Social Science History

Jørgen Møller is Professor of Political Science at Aarhus University. His research interests include history and politics, democratization and rule of law, patterns of state formation, and comparative methodology. His work has been published in journals including Journal of Politics, American Journal of Political Science and International Organization, and in books with Oxford University Press and Routledge. Svend-Erik Skaaning is Professor of Political Science at Aarhus University. His research interests include comparative methodology, conceptualization, measurement, regime change, conflict, and state capacity. His work has been published in journals including American Journal of Political Science and World Politics, and in books with Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press and Routledge.

'In the rush to incorporate more data into their analyses, many social scientists have turned to historical cases without paying sufficient attention to the methodological prerequisites of good historical research – most notably, how to evaluate evidence and sources and how to select cases responsibly. This book by two eminent social scientists represents a major step forward for the discipline, offering a comprehensive guide to the principles, procedures, and best practices for using historical evidence in social science research.' Sheri Berman, Professor of Political Science, Barnard College, Columbia University

• Preface; Introduction; Part I. The Case for Social Science History: 1. The case for integrating social science and history; 2. Social science history: approaches and trends; Part II. The Problem of Historical Knowledge: 3. Historical uncertainty; 4. Reading history backward; Part III. Selection and Use of Historical Sources: 5. How to handle primary sources: the veto principle and external and internal criticism; 6. How to handle secondary sources: the Ulysses principle, priorities, and tradeoffs; 7. Compiling and using historical datasets: approaches, challenges, and evaluation; 8. The importance of getting the context right in quantitative historical analysis: how systematic measurement error undermines causal analysis; Conclusions; Appendix: avoiding false historical analogies in controlled comparisons.