Research Methods in Politics: A Practical Guide

Research Methods in Politics is the most accessible and student-friendly introduction to research methods for anyone studying Political Science.

In this comprehensive text, Roger Pierce takes the reader through the full range of qualitative and quantitative research methods. This book is ideal for use on introductory methods courses and its helpful structure also makes it a useful guide for readers who are doing their own research project.

Part One, 'Introduction', gives a solid overview of the philosophy and principles of research. Part Two, 'Methodologies', presents qualitative and quantitative research methods, introduces research design and offers a critical review of selected methods. Part Three, 'Collecting information', concentrates on methods of gathering information, such as interviews and focus groups, and discusses issues associated with ensuring quality of information. Part Four, 'Data analysis', divided into two sections, covers using, selecting and employing of appropriate methods for analysing and interpreting data. Methods for analysing both quantitative and qualitative information are covered, including factor analysis and discourse analysis. Part Five, 'Communicating research' provides advice on the process of communicating research, especially on the writing-up process from initial research proposal to final research report.

The inclusion of chapter objectives, regular summaries, questions for discussion and tasks and assignments, and a detailed Glossary makes this the must-have text for anyone studying research methods as part of an undergraduate or postgraduate politics course.

About the Author:
Roger Pierce taught research methods in theDepartment of Politics at the University of York from 1999 to 2005