You are here

Political Science Research Methods
Share

Political Science Research Methods

Ninth Edition


July 2019 | 400 pages | CQ Press
“This is a solid text that walks students through the entire process of empirical, quantitative research methods in political science without being too math-heavy.  Students will be able to read this book and come away with an increased understanding of how we use research methods in political science.”
—Amanda M. Rosen, Webster University  

Understand the “how” and the “why” behind research in political science.  

Political Science Research Methods helps students to understand the logic behind research design by guiding them through a step-by-step process that explains when and why a researcher would pursue different kinds of methods. The highly anticipated Ninth Edition of this trusted resource provides more international examples, an increased focus on the role ethics play in the research process, increased attention to qualitative research methods, and expanded coverage on the role of the internet in research and analysis.  

A Complete Teaching & Learning Package

SAGE coursepacks
FREE! Easily import our quality instructor and student resource content into your school’s learning management system (LMS) and save time. Learn more

SAGE edge
FREE online resources for students that make learning easier. See how your students benefit.  

Bundle with the accompanying workbook for only $15 more!
Working with Political Science Research Methods, Fifth Edition offers students multiple opportunities to practice each of the methods presented in the core text. This helpful supplement breaks each aspect of the research process into manageable parts and features new exercises and updated data sets. A solutions manual with answers to the workbook is available to adopters.  

Your students save when you order the workbook bundled with the text.
Use bundle ISBN 978-1-5443-3157-7.
 
Tables, Figures, and Features
 
Preface
 
About the Authors
 
Chapter 1 • Introduction
Research on Income Inequality

 
Politics and the Gender Gap

 
The Case of Italian (Non) Tax Compliance

 
Protests and Repression in New Democracies

 
The Observer Effect in International Politics: Evidence from a Natural Experiment

 
Conclusion

 
Terms Introduced

 
 
Chapter 2 • The Empirical Approach to Political Science
Elements of Empiricism

 
The Importance of Theory

 
A Brief Overview of the Empirical Research Process

 
Reactions to the Empirical Approach: Practical Objections

 
Competing Points of View

 
Conclusion

 
Terms Introduced

 
Suggested Readings

 
 
Chapter 3 • Beginning the Research Process: Identifying a Research Topic, Developing Research Questions, and Reviewing the Literature
Specifying the Research Question

 
Sources of Ideas for Research Topics

 
Why Conduct a Literature Review?

 
Collecting Sources for a Literature Review

 
Writing a Literature Review

 
Anatomy of a Literature Review

 
Conclusion

 
Terms Introduced

 
Suggested Readings

 
 
Chapter 4 • The Building Blocks of Social Scientific Research: Hypotheses, Concepts, Variables, and Measurement
Proposing Explanations

 
Formulating Hypotheses

 
Defining Concepts

 
Devising Measurement Strategies

 
The Accuracy of Measurements

 
The Precision of Measurements

 
Conclusion

 
Terms Introduced

 
Suggested Readings

 
 
Chapter 5 • Sampling
The Basics of Sampling

 
How Do We Use a Sample to Learn About a Population?

 
Sampling Methods

 
Types of Samples

 
Conclusion

 
Terms Introduced

 
Suggested Readings

 
 
Chapter 6 • Research Design: Establishing Causation
Verifying Causal Assertions

 
Qualitative and Quantitative Methods and Analysis: Causes-of-Effects and Effects-of-Causes Approaches

 
Conclusion

 
Terms Introduced

 
Suggested Readings

 
 
Chapter 7 • Qualitative Research: Case Study Designs
Case Study Methods

 
Case Study Types

 
Using Cases to Explore Causal Mechanisms: Process Tracing

 
Generalizing from Cases Studies

 
Conclusion

 
Terms Introduced

 
Suggested Readings

 
 
Chapter 8 • Making Empirical Observations: Qualitative Analysis
Types of Data and Collection Techniques

 
Data Collection in Qualitative Research

 
Conclusion

 
Terms Introduced

 
Suggested Readings

 
 
Chapter 9 • Quantitative Research Designs
Randomized Experimental Designs

 
Natural Experiments

 
Nonrandomized Designs: Quasi-Experiments

 
Observational Studies

 
Conclusion

 
Terms Introduced

 
Suggested Readings

 
 
Chapter 10 • Quantitative Methods
The Wide Variety of Quantitative Projects

 
Sources of Data for Quantitative Studies

 
Data Management

 
Ethical Concerns with Quantitative Methods

 
Conclusion

 
Terms Introduced

 
Suggested Readings

 
 
Chapter 11 • Making Sense of Data: First Steps
The Data Matrix

 
Descriptive Statistics

 
Graphs for Presentation and Exploration

 
Conclusion

 
Terms Introduced

 
Suggested Readings

 
 
