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Fall Semester 2011 Tuesday/Thursday 1:45-3:30 Administration 204b |
Professor Sid Olufs Office: Xavier Hall 107, x8727, olufs@plu.edu W 12:30-3:40, Th 12-1:30 + appts. |
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The Course
Sakai Site. |
Description
How does
Political Science approach analysis of the political world? This course covers the approaches borrowed
and developed by the discipline, research design, and qualitative and
quantitative methods to conduct research.
Upon completion, students should be able to critique, understand, and
conduct research about politics.
Objectives
By the end
of the semester students will:
·
Demonstrate
a critical understanding of a variety of methods used in the discipline of
Political Science
·
Design
a research project that conforms to the standards learned in the course
·
Write
a paper analyzing a public policy
·
Write
a research paper that conforms to the standards learned in the course.
Here is how to do well in the
course. Be sure to check the assignments page,
which offers more direction than the schedule.
Here is a
description of the logic of policy papers.
Conceptual
Outline
I.
Political Science as a Science
- Normative & empirical questions, prediction, policy
- Choose broad research area
II.
Causality
- How to determine causality
- Spuriousness
- Models and relationships
III.
Asking Research Questions
- Falsification
- Refine research area
IV.
Literature Review - understanding prior research
- Finding sources
- Determining relevance
- How to read a research article
- How to critically evaluate articles
- Applying material
- Overview of different methods: quantitative, qualitative, experimental
- Put it all together for
your research area
V.
Crafting a Theory based on literature
VI.
Hypotheses and Identifying Concepts
VII.
Designing Analysis
Readings
Hoover and
Donovan, The
Elements of Social Scientific Thinking, portions of Meehan’s Reasoned Argument
in the Social Sciences, and articles that illustrate the variety of
approaches we find useful in studying politics. These are available
through Sakai. See the bibliography and course
schedule. You are also required
to use a writing manual, such as Lester Faigley, The Brief Penguin Handbook
(NY: Longman, 2003). Other editions are OK, too, but I like The One With
The “Plastic Comb” Binding. You can get it used. Other acceptable
manuals are The Little, Brown Handbook (compact
version is fine), A Writer’s Reference,
The Everyday Writer, and A Pocket Manual of Style.
Complete all
readings in advance, and follow note-taking guidelines discussed in class.
Argumentation. Among
the approaches to argumentation we will use is one created by Stephen
Toulmin. Read about him and his
approach at the
Toulmin Project, from the U. Nebraska Dept. of Communication Studies.
Finding Sources. Make a habit of finding sources. Use the library.
We will practice different ways of framing a question, finding sources,
vetting sources, preparing literature reviews, and more.