Political Research Methods and Practical Skills

Sandra Halperin, Professor of International Relations, Royal Holloway, University of London,Oliver Heath, Senior Lecturer in Politics, Royal Holloway, University of London

Sandra Halperin, Professor of International Relations, Royal Holloway, University of London, and Oliver Heath, Senior Lecturer in Politics, Royal Holloway, University of London

1. Political Research
PART I: PHILOSOPHY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE: KNOWLEDGE AND KNOWING IN SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH
2. Laws, Explanation, and Interpretation
3. Objectivity and Values
PART II: HOW TO DO RESEARCH: AN OVERVIEW
4. Asking Questions: research questions and how to find and formulate them
5. Finding Answers: theories and how to apply them
6. Research Design
7. What is Data?
PART III: HOW TO DO RESEARCH IN PRACTICE
8. Experimental Research
9. Comparative Research
10. Historical research
11. Surveys
12. Interviewing and Focus Groups
13. Ethnography and Participant Observation
14. Textual Analysis
15. Quantitative Analysis: Description and Inference
16. Patterns of Association: Bivariate Analysis
17. A Guide to Multivariate Analysis