Course Description:
This is the first course in research design for conducting research in the field of political science. Students will learn the fundamentals of the scientific method and, through effective research design, how to address four principle types of validity—construct, conclusion, external, and internal—and how best to address threats to validity. Topics include how the political science discipline falls within the social sciences, science, and how it uses the scientific method; measurement and reliability; sampling, case selection, and uncertainty; the fundamental problem of causal inference; experimental and quasi-experimental research; natural experiments; and qualitative and multi-method designs.
A primary goal of the course is for students to understand the most common ways political scientists use the scientific method, measure variables that represent political phenomena of interest, select cases and units to analyze, leverage variation between explanatory and outcome variables, discover causal relationships between those variables, and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of alternative techniques to establish causality when random assignment is lacking or impossible. As such, we will think holistically about the range of approaches to improve validity and address threats to validity, but within a unified framework. Therefore, while this course presents a particular, if increasingly conventional and standardized, approach to political science (and other social science) research design, it is atypical compared to other “methods” classes that students may take in the future that focus more specifically on “experimental,” “quantitative,” “qualitative,” or other types of methods. It is thus foundational in scope and provides both the architectural design and first set of building blocks for future consumption and production of scientific research.
In addition, the course also contains an introduction to professional aspects of political science that pertain particularly to young scholars beginning their doctoral studies. Special attention is given to the writing and publication processes as well as how to engage with and contribute to existing research communities.