Political Science Research Methods

3 Units

This course examines approaches that political scientists use to understand events and processes. In doing so, the course provides students with skills helpful to completing senior projects, such as the ability to evaluate and conduct research. Through exercises and projects, students will take part in the research process from constructing a question to developing a research design to interpreting results. Students will learn and apply key techniques, including inductive and deductive reasoning, hypothesis construction, operationalization of concepts, measurements, sampling and probability, causal inference, and the logic of controls. They will produce materials common to the discipline, such as research designs. Offered as POSC 349 and POSC 449 . Counts as a Disciplinary Communication course. Counts as a Moral & Ethical Reasoning course.