everything.study
17.THT

Thesis Research Design Seminar

3-0-9 units · Undergraduate

Students writing a thesis in Political Science develop their research topics, review relevant research and scholarship, frame their research questions and arguments, choose an appropriate methodology for analysis, and draft the introductory and methodology sections of their theses.

Fall 2004

Topics

  • Introductory Meeting
  • Developing a Topic
  • Methodological Choices II - Case Studies and Small-N Comparisons
  • Meeting with Library Staff to Review Research Tactics and Strategies
  • Methodological Choices III - Rational Choice
  • Literature Review
  • Class Presentations of Existing Research
  • Methodological Pitfalls
  • Pick a Topic
  • Addressing Remaining Methodological Issues
  • Presentation of Prospectus
  • Presentation of Prospectus (cont.)

Readings

  • There is one book - Van Evera, Steven. Guide to Methods for Students of Political Science . Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1997. ISBN: 9780801484575.
    Listed reading
  • Articles will be added depending on the interests and projects of the class. Also, students may wish to obtain a copy of the following book as a guide for writing their thesis: Turabian, Kate. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations . Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1996. ISBN: 9780226816272.
    Listed reading
  • Reviewing Past Theses A. We will Read Two Past Award-winning Theses, Selected by Relevance to Current Student Topics
    Listed reading
  • Van Evera, Stephen. Chapter 1 in Guide to Methods for Students of Political Science . Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1997. ISBN: 9780801484575.
    Listed reading
  • Almond, Gabriel, and Stephen Genco. “Clouds, Clocks, and the Study of Politics.” World Politics 29, no. 4 (1977).
    Listed reading
  • Ragin, Charles. Chapters 1-4 in The Comparative Method: Moving Beyond Qualitative and Quantitative Strategies . Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1992. ISBN: 9780520058347.
    Listed reading
  • Gurr, Ted. “A Causal Model of Civil Strife: A Comparative Analysis Using New Indices.” American Political Science Review 62 (1968): 1104-1124.
    Listed reading
  • Laitin, David, and James Fearon. “Ethnicity, Insurgency, and Civil War.” American Political Science Review 97 (2003): 75-90.
    Listed reading
  • Van Evera, chapter 2.
    Listed reading
  • Mill, J. S. “Of the Four Methods of Experimental Inquiry.” In A System of Logic . Edited by J. M. Robson. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1974, pp. 388-406. ISBN: 9780802018755.
    Listed reading
  • George, Alexander, and Timothy McKeown. “Case Studies and Theory Development: The Method of Structured, Focused Comparison.” In Diplomacy: New Approaches in History, Theory, and Policy . Edited by Paul G. Lauren. New York, NY: Free Press, 1979, pp. 43-68. ISBN: 9780029180709.
    Listed reading
  • Snyder, Jack. “Richness, Rigor, and Relevance in the Study of Soviet Foreign Policy.” International Security 9, no. 3 (Winter 1984-85): 89-108.
    Listed reading
  • Petersen, Roger. “Mechanisms and Structures in Comparisons.” In Critical Comparisons in Politics and Culture . Edited by John Bowen, and Roger Petersen. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1999. ISBN: 9780521653794.
    Listed reading
  • Tsebelis, George. Chapters 2, 3, and 6 in Nested Games: Rational Choice in Comparative Politics . Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1992. ISBN: 9780520067325.
    Listed reading
  • Collier, David, and James Mahoney. “Insights and Pitfalls: Selection Bias in Qualitative Research.” World Politics 49, no. 1 (1996): 56-91.
    Listed reading
  • Adcock, Robert, and David Collier. “Measurement Validity: A Shared Standard for Qualitative and Quantitative Research.” American Political Science Review 95, no. 3 (2001): 529-546.
    Listed reading
  • King, Gary, Robert Keohane, and Sidney Verba. Chapters 4-6 in Designing Social Inquiry . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1994. ISBN: 9780691034713.
    Listed reading

Prerequisites & course information

Prereq: 17.803 or permission of instructor U (Fall) 3-0-9 units

Sources