Writing in Political Science A Practical Guide

by Schmidt, Diane E.

• ISBN13: 9780205617364
• ISBN10: 0205617360
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-07-30
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

This updated easy-to-use guide shows readers how to think, research, and write like a political scientist and includes new coverage of current practices in using electronic databases and Internet sources.Political Inquiry; Critical Thinking About Politics; Choosing a Topic; Research Using the Internet and Traditional Sources; Properties of Essays; Common Problems With Writing; Format for the Manuscript; Comprehension and Synthesis of Class Materials; Managing and Processing Information; Conventional Research Papers; Special Analytical Techniques; Applied Political Science; Organizing and Documenting Research; Organizing and Documenting Career Development.Anyone who need to write about politics as part of their career or education.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
Political Inquiry	p. 1
Introduction	p. 1
The Art of Political Inquiry Defined	p. 2
Types of Student Writing	p. 3
The Process of Political Inquiry	p. 4
Professionalism, Ethical Considerations, and Plagiarism	p. 6
Critical Thinking About Politics	p. 15
Critical Thinking: The Cornerstone of Political Inquiry	p. 15
Critical Thinking and Reasoning	p. 17
Common Problems in Critical Thinking	p. 19
Tips for Critical Thinking	p. 21
Reading Critically to Write Critically	p. 24
Topic Selection	p. 34
Choosing a Topic	p. 34
Tips for Choosing a Topic	p. 36
Locating Research Materials Using Indexes, Databases, and the Internet	p. 44
Introduction	p. 44
Characteristics of Sources Used in Research Papers	p. 45
Distinguishing Between Types of Information	p. 46
Retrieval Systems for Locating Sources	p. 49
Selecting the Right Search Tools for Locating Research Materials	p. 60
Research Strategies for Locating Sources: A Simulation	p. 68
Evaluating the Quality and Reliability of Sources	p. 75
Creating Evidence with Primary and Secondary Data	p. 79
Introduction	p. 79
Secondary Sources of Quantitative Data	p. 80
Creating Primary Data	p. 82
A Primer on Qualitative Data Reduction Methods	p. 92
A Primer on Quantitative Data Reduction Methods	p. 99
A Primer on Data Analysis	p. 103
Properties of Essays and Research Papers	p. 109
Properties of a Good Essay or Research Paper	p. 109
Recognizing and Writing a Good Thesis Sentence	p. 110
Writing a Thesis Sentence for an Essay or Essay Test	p. 110
Writing a Thesis Sentence for a Research Paper	p. 112
Formulating a Thesis Sentence for a Research Paper	p. 114
Recognizing and Writing a Good Paragraph	p. 116
Properties of a Topic Sentence	p. 120
Advice for Constructing Paragraphs in the Body of the Paper	p. 122
Common Writing Problems	p. 126
Common Stylistic Problems	p. 126
Common Errors: Proofreading the Manuscript	p. 129
How to Use a Writing Center	p. 133
What to Do About Writer's Block	p. 134
Manuscript Format and Referencing Styles	p. 136
Criteria for Grading a Research Paper	p. 136
Format and Placement of Items in the Paper or Essay	p. 138
Structure for Endnote and Footnote Citations	p. 150
Structure for Parenthetical Author-Date Citations System	p. 154
Examples of Common Author-Date Citation Styles for Reference Page	p. 159
Format and Examples for Activities to Enhance Comprehension and Synthesis of Class Materials	p. 173
Enhancing Comprehension and Synthesis of Class Materials	p. 173
Writing Analytical Essays	p. 174
Writing Political Editorials	p. 178
Analytical Multiple-Choice Exams	p. 181
Essay Exams	p. 184
Scholarly Literature Review Presentations	p. 186
Media Applications Illustrating Course Materials	p. 190
Format and Examples of Assignments for Managing and Processing Information	p. 197
Assignments for Managing and Processing Information	p. 197
Annotated Bibliographies	p. 198
Book Reviews	p. 202
Research Proposals	p. 210
Constructing Outlines	p. 214
Standard Research Presentations	p. 219
PowerPoint Presentations	p. 225
Format and Examples of Conventional Research Papers	p. 229
Formulas for Organizing Standard Research Papers	p. 229
Writing a Literature Review	p. 230
Writing a Comparative Study	p. 240
Writing an Analysis	p. 247
Writing a Position Paper	p. 256
Format and Examples of Assignments Requiring Special Techniques	p. 265
Assignments Requiring Special Analytical Techniques	p. 265
Analytical Case Study	p. 267
Problem-Solving Case Studies	p. 276
Analysis of Legislation	p. 281
Policy Analysis: Evaluation or Recommendation	p. 300
Researching and Writing a Policy Evaluation	p. 301
Policy Evaluation Guide and Checkoff Sheet	p. 303
Researching and Writing a Policy Recommendation	p. 326
Policy Recommendation Guide and Checkoff Sheet	p. 328
Writing a Policy Memo	p. 348
Participant Observation and Internship Report	p. 351
Writing a Grant	p. 361
Writing a Project Report	p. 372
References	p. 389
Text Acknowledgments	p. 393
Index	p. 395
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