Sie sind auf Seite 1von 15

Developing a Research Project

The Elements of Research Design

Three Purposes of Research


Exploration

Generally not sufficient for dissertation project This can be the goal if significant new facts or relationships are identified Usually need to at least speculate on explanation Central goal of most political science research

Description

Explanation

Getting a Project Started


Identify a topic or area of interest Key transition is from topic to question


Identify puzzle in literature Should be able to state question in 1-2 sentences Clearly define the purpose of the project

Once you have a question, you need hypotheses about the answer

From Theory to Hypotheses


Once you have a question, turn to various methods of theory development Deduction formal theory, computational models Induction building by analogy Theory building often involves both methods

Choose a Unit of Analysis


Level of aggregation at which your hypotheses can be observed Individuals (citizens, leaders, etc.) Groups (parties, social movements) Organizations/Institutions (states, bureaucracies, firms)

Units of Analysis and Threats to Inference

Ecological Fallacy

Cannot infer individual behavior from collective outcomes Cannot infer collective outcomes from individual behavior

Reductionism

Choose a Method of Research


Experiments Surveys Case Studies


Field Research Archival Research

Aggregate Data Analysis

Existing or Field Collection

Use Multiple Methods Whenever Possible

Select Observations

What is the population to which you want to generalize? How can you reach that population to draw a sample? If random sampling is impossible or inappropriate, how do you select cases to avoid bias?

Operationalize Variables

Translate theoretical concepts into observable information that can be gathered on units of analysis How valid are your measures? How reliable are your measures?

Collect the Data


Be clear and systematic about the type of data collected Keep clear files and records of all data collected If using quantitative data, keep do files for all data construction and analysis.

Analyze the Data


Make analysis techniques transparent To the greatest extent possible, make analyses easily replicable. Think about presenting results in the most meaningful way possible. Clear and meaningful results are more persuasive and more widely read.

Connect Analyses Back to Puzzle and Hypotheses

Always draw readers back from analyses to their implications for hypotheses and your original puzzle What does it all mean? Try to get back to those one or two core sentences

What is a Good Dissertation?


Theory development

Is this alone enough for a dissertation? This is the goal of most projects Is it ESSENTIAL for a dissertation? Is this any different from theory testing?

Theory Testing

Policy Evaluation

What is a Good Dissertation?

Historical Evaluative/Descriptive

When does this constitute a contribution to social science? A viable strategy for dissertations? When does this constitute a contribution to social science?

Literature Assessing

What is a Good Dissertation?


Nomothetic vs. Ideographic Explanation Is one mode of explanation preferable to the other? Is one mode of explanation inherently more scientific? Can ideographic work be political science?

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen