POL 291 - Introduction to Political Science Research Methods

3 Credit(s) DIII Q

As an introduction to the fundamentals of scientific inquiry as they apply to political science, this course will explore the nature and process of social science research generally, and applied political science research with a focus on methodologies particularly prominent within our discipline. Representative political science research examples will be critically analyzed to illuminate course topics and establish frameworks for assessing the validity and utility of various forms of political research. The practical application of research methodologies to the study of empirical political questions will be emphasized. Three lecture hours per week.