Qualitative Political Analysis

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Qualitative Political Analysis introduces the core qualitative methods used in political science. Students will learn about applying the scientific method in qualitative research; the links between theory and evidence; research design appropriate to research questions, including comparing the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative and quantitative research methods; the difference between systematic, evidence-based research and anecdotal work; and important techniques for analysis, inference, and interpretation, including case studies research. This course can help prepare students to write a thesis in political science, but students do not need to plan to write a thesis for the course to be useful in their other studies and in their post-graduate careers. This course also serves as one of the core classes in the political science department's methods specialization, but students who are not pursuing the specialization are also most welcome and will find the course useful. The main goal of the course is to help students build their analytical skills -- to learn how political scientists think but also simply to learn to think better.