PSC 101 (11): Scope and Methods of Political Science [CRN 60804]

Tuesday & Thursday, 2:20-3:35, Gelman B01

 

The George Washington University, Department of Political Science

 

 

Instructor:

Eric Lawrence              

Office:

Old Main 414D

Office Hours:

12-2 Tuesday, or by appointment

Office Phone:

994-4826

E-mail:

edl@gwu.edu

Course webpage

home.gwu.edu/~edl/psc101s05.htm

 

 

Course Overview.  This course provides an overview of research methods in Political Science.  Unlike most Political Science courses, this class does not concentrate on a particular subject area, country, or political era.  Rather, this course covers how political scientists (and other social scientists) go about investigating research questions systematically.  This course will increase your understanding of research that you encounter in your other courses as well as in the media and will prepare you to undertake your own research as well.

 

Because social scientific research is a process, the course is organized in order of the major steps necessary for conducting research.  Assignments throughout the semester will allow you to evaluate and apply your understanding of key steps the research process.  In the second half of the class, you will pull all the steps together when you complete a research project on a social science research topic of your choice.

 

Required Texts (available in GW Bookstore):

 

Johnson, Janet Buttolph and H.T. Reynolds.  2004.  Political Science Research Methods.  Washington D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Press. [ISBN 1-56802-874-1]

 

Gonick, Larry and Woolcott Smith.  1993.  The Cartoon Guide to Statistics.  Harper-Collins.  [ISBN 0-06-273102-5]

 

Other Readings:  Additional readings will either be linked on the course webpage, sent to you via email, or, on occasion, distributed in class.

 

Grades.  I will base your course grade on the following:

 

Midterm Exam

[closed book]

March 3

25%

Data Analysis I

February 15

10%

Data Analysis II

April 19

15%

Data Analysis III

May 3

20%

Final Exam

[open book, open notes]

May 12th, 3:00

30%

 

In order to pass this class, all requirements must be completed.  As a rule, there will be no make-up exams or deadline extensions given in this course.  Exceptions only will be made with prior consent for planned events such as sponsored GWU activities or religious observances or under unusual circumstances such as a documented medical emergency.  In all other cases, completing the assignment after the deadline will result in a substantial point deduction of one full letter grade per day (24 hours).  There will be no extra credit in this course.  All graded work must be completed in accordance with The George Washington University Code of Academic Integrity.

 

Participation and Reading.  You are expected not only to attend lecture, but also to participate.     I will not take attendance, but this is a small class, and your absence will be noticed.  You should complete each reading assignment before the class period(s) for which it is assigned.  Doing the reading prior to class will make it easier for you to follow lecture and will increase your ability to contribute constructively to class discussion. 

 

Course Schedule:

 

Posing Questions and Constructing Answers

 

January 18

Introduction

JR, ch. 1

 

 

 

January 25

Political Science as Science

JR, ch. 2

January 27

Research Questions;

Theory and Explanation

JR, ch. 4

 

An Interlude:  Univariate Data Analysis

 

February 1

Introduction to Stata

JR, ch. 11, pp. 305-328

February 3

Descriptive Statistics

Gonick & Smith, chs. 1 & 2

 

 

 

February 8

The Normal curve

JR, ch. 11, pp. 329-338

Gonick & Smith, chs. 4 & 5

 

 

Research Design—How can we answer research questions?

 

February 10

Measurement I

JR, ch. 6

 

 

 

February 15

Measurement II

JR, ch. 6

Data Analysis I Due

 

February 17

Research Design:

Experiments I

JR, pp. 49-74

Gonick & Smith, ch. 10

 

 

 

February 22

Research Design:

Experiments II

 

February 24

Research Design:

Observational I

JR, pp. 74-102

 

 

 

 

March 1

Research Design:

Observational II

 

 

 

March 3

MIDTERM EXAM

 

 

Data Collection—How should we gather evidence?

 

 

March 8

Probability and statistical logic

Gonick & Smith, chs. 3

 

March 10

Sample Selection and Confidence Intervals

JR, ch. 9;

Gonick & Smith, chs. 6 & 7

 

 

 

 

March 22

Data Collection I: 

Participant Observation

JR, ch. 7

March 24

Data Collection II:

document analysis

JR, ch. 8

 

 

 

March 31

Data Collection III:

interviews and surveys

JR, ch. 10

 

 

Data Analysis—How do we summarize evidence?

 

April 5

Bivariate Analysis I: Hypothesis Tests

  Gonick & Smith, ch. 8

 

 

 

April 7

Bivariate Analysis II:

Crosstabulations

JR, ch. 12, pp. 339-366

April 12

Bivariate Analysis III:

Difference in Means

Gonick & Smith, ch. 9

JR, ch. 12, pp. 366-371

 

 

 

April 14

Bivariate Analysis IV:

Bivariate Regression

Gonick & Smith, ch. 11

JR, ch. 12, pp. 372-402

 

April 19

Multivariate Analysis I:

Multivariate Crosstabs

JR, ch. 13, pp. 403-417

Data Analysis II Due

 

 

 

April 21

Multivariate Analysis II:

Multiple Regression

JR ch. 13, pp. 417-429

[plus class handouts]

April 26

Multivariate Analysis III:

Multiple Regression

 

 

 

 

 

April 28

Multivariate Analysis IV:

Multiple Regression

 

 

Coming to conclusions—What can we claim, given our analysis?

 

May 3

Reaching Conclusions/

Presenting results

JR, ch. 14

Data Analysis III Due

May 5

 

Overview/Final Exam review

 

 

Note:  The schedule, policies, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances.