Ch. 1: Introduction

Question 1

Critical Analysis

Answer 1

the objective evaluation of research conclusions to determine whether you accept or reject them. Requires tools to question the methodology that other research utilized in research to reach concussions

Question 2

The Research Process Steps: Shiveley

Answer 2

Observe some phenomenon or puzzle
Offer an explanation for it
Make predictions for new situations or observations based on this explanation
Test those predictions using new data

Question 3

The Research Process: Forestiere

Answer 3

Identify topic
Review literature
Develop a question
Develop a theory
Specify hypotheses
Craft a research design
Measure concepts
Analyze data
Interpret findings

Question 4

Writing About Poli Sci Research: General Template

Answer 4

Introduction
Literature Review
Theory and hypotheses
Methods and data
Results and discussion
Conclusions
References

Question 5

Research Topic

Answer 5

a general subject from which different types of questions can be derived

Question 6

lit review

Answer 6

a short written synthesis of previous research on a topic

Question 7

Variables

Answer 7

attributes or characteristics that can differ across observations

Question 8

Theory

Answer 8

the casual explanation that specifies why the first variable should be correlated with the second variable → is the reason we are expecting to see a relationship between two variables

Question 9

Hypothesis

Answer 9

derived from the theory we have developed to explain why two or more variables should be correlated with each other

• must be specified in a way that allows us to test them with empirical data
• if a research hypothesis derived from a theory is shown to be true with data → there is evidence that the theory from which the hypothesis = is derived is supported as well

Question 10

Research Design

Answer 10

plan for how a research ? will be answered

can be Quantitative or qualitative, experimental or observational, or comparative

Question 11

Applied Research

Answer 11

used to solve a problem a researcher identifies

• social problem
• goal = devlop recoomendations that people. in power can use to migate social problems

Question 12

Pure Research

Answer 12

conducted to satisfy their curisosity about a question, engage others in rigourous disucssion about politics + to devlop new info about how the world of politics works

• asking ? about areas of intrest
• follows the principles of social scientific thinking + designed to discover regularties within politics

Question 13

Normative Research

Answer 13

concerned with aruments about what ought to be or what should be in politics

• making judmental arguments about morality or values based on what a scholar belives a society should look like
• making prior assumptions
• arguments about what should be or what ought to be, given a set of assumptions a resarcher makes about what they think is best for society

Question 14

Empirical Research

Answer 14

(this book) → not judgemental, does not take certain assumptionns for franted

• uses the presence of evidence rather than moral aruments to support hypothesis → purpose = devlop a theory that explains why differences in an outcome exist

Question 15

Descriptive Research

Answer 15

describe an event or a process → performed when a particualar event or process is not well understtood

• used to identify the specific elements that may eventually be included as part of an explaination in casual research

Question 16

Casual Research

Answer 16

goal = to devlop a theory that expalains why particualr variables are associated with one another

Question 17

Characteristics of Scientific Research

Answer 17

Characteristics
Empirical
Based on observation
Not normative (but may have such implications)
Deals with claims that can be tested & falsified
Explicit, systematic & controlled
Often involves uncertain conclusions