As the title implies, Political Science 190 introduces students to scientific inquiry in political science research. Specifically, we survey quantitative data collection and basic methods of statistical analysis.
Emphasis is placed on the analysis of data and the substantive interpretation of results.
Of necessity, students will be exposed to a variety of algebraic formulae by way of illustrating some of the more commonly used statistical procedures, but the math will be kept to a minimum. Our focus will be an intuitive understanding of quantitative research design and application. Those desiring more rigorous mathematical treatments are encouraged to take follow-up courses in statistical theory and econometrics. This course is designed to evaluate three general approaches to research, case studies, correlational analysis, and formal theory, to sharpen our understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each so we can make more informed choices about using them in our own research and evaluating their use by others. Each major approach will then be analyzed separately, looking at the arguments about its strengths and weaknesses, some examples of its use taken from the current literature.