An Introduction to Research, Analysis, and Writing

Bruce Oliver Newsome, PhD, is a lecturer in the School of International & Area Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Before teaching, he was a research policy scientist at the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, California. He earned his undergraduate degree with honors in war studies from Kings College London, a master’s degree in political science from the University of Pennsylvania, and PhD in international studies from the University of Reading.

• 1. The Way AheadLearning Objectives and OutcomesGoals of This BookPreview of the Rest of the BookChapter Summary2. Research ProcessLearning Objectives and OutcomesOpening VignetteWhat is Research?What are the Objectives and Products of Research?What are the Approaches to Research?Project Life CycleChapter SummaryQuestions and Exercises3. Research Ethics and LawsLearning Objectives and OutcomesOpening VignetteWhat are Ethics?Chapter SummaryQuestions and Exercises4. Scoping, Justifying, Designing, PlanningLearning Objectives and OutcomesOpening VignetteScopingThe Value of Your ResearchFeasibilityDeveloping a Research QuestionDescribing, Justifying, Planning, and Proposing the ResearchChapter SummaryQuestions and Exercises5. Reading and ReviewingLearning Objectives and OutcomesOpening VignetteSourcesHow to Read EfficientlyContent AnalysisReviewsChapter SummaryQuestions and Exercises6. AnalysisLearning Objectives and OutcomesOpening VignetteWhat is Analysis?Why Do We Analyze?How are We Told to Analyze?How Should We Analyze?Chapter SummaryQuestions and Exercises7. Arguing and ExplainingLearning Objectives and OutcomesOpening VignetteDefinitionsLogical ArgumentsTrue ArgumentsStrong Versus Weak ArgumentsFallacious ArgumentsBiasesDialectic ArgumentsDescribing and Critiquing ArgumentsChapter SummaryQuestions and Exercises8. Theorizing and ModelingLearning Objectives and OutcomesOpening VignetteTheoriesHypothesesModelsChapter SummaryQuestions and Exercises9. MethodsLearning Objectives and OutcomesOpening VignetteMethods and MethodologiesHistorical ResearchCase StudySurvey ResearchDirect Observation in the FieldExperimental ResearchChapter SummaryQuestions and Exercises10. Evidence and DataLearning Objectives and OutcomesOpening VignetteObservations and DataOperationalizationMeasurementClassifying DataDatasetsUses of DataEvidenceCausality and CorrelationChapter SummaryQuestions and Exercises11. WritingLearning Objectives and OutcomesOpening VignettePlanning the Writing of Your Whole ProductStyleStructureChapter SummaryQuestions and Exercises