"Empirical Political Analysis introduces readers to the foundations of social science research. Organized around the stages of the research process, this textbook prepares readers to conduct both quantitative and qualitative research, from the formation of theory through the design of research projects, to the collection of data and the analysis of results. It offers a clear and concise presentation of basic concepts and tools that can be applied in a wide range of research settings and highlights ethical conduct in the research process. It will help you both to achieve sound results in your own research and to critically evaluate research presented by others.
Key features:
Offers comprehensive coverage of quantitative and qualitative research methods in political science – this book is one of the key texts in the field of political research methods since it was first published over 25 years ago.
Covers the research process from start to finish—hypothesis formation, literature review, research design, data gathering, data analysis, and research report writing.
Includes in-depth examples of political science research to give discipline-specific instruction on political analysis.
Features a ""Practical Research Ethics"" box in every chapter to make students aware of common ethical dilemmas and potential solutions to them.
Includes learning goals, key terms, and research examples to help students engage and explore the most important concepts.
New to this edition:
Updated and international case studies.
New material on understanding research design – what constitutes a sound research design and how this contributes to being able to justify research findings."
By:
Richard C. Rich,
Craig Leonard Brians,
Jarol B. Manheim,
Lars Willnat
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: 9th edition
Dimensions:
Height: 254mm,
Width: 178mm,
Weight: 857g
ISBN: 9781138088771
ISBN 10: 1138088773
Pages: 384
Publication Date: 05 June 2018
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary
,
A / AS level
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Part I: Introduction Chapter 1. Research as a Process Part II: Preparing to Do Research Chapter 2. Building Theories and Hypotheses Chapter 3. Developing Your Literature Review Chapter 4. Designing Your Research and Choosing Your Methods Chapter 5. From Abstract to Concrete: Operationalization and Measurement Chapter 6. Research Design: Attributing Causation through Control Chapter 7. Who, What, Where, When: The Problem of Sampling Part III: Quantitative Methods Chapter 8. Survey Research: Characterizing a Broader Population Chapter 9. Creating Complex Indicators: Using Scaling Techniques Chapter 10. Content Analysis: Researching Textual Material Chapter 11. Aggregate Data: Studying Groups Chapter 12. Comparative Methods: Research Across Populations Part IV: Analyzing Quantitative Data Chapter 13. Coding Data: Preparing Observations for Analysis Chapter 14. Tables and Charts: Visually Describing the Data Chapter 15. Statistics I: Summarizing Distributions on One Variable Chapter 16. Statistics II: Examining Relationships between Two Variables Chapter 17. Statistics III: Relationships among Several Variables Part V: Qualitative Methods Chapter 18. Direct Observation: Systematically Watching Behavior Chapter 19. Focus Group Research Chapter 20. Elite and Specialized Interviewing Part VI: Conclusion Chapter 21. The Research Report: Diagramming a Sample Article Chapter 22. Summary: Overview of the Research Process Appendix A Statistical Tables Appendix B Ethical Standards in Empirical Research
Richard C. Rich, PhD, studies and teaches about environmental policy, public policy analysis, and research methods. He was Editor of the State University of New York Press Urban Public Policy book series that won the Aaron Wildavsky Award for Contributions to Policy Analysis. He was formerly Chair of the Department of Political Science, Director of the Center for Environmental and Energy Studies, and Director of the School of Public and International Affairs at Virginia Tech.
