies for theory development and testing in the social sciences. His trenchant and concise views on issues ranging from epistemology to specific research techniques manage to convey not only the methods but the ethos of research. This book is essential reading for social science students at all levels who aspire to conduct rigorous research."-Alexander L. George, Stanford University, and Andrew Bennett, Georgetown University "Van Evera has a keen awareness of the questions that arise in every phase of the political science research project-from initial conception to final presentation. Although others may not agree with all of his specific advice, all will appreciate his user-friendly introduction to what is sometimes seen as an abstract and difficult topic."-Timothy J. McKeown, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill For the last few years, Stephen Van Evera has greeted new graduate students at MIT with a commonsense introduction to qualitative methods in the social sciences. His helpful hints, always warmly received, grew from a handful of memos to an underground classic primer. That primer has now evolved into a book of how-to information about graduate study, which is essential reading for graduate students and undergraduates in political science, sociology, anthropology, economics, and history-and for their advisers.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION	1	(6)
1. HYPOTHESES, LAWS, AND THEORIES: A USER'S GUIDE	7	(42)
What Is a Theory?	7	(8)
What Is a Specific Explanation?	15	(2)
What Is a Good Theory?	17	(4)
How Can Theories Be Made?	21	(6)
How Can Theories Be Tested?	27	(3)
Strong vs. Weak Tests; Predictions and Tests	30	(5)
Helpful Hints for Testing Theories	35	(5)
How Can Specific Events Be Explained?	40	(3)
Methodology Myths	43	(6)
2. WHAT ARE CASE STUDIES? HOW SHOULD THEY BE PERFORMED?	49	(40)
Case Studies in Perspective	50	(5)
Testing Theories with Case Studies	55	(12)
Creating Theories with Case Studies	67	(4)
Inferring Antecedent Conditions from Case Studies	71	(2)
Testing Antecedent Conditions with Case Studies	73	(1)
Explaining Cases	74	(1)
Strong vs. Weak Tests; Predictions and Tests	75	(1)
Interpreting Contradictory Results	76	(1)
Case-Selection Criteria	77	(12)
3. WHAT IS A POLITICAL SCIENCE DISSERTATION?	89	(8)
4. HELPFUL HINTS ON WRITING A POLITICAL SCIENCE DISSERTATION	97	(18)
Topic Selection	97	(2)
Organization	99	(1)
Your Dissertation Prospectus	99	(1)
Your Introductory Chapter	100	(3)
Your Concluding Chapter	103	(1)
Study Design and Presentation	103	(3)
Writing	106	(2)
Style	108	(1)
Vetting	109	(2)
Your Abstract	111	(1)
Dealing with your Dissertation Committee	111	(1)
Dealing with Your Head, Your Family, and Your Friends	112	(1)
How to Learn More about How to Write a Dissertation	113	(2)
5. THE DISSERTATION PROPOSAL	115	(2)
6. PROFESSIONAL ETHICS	117	(6)
APPENDIX: HOW TO WRITE A PAPER	123	(6)
FURTHER READING	129	(6)
INDEX	135