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Thesis Research Design Seminar >> Content Detail



Study Materials



Readings

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Books and Articles


Amazon logo There is one book - Van Evera, Steven. Guide to Methods for Students of Political Science. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1997. ISBN: 9780801484575.

Articles will be added depending on the interests and projects of the class. Also, students may wish to obtain a copy of the following book as a guide for writing their thesis:
Amazon logo Turabian, Kate. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1996. ISBN: 9780226816272.



Readings by Session



SES #TOPICSREADINGS
1Introductory Meeting
2Developing a Topic
3Reviewing Past Theses

A. We will Read Two Past Award-winning Theses, Selected by Relevance to Current Student Topics

B. Sharpening the Topic, Developing Theory

Note: For the next three weeks, we will be discussing methodological choices. During this time, you are expected to be ready to discuss the assigned readings. You should also be reading on your topics and developing a bibliography and knowledge of existing research.
Amazon logo Van Evera, Stephen. Chapter 1 in Guide to Methods for Students of Political Science. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1997. ISBN: 9780801484575.

Almond, Gabriel, and Stephen Genco. "Clouds, Clocks, and the Study of Politics." World Politics 29, no. 4 (1977).
4Methodological Choices I - Quantitative vs. Qualitative Methods

Discussion of Causality, Measurement, Validity
Amazon logo Ragin, Charles. Chapters 1-4 in The Comparative Method: Moving Beyond Qualitative and Quantitative Strategies. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1992. ISBN: 9780520058347.

Gurr, Ted. "A Causal Model of Civil Strife: A Comparative Analysis Using New Indices." American Political Science Review 62 (1968): 1104-1124.

Laitin, David, and James Fearon. "Ethnicity, Insurgency, and Civil War." American Political Science Review 97 (2003): 75-90.
5Methodological Choices II - Case Studies and Small-N ComparisonsVan Evera, chapter 2.

Amazon logo Mill, J. S. "Of the Four Methods of Experimental Inquiry." In A System of Logic. Edited by J. M. Robson. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1974, pp. 388-406. ISBN: 9780802018755.

Amazon logo George, Alexander, and Timothy McKeown. "Case Studies and Theory Development: The Method of Structured, Focused Comparison." In Diplomacy: New Approaches in History, Theory, and Policy. Edited by Paul G. Lauren. New York, NY: Free Press, 1979, pp. 43-68. ISBN: 9780029180709.

Snyder, Jack. "Richness, Rigor, and Relevance in the Study of Soviet Foreign Policy." International Security 9, no. 3 (Winter 1984-85): 89-108.

Amazon logo Petersen, Roger. "Mechanisms and Structures in Comparisons." In Critical Comparisons in Politics and Culture. Edited by John Bowen, and Roger Petersen. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1999. ISBN: 9780521653794.
6Meeting with Library Staff to Review Research Tactics and Strategies
7Methodological Choices III - Rational ChoiceAmazon logo Tsebelis, George. Chapters 2, 3, and 6 in Nested Games: Rational Choice in Comparative Politics. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1992. ISBN: 9780520067325.
8Literature Review
9Class Presentations of Existing Research
10Methodological PitfallsCollier, David, and James Mahoney. "Insights and Pitfalls: Selection Bias in Qualitative Research." World Politics 49, no. 1 (1996): 56-91.

Adcock, Robert, and David Collier. "Measurement Validity: A Shared Standard for Qualitative and Quantitative Research." American Political Science Review 95, no. 3 (2001): 529-546.

Amazon logo King, Gary, Robert Keohane, and Sidney Verba. Chapters 4-6 in Designing Social Inquiry. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1994. ISBN: 9780691034713.
11Pick a Topic
12Addressing Remaining Methodological Issues
13Presentation of Prospectus
14Presentation of Prospectus (cont.)

 








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