Stephen Van Evera is Professor of Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Associate Director of the MIT Center for International Studies. He is the author of Causes of War: Power and the Roots of Conflict, also from Cornell.

"Stephen Van Evera's Guide to Methods for Students of Political Science 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

• INTRODUCTION1. HYPOTHESES, LAWS, AND THEORIES: A USER'S GUIDEWhat Is a Theory?What Is a Specific Explanation?What Is a Good Theory?How Can Theories Be Made?How Can Theories Be Tested?Strong vs. Weak Tests: Predictions and TestsHelpful Hints for Testing TheoriesHow Can Specific Events Be Explained?Methodology Myths2. WHAT ARE CASE STUDIES? HOW SHOULD THEY BE PERFORMED?Case Studies in PerspectiveTesting Theories with Case StudiesCreating Theories with Case StudiesInferring Antecedent Conditions from Case StudiesTesting Antecedent Conditions with Case StudiesExplaining CasesStrong vs. Weak Tests: Predictions and TestsInterpreting Contradictory ResultsCase-Selection Criteria3. WHAT IS A POLITICAL SCIENCE DISSERTATION?4. HELPFUL HINTS ON WRITING A POLITICAL SCIENCE DISSERTATIONTopic SelectionOrganizationYour Dissertation ProspectusYour Introductory ChapterYour Concluding ChapterStudy Design and PresentationWritingStyleVettingYour AbstractDealing with your Dissertation CommitteeDealing with Your Head, Your Family, and Your FriendsHow to Learn More about How to Write a Dissertation5. THE DISSERTATION PROPOSAL6. PROFESSIONAL ETHICSAPPENDIX: HOW TO WRITE A PAPERFURTHER READINGINDEX

Stephen Van Evera is Professor of Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Associate Director of the MIT Center for International Studies. He is the author of Causes of War: Power and the Roots of Conflict, also from Cornell.

"Stephen Van Evera's Guide to Methods for Students of Political Science 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

• INTRODUCTION1. HYPOTHESES, LAWS, AND THEORIES: A USER'S GUIDEWhat Is a Theory?What Is a Specific Explanation?What Is a Good Theory?How Can Theories Be Made?How Can Theories Be Tested?Strong vs. Weak Tests: Predictions and TestsHelpful Hints for Testing TheoriesHow Can Specific Events Be Explained?Methodology Myths2. WHAT ARE CASE STUDIES? HOW SHOULD THEY BE PERFORMED?Case Studies in PerspectiveTesting Theories with Case StudiesCreating Theories with Case StudiesInferring Antecedent Conditions from Case StudiesTesting Antecedent Conditions with Case StudiesExplaining CasesStrong vs. Weak Tests: Predictions and TestsInterpreting Contradictory ResultsCase-Selection Criteria3. WHAT IS A POLITICAL SCIENCE DISSERTATION?4. HELPFUL HINTS ON WRITING A POLITICAL SCIENCE DISSERTATIONTopic SelectionOrganizationYour Dissertation ProspectusYour Introductory ChapterYour Concluding ChapterStudy Design and PresentationWritingStyleVettingYour AbstractDealing with your Dissertation CommitteeDealing with Your Head, Your Family, and Your FriendsHow to Learn More about How to Write a Dissertation5. THE DISSERTATION PROPOSAL6. PROFESSIONAL ETHICSAPPENDIX: HOW TO WRITE A PAPERFURTHER READINGINDEX

Stephen Van Evera is Professor of Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Associate Director of the MIT Center for International Studies. He is the author of Causes of War: Power and the Roots of Conflict, also from Cornell.

"Stephen Van Evera's Guide to Methods for Students of Political Science 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

• INTRODUCTION1. HYPOTHESES, LAWS, AND THEORIES: A USER'S GUIDEWhat Is a Theory?What Is a Specific Explanation?What Is a Good Theory?How Can Theories Be Made?How Can Theories Be Tested?Strong vs. Weak Tests: Predictions and TestsHelpful Hints for Testing TheoriesHow Can Specific Events Be Explained?Methodology Myths2. WHAT ARE CASE STUDIES? HOW SHOULD THEY BE PERFORMED?Case Studies in PerspectiveTesting Theories with Case StudiesCreating Theories with Case StudiesInferring Antecedent Conditions from Case StudiesTesting Antecedent Conditions with Case StudiesExplaining CasesStrong vs. Weak Tests: Predictions and TestsInterpreting Contradictory ResultsCase-Selection Criteria3. WHAT IS A POLITICAL SCIENCE DISSERTATION?4. HELPFUL HINTS ON WRITING A POLITICAL SCIENCE DISSERTATIONTopic SelectionOrganizationYour Dissertation ProspectusYour Introductory ChapterYour Concluding ChapterStudy Design and PresentationWritingStyleVettingYour AbstractDealing with your Dissertation CommitteeDealing with Your Head, Your Family, and Your FriendsHow to Learn More about How to Write a Dissertation5. THE DISSERTATION PROPOSAL6. PROFESSIONAL ETHICSAPPENDIX: HOW TO WRITE A PAPERFURTHER READINGINDEX