Research Methods in Politics
- Roger Pierce - University of York, UK
April 2008 | 352 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd
Research Methods in Politics is an accessible and student-friendly guide to the use of qualitative and quantitative methods in researching politics. This clearly written book is ideal for use on introductory methods courses and its helpful structure also makes it a useful guide for readers who are doing their own research project. Roger Pierce covers every angle in his overview of contemporary approaches to political research:
- Part I: Introduction – gives a solid overview of the philosophy and principles of research.
- Part II: Methodologies – presents qualitative and quantitative research methods, introduces research design and offers a critical review of selected methods.
- Part III: Collecting Information – concentrates on methods of gathering information, such as interviews and focus groups, and discusses issues associated with ensuring quality of information.
- Part IV: Analyzing and Interpreting the Information – deals with selecting and employing appropriate methods for analyzing and interpreting data, and covers the process of communicating research.
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
Collecting Data Sets
PART THREE: COLLECTING INFORMATION
Critically Evaluating Published Research
Evaluating Information
Completing a Literature Review
Asking Questions
Questionnaire Surveys
Observation
PART FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS
Analyzing Research Data
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
Using Content Analysis
Understanding and Adopting Discourse and Narrative Analysis
PART FIVE: COMMUNICATING RESEARCH
Writing Up
excellent book for students who concerned with choosing relevant methods in politics.
Department of Politics, Dundee University
February 23, 2016
This is a valuable hands-on guide which can be particularly helpful to students who want to critically review and evaluate existing research.
Political Science & Research Methods, Twente University
November 15, 2010