Research design in political science : how to practice what they preach / edited by Thomas Gschwend and Frank Schimmelfennig.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Gschwend, Thomas.

Schimmelfennig, Frank, 1963-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Political science--Research.

Political science.

Physical Description:

xi, 243 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Basingstoke [England] ; New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.

Summary:

While research designs can be distinguished along various dimensions, we all face the same set of core research design issues. What is a relevant research problem? How can I improve concepts and measurements? Which and how many variables and cases should I select? How can I evaluate rival explanations and which theoretical conclusions can I draw from my research? Which evidence would lead me to reject and reformulate my initial theory?

This volume was written to help advanced students of political science and their neighboring fields to think about these issues and come up with practical solutions for their own research. It turns out that the distinction between qualitative and quantitative research is often inadequate. Some solutions to research design problems are common to both types of research; others cross-cut the traditional qualitative-quantitative divide. Moreover, every solution has its strengths and, weaknesses and therefore, involves substantial trade-offs.

Contents:

1 Introduction: Designing Research in Political Science - A Dialogue between Theory and Data / Thomas Gschwend, Frank Schimmelfennig 1

Part I Research Problem

2 Increasing the Relevance of Research Questions: Considerations on Theoretical and Social Relevance in Political Science / Matthias Lehnert, Bernhard Miller, Arndt Wonka 21

Part II Concepts and Theory

3 Concept Specification in Political Science Research / Arndt Wonka 41

4 Typologies in Social Inquiry / Matthias Lehnert 62

Part III Measurement

5 Making Measures Capture Concepts: Tools for Securing Correspondence between Theoretical Ideas and Observations / Bernhard Miller 83

6 Achieving Comparability of Secondary Data / Julia Rathke 103

Part IV Case Selection

7 Dealing Effectively with Selection Bias in Large-n Research / Janina Thiem 127

8 Case Selection and Selection Bias in Small-n Research / Dirk Leuffen 145

Part V Control

9 Selecting Independent Variables: Competing Recommendations for Factor-Centric and Outcome-Centric Research Designs / Ulrich Sieberer 163

10 Discriminating among Rival Explanations: Some Tools for Small-n Researchers / Andreas Dur 183

Part VI Theoretical Conclusions

11 Falsification in Theory-Guided Empirical Social Research: How to Change a Tire while Riding Your Bicycle / Dirk De Bievre 203

12 Conclusion: Lessons for the Dialogue between Theory and Data / Thomas Gschwend, Frank Schimmelfennig 216.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 226-239) and index.

ISBN:

0230019471

9780230019478

OCLC:

182621520

Online:

Contributor biographical information

Publisher description