Always Learning
Craft of Political Research, The

Craft of Political Research, The

9th Edition

W. Phillips Shively

May 2012, Paperback, 192 pages
ISBN13: 9780205854622
ISBN10: 0205854621
For orders to USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or Japan visit your local Pearson website
£30.99
Buy Craft of Political Research, The

  • Print pagePrint page
  • Email this pageEmail page
  • Write a reviewWrite a review
  • Share

Updated in its 9th edition, The Craft of Political Research immerses readers not only in how political scientists work but also in how ideas produce research questions and guide the selection of research methods. Emphasizing the internal logic of research methods and the collaborative nature of the research process, this slender text explores the design behind interesting questions, problems in measurement and analysis, and key statistical methods. The Craft of Political Research’s elegant explanations inspire a big picture understanding of how political scientists explain political reality and encourage students to create their own inventive, original, and bold research work.

Chapter 1. Doing Research

Chapter 2. Political Theories and Research Topics

Chapter 3. Importance of Dimensional Thinking

Chapter 4. Problems of Measurement: Accuracy

Chapter 5. Problems of Measurement: Precision

Chapter 6. Causal Thinking and Design of Research

Chapter 7. Selection of Observations for Study

Chapter 8. Introduction to Statistics: Measuring Relationships for Interval Data

Chapter 9. Introduction to Statistics: Further Topics on Measurement of Relationships

Chapter 10. Introduction to Statistics: Inference, or How to Gamble on Your Research

  • Focuses on the big picture of how good research leads to good theories instead of just what research method to use. (ex. Ch. 1)
  • Provides concise and accessible coverage of key topics, including the nature of research, research design, sampling, statistical analysis, ethics, and more. (ex. p. 77)
  • Includes detailed examples of classic and contemporary political science research to give students models for their own original research.

W. Phillips Shively is Professor of Political Science at the University of Minnesota.

Expert Reviews

“The Craft of Political Research is just what one hopes for in an undergraduate methods course. It is more theoretically engaged than most such texts, and the conceptual discussion is non-sectarian. Marx and Duverger make an appearance; so do Mancur Olson and Anthony Downs; so do Philip Converse and Robert Putnam. Students will learn that ideas matter, not the statistical software; and they will see that theoretical narrowness is the antithesis of good science.”–from Christopher H. Achen’s Foreword

Customer Reviews

Your opinions count

Be the first to review this product. Write your review now.