Week 2 Flashcards
what are the 2 key features of research?
research is SYSTEMATIC and ORIGINAL
method vs methodologies
method: TOOLS for collecting data/ materials for research ex. doing case study, interviews
methodologies: APPROACHES/ strategies for THINKING ABOUT HOW/ why to use a certain method (background assumptions) ex. should we study politics scientifically or humanistically
empirical vs normative
empirical: focused on how politics ACTUALLY works ex. how does a democracy work
normative: focused on how politics SHOULD work (based on logic) ex. how should democracies work
quantitative vs qualitative
quantitative: based on DATA and statistical methods
qualitative: not using stats-using WORDS
positivist vs interpretivist
positivist: scientific study of pols (scientific method applied to pols)-not what people SAY but what they DO
interpretivist (NON-positivist): rejects scientific method, focuses on SUBJECTIVENESS and CONTEXTUAL claims
~WHO (groups) critique positivism?
INTERPRETIVE SOCIAL theory, FEMINISM, CRITICAL theory
what are the 5 key features (or background assumptions) of positivism?
- EMPIRICISM: OBSERVATION of the WORLD in practice (no studying how politics works without observation)
- DETERMINISM: everything that HAPPENS has a CAUSE
- OBJECTIVITY: study politics by REMOVING PERSONAL feelings etc., study the world AS IT IS
- REPLICATION: should be able to run the SAME STUDY (+results) as someone else, CLEAR METHOD, etc.
- GENERALIZATION: goal of research is to GENERALIZE, not just study one thing (ex. study Rwandan genocide as a KIND of genocide, not in its own right)
~WHAT ARE the critiques of positivism?
SCIENTIFIC method ISN’T APPROPRIATE for the social world, “OBJECTIVITY” ISN’T REAL, RESEARCHERS identities/ experiences IMPACT/ matter, UNDERSTANDING is MORE important than CAUSALITY
what is intersubjectivity?
(vs objectivity) idea that we can AGREE on SHARED UNDERSTANDINGS of concept and realities, even if we perceive things different due to our own experiences.
what are the 4 goals of empirical research?
- DESCRIPTION-describe it
- EXPLAINATION-explain it
- PREDICTION-predict what will happen
- PRESCRIPTION (advice)-reccomended actio for future (ex.study about inequality: put affirmative action plans into palce)
what is causality?
making CLAIMS about WHY things HAPPEN (what causes what)-we make causal claims all the time ex. “this person got me sick”
what is a counterfactual?
what WOULD HAVE happened if SOMETHING ELSE DIDN’T happen (a ‘what if’, complex because it doesn’t actually happen)
how do quantitative researchers approach causality?
ESTIMATE how much a SINGLE CAUSE AFFECTS an OUTCOME across cases ex. how does masculinity affect support for Trump (survey)
how do qualitative researchers approach causality?
EXPLAIN the VARIOUS CAUSES that lead to an OUTCOME ex. what explains Trump winning (case study)
what are the 3 types of variables?
DEPENDENT: the OUTCOME variable-what you are interested in EXPLAINING
INDEPENDENT: “I change”, the CAUSE-what EXPLAINS what you’re interested in
CONTROL: variables other that the ind. that MAY AFFECT the dep., may mess up tour ability to tell how one variable causes another
theory vs hypothesis?
theory: EXPLANATION of how X causes Y
hypothesis: TESTABLE CLAIM based on past KNOWLEDGE or preliminary EVIDENCE about the RELATIONSHIP between variables
what is a concept? how does this relate to conceptualization vs measurement?
concepts: ABSTRACT/ THEORETICAL ideas ex. democracy. to test them we need to see them in practice
- requires CONCEPTUALIZATION (GUIDANCE on WHAT the concept is ex. democracy-free society, etc.) and
- MEASUREMENT (GUIDANCE on HOW to CAPTURE the concept ex. look at corruption, etc.)
~what is measurement validity (and the 3 types)?
ASSESSMENT of how well a measurement works at CAPTURING a THEORETICAL CONCEPT ex. not valid if you are looking at fair elections and then measure the judicial system
FACE validity: does it LOOK LIKE it captures the concept?
CONTENT validity: are the measurements capturing ALL PARTS of it?
CONSTRUCT validity: checking if the measurement MAKES SENSE
~what is measurement reliability?
if you take a measurement OVER and OVER, HOW OFTEN will it give you the SAME RESULT? if reliable, it will generally give the same
how can you imagine validity vs reliability?
think DARTS:
- scattered around the outside=not v or r
- scattered close to the bullseye=v not r
- all on bullseye=v and r
- all outside same spot=not v yes r
what is study validity?
ASSESSMENT of the overall QUALITY and USEFULNESS of a study for a certain purpose
