Empirical Research and Writing: A Political Science Student’s Practical Guide

Students can easily misstep when they first begin to do research. Leanne C. Powner’s new title Empirical Research and Writing: A Student′s Practical Guide provides valuable advice and guidance on conducting and writing about empirical research. Chapter by chapter, students are guided through the key steps in the research process. Written in a lively and engaging manner and with a dose of humor, this practical text shows students exactly how to choose a research topic, conduct a literature review, make research design decisions, collect and analyze data, and then write up and present the results. The book′s approachable style and just-in-time information delivery make it a text students will want to read, and its wide-ranging and surprisingly sophisticated coverage will make it an important resource for their later coursework.

Table of Contents:
Part I: The Preliminaries Chapter 1: From Research Topic to Research Question Doing Social Science Research Questions and This Course’s Research Project From Research Topic to Research Question Finding and Refining a Research Question Writing Your Paper Summary Key Terms Chapter 2: From Research Question to Theory to Hypothesis What Is a Theory? From Question to Theory From Theory to Hypothesis Writing Your Theory Section Summary Key Terms Part II: The Practicalities Chapter 3: Doing Pre-Research The Parts of an Empirical Paper How to Think About Literature(s) How to Find Literature(s) How to Organize Literature(s) How to Write the Literature Review Summary Key Terms Chapter 4: Choosing a Design that Fits Your Question Types of Hypotheses What Type of Analysis Should I Conduct? Overview of Techniques Summary Key Terms Chapter 5: Case Selection and Study Design for Qualitative Research Qualitative Study Design Hypothesis-Testing Techniques and Case Selection Writing Your Methodology Section Summary Key Terms Chapter 6: Qualitative Data Collection and Management Information, Data, and Evidence Measurement Maximizing Leverage Over Your Hypotheses Data Collection Techniques Sources and Resources Data Management Options Writing About Data Collection Summary Key Terms Chapter 7: Quantitative Data Collection and Management Identifying Data Needs: What Cases? Identifying Data Needs: What Variables? Measurement: Matching Concepts to Indicators Getting Ready-to-Use Data Collecting and Managing Your Own Data Summary Key Terms Chapter 8: Preparing Quantitative Data for Analysis Transferring Data into Your Stats Program Dealing With Missing Data Preparing to Analyze Your Data Other Data Manipulations The Theory-Data Danger Zone: Endogeneity, Simultaneity, and Omitted Variable Bias Summary Key Terms Chapter 9: Writing up Your Research The Abstract The Bookends The Results: Conventions of Reporting and Discussing Quantitative Analysis Discussing Qualitative Evidence and Claims Summary Key Terms Part III: Post-paper Processes Chapter 10: Practicing Peer Review Writing Without Whining Self-Editing Practicing Peer Review Writing Your Review of Peer Research Summary Key Terms Chapter 11: Posters, Presentations, and Publishing Presentations Posters Slip ‘n’ Slide Post-paper Possibilities Brief Remarks on Graduate Study in Political Science and International Relations Summary

About the Author :
Leanne C. Powner holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Michigan, where she specialized in international relations, comparative politics, and research methods. She has taught at a diverse range of institutions, including the College of Wooster, OH, where she was the Juliana Wilson Thompson Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science, and American University′s School of International Service and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, where she specialized in teaching research methods.  Her prior publications include the third (with D. Scott Bennett) and fourth editions of Applying the Strategic Perspective: Problems and Models (CQ Press, 2006 & 2010), along with a number of articles and papers on pedagogy, teaching practices, classroom techniques, and assessment appearing in PS: Political Science and Politics, International Studies Perspectives, and the Journal of Political Science Education. Powner was Webmaster for the Active Learning in International Affairs Section of the International Studies Association for seven years.