Political Science Research in Practice

Akan Malici is Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Furman University, where he teaches classes in International Politics and Research Methodology. His scholarly interests are in the areas of international security and foreign policy.Elizabeth S. Smith is Professor of Political Science at Furman University, where she teaches Research Methodology, American Politics, Civil Discourse, Political Psychology, and Women and Politics. Her scholarly interests are in the areas of political socialization, political psychology, and gender and politics.

Unlike traditional methods textbooks that foreground abstract concepts, Political Science Research in Practice teaches each core method through a scholar’s real study—showing how researchers choose questions, make design decisions, and learn from setbacks along the way. The result is a methods course that feels concrete, human, and intellectually motivating.Dr. Yi Edward Yang, James Madison UniversityThis volume brings political science research methods to life for undergraduates. It provides an engaging and accessible introduction to a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods with applications to a broad range of substantive topics. In sharing the backstories of their projects, the authors help students translate natural curiosity about their own life experiences and current events into rigorous social science research designs.Shamira Gelbman, Professor of Political Science, Wabash CollegePolitical Science Research in Practice (3rd Edition) conveys to those new to the field how interesting the science in political science can be. It teaches core methods by finding researchers working on today’s most interesting questions and having them discuss their process of discovery—the key question, the right method, and the path to results. The stories capture student interest and create a human, substantive text that conveys the important material in the discipline. The best single text I’ve found.Dr. Douglas L. Koopman, Senior Research Fellow, Calvin UniversityPolitical Science Research in Practice is uniquely essential: its manner of embedding elements of research design and methods within topically diverse chapters that show “how it was done” makes it a valuable addition to any course in political science aiming to enhance students’ understanding of how to read and more intimately understand the scholarly literature with which they are engaged.Michael Eugene Alvarez, Associate Professor of Comparative Politics, University of Bergen

• Preface. 1. Why Do We Need a Science of Politics? 2. How Do We Get a Science of Politics? 3. The Case Study Method: Religion and Youth in Turkey 4. The Comparative Method: Effectiveness of the Forest Stewardship Council in Russia and Brazil 5. Interviewing in Political Science: Women and Electoral Persistence 6. The Statistical Method: Political Tolerance in Europe 7. Survey Research: Black American Women Judges' On-the-Bench Experiences 8. Program Evaluation: Inside an Evaluation of a Teen Leadership Program 9. Content Analysis: Analyzing a Social Media Campaign 10. Field Research/ Experiments: Women Want an Answer! Field Experiments on Elected Officials and Gender Bias 11. Experimental Research: Measuring and Explaining Public Responses to Black-Led Protest 12. Normative and Ethical Considerations of Political Science Research