Chapter 12 • Testing Relationships
The Normal Distribution and z Scores

 
Confidence Intervals

 
Hypothesis Testing

 
Testing a Relationship with Two Samples

 
Conclusion

 
Terms Introduced

 
Suggested Readings

 
 
Chapter 13 • Analyzing Relationships for Categorical Data
The Basics of Identifying and Measuring Relationships

 
Table Summaries of Categorical Variable Associations

 
Measuring Strength of Relationships in Tables

 
Measures of Association: Statistics for Reporting the Strength of Relationships in Tables

 
Chi Square Test for Independence

 
Multivariate Analysis of Categorical Data

 
Analysis of Variance: Analyzing the Difference between Means for More Than Two Means

 
Conclusion

 
Terms Introduced

 
Suggested Readings

 
 
Chapter 14 • Regression
Logic of Regression

 
Minimizing the Sum of the Squared Error

 
The Linear Regression Model

 
Maximum Likelihood Models for Dichotomous Dependent Variables

 
Conclusion

 
Terms Introduced

 
Suggested Readings

 
 
Chapter 15 • The Research Report: An Annotated Example
Annotated Research Report Example

 
 
Appendixes
Appendix A: Normal Curve Tail Probabilities

 
Appendix B: Critical Values from t Distribution

 
Appendix C: Chi-Squared Distribution Values for Various Right-Tail Probabilities

 
Appendix D: F Distribution

 
 
Glossary
 
Index

Supplements

Instructor Resources Site

edge.sagepub.com/johnson9e  

SAGE COURSEPACKS FOR INSTRUCTORS makes it easy to import our quality content into your school’s learning management system (LMS)*. Intuitive and simple to use, it allows you to  

Say NO to…         

  • required access codes          
  • learning a new system    

Say YES to…        

  • using only the content you want and need        
  • high-quality assessment and multimedia exercises  

*For use in: Blackboard, Canvas, Brightspace by Desire2Learn (D2L), and Moodle  

Don’t use an LMS platform? No problem, you can still access many of the online resources for your text via SAGE edge.

SAGE coursepacks includes: 

  • Our content delivered directly into your LMS 
  • Intuitive, simple format that makes it easy to integrate the material into your course with minimal effort
  • Assessment tools that foster review, practice, and critical thinking, and offer a more complete way to measure student engagement, including:
    • Chapter quizzes that identify opportunities for improvement and ensure mastery of key learning objectives
    • Test banks built on Bloom’s Taxonomy that provide a diverse range of test items with ExamView test generation
    • Activity and quiz options that allow you to choose only the assignments and tests you want 
    • Instructions on how to use and integrate the comprehensive assessments and resources provided
  • Editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides that offer flexibility when creating multimedia lectures so you don’t have to start from scratch but you can customize to your exact needs
  • Sample course syllabi with suggested models for structuring your course that give you options to customize your course in a way that is perfect for you
  • Instructor manual for each chapter, including a chapter overview, learning objectives, lecture outline, discussion questions, and written assignments and projects, to support your teaching
  • All tables and figures from the textbook 
  • Solutions manual and data sets that accompany the exercises in Working with Political Science Research Methods, Fifth Edition 
     
Student Study Site

Student Study Site (Open Access)  

SAGE EDGE FOR STUDENTS enhances learning, it’s easy to use, and offers:         

  • Flashcards that strengthen understanding of key terms and concepts, and make it easy to maximize student study time, anywhere, anytime       
  • Practice quizzes that allow students to assess how much they’ve learned and where they need to focus your attention       
  • Chapter summaries that reinforce the most important material         
  • Chapter-specific study questions that allow students to engage with the material
  • Meaningful web links that facilitate student use of Internet resources and further exploration of topics        
  • Data sets that accompany the exercises in Working with Political Science Research Methods, Fifth Edition

“I like the focus on empiricism and the attempt to illustrate numerous research puzzles throughout.”

Anna Brigevich
North Carolina Central University

“A great overview of research methods written by and for political scientists.”

Ewa Golebiowska
Wayne State University

“This textbook is an informative and broad first foray into political science research methods that is appropriate for any early undergraduate student.”

Ronald J. McGauvran
University of North Texas

 “This is a solid text that walks students through the entire process of empirical quantitative research methods in political science without being too math-heavy. Students will be able to read this book and come away with an increased understanding of how we use research methods in political science.”

Amanda M. Rosen
Webster University

Language is very simple and a good introductory book for junior class.

Owura Kuffuor
Political Science Dept, Purdue University
January 15, 2022

Compared to other introductory political science research methods books, I find this one to be very hands-on, easy to follow, and visually appealing. I am excited to use this textbook for the first time in the summer and will provide feedback to you all from my students about the textbook! Thank you!

Professor Rachael Houston
Political Science Dept, Uni Of Minnesota-Twin Cities
March 5, 2020

For instructors

Select a Purchasing Option