Research Methods in Politics

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION Introduction Power in Research, Ethics, Data Protection and Bias The Philosophy and Principles of Research PART TWO: METHODOLOGIES Qualitative versus Quantitative Methods A Relevant Argument? Collecting Data Sets Case Studies, Experimental, Comparative, Longitudinal and Action Research Models PART THREE: COLLECTING INFORMATION Critically Evaluating Published Research Evaluating Information Validity, Reliability, Accuracy, Triangulation Completing a Literature Review Accessing Published Information Asking Questions Effective Elite Interviews, Vignettes, Projective Questions and Focus Groups Questionnaire Surveys Observation PART FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS Analyzing Research Data The Process PART FOUR A: QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS Calculating and Interpretating Descriptive Statistics Using and Understanding Inferential Statistics Testing for Association Applying Factor Analysis and Other Advanced Techniques PART FOUR B: QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS Analyzing Qualitative Information Classifying, Coding and Interpreting Information Using Content Analysis Understanding and Adopting Discourse and Narrative Analysis PART FIVE: COMMUNICATING RESEARCH Writing Up