Introduction and Objective

This course will introduce you to the qualitative research methods used in political science. You will learn the common qualitative research and analysis techniques. In doing so you will enhance your ability to conduct your own research projects, to critically analyze the work of others and to critically assess political information you receive in the day-to-day setting.

Grading

You will be graded on class participation (5%) and on a series of writing assignments:

Title	Type	Description	Grade	Due
Research Question	Group	What question or issue do you wish to answer or explain in your research? You should formulate your research question so that your research can reach an answer or explain some resolution. In addition, you should propose a question that can be broken down into a model containing a dependent variable and independent variables. Finally, you should propose at least three possible answers or explanations.	15%	021204
Hypothesis and Model	Group	Propose a hypothesis to answer or explain your research question. It should be testable. In other words you should be able to empirically determine the validity of your hypothesis. Identify and define your unit(s) of analysis, concepts and variables Finally, propose a model that solves your hypothesis.	15%	031804
Review Essay	Individual	Read and write a review of an article from a scholarly political science journal. Concentrate you critique on the methods used by the author(s) of the article.	20%	040104
Research Exercise	Group	Implement one of the research tools described in class such as a case study, content analysis, a survey etc.	15%	042904
Research Design	Individual	Construct a research design to answer your question and test your hypothesis. Describe how you will collect your data, measure your variables and interpret your observations. Include the elements described in Chapter 5 of your text.	30%	050604

If a student deviates from UMBC’s policies on academic honesty, he or she may receive a failing grade for the assignment, or for the course.

Please see: http://www.umbc.edu/integrity/students.html.

Text

The required text for this course is Political Science Research Methods, 4^th edition, by Janet Buttolph Johnson, Richard A. Joslyn and H. T. Reynolds, CQ Press. I also urge you to purchase The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White. It is a slim paperback volume containing rules of writing, grammar and style.

The following is a tentative class plan. I have left on class period open to accommodate scheduling adjustments due to weather or other unforeseen events. Further adjustments may be necessary.

Class Plan

Date	Topic	Readings
012904	Introduction	1 – 18
020504	Studying Politics Scientifically	22 – 40 “The Role of Candidate Spending in Presidential Nomination Campaigns.” Audrey A. Haynes; Paul-Henri Gurian; Stephen M. Nichols. The Journal of Politics, Vol. 59, No. 1. (Feb., 1997), pp. 213-225. (link)
021204	Building Blocks of Political Science Research	45 – 68 “Repression of Human Rights”. Neal Tate; Steven Poe. American Political Science Review. Vol. 88(4) (Dec. 1994) pp. 853-872. (link).
021904	Measurement	72 – 92 “Presidential Power and the United States Supreme Court.” Jeff Yates; Andrew Whitford. Political Research Quarterly, Vol. 51, No. 2. (Jun., 1998), pp. 539-550. (link)
022604	Measurment Research Design	92 – 105 111 – 118 “Does Attack Advertising Demobilize the Electorate?” Stephen Ansolabehere; Shanto Iyengar; Adam Simon; Nicholas Valentino. The American Political Science Review, Vol. 88(4). (Dec., 1994), pp. 829-838. (link)
030404	Research Design	118 – 138 “Effects of Public Opinion on Policy.” Benjamin I. Page; Robert Y. Shapiro. The American Political Science Review, Vol. 77, No. 1. (Mar., 1983), pp. 175-190. (link).
031804	Research Design Literature Review	138 – 147 154 – 170 “The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism” Robert A. Pape. The American Political Science Review, Vol. 97(3). (Aug., 2003), pp. 343-361. (link pdf format).
040104	Literature Review Empirical Observation	171 – 180 216 – 227
040804	Empirical Observation Document Analysis	227 – 233 237 – 255 “Ideological Values and the Votes of U.S. Supreme Court Justices.” Jeffrey A. Segal; Albert D. Cover. The American Political Science Review, Vol. 83, No. 2. (Jun., 1989), pp. 557-565. (link)
042204	Document Analysis Elite Interviewing	255 – 267 271 – 277 “Lessons Learned: Practical Lessons Gleaned from Inside the Truth Commissions of Guatemala and South Africa.” Joanna R. Quinn* Mark Freeman. Human Rights Quarterly, 25 (2003) 1117–1149. (link).
042904	Survey Research	277 – 297 Same Article as 042204: “Lessons Learned: Practical Lessons Gleaned from Inside the Truth Commissions of Guatemala and South Africa.” Joanna R. Quinn, Mark Freeman. Human Rights Quarterly, 25 (2003) 1117–1149. (link).
050604	Annotated Research Report	437 – 455 “Civil Liberties vs. Security: Public Opinion in the Context of the Terrorist Attacks on America.” Darren W. Davis; Brian D. Silver. American Journal of Political Science, Vol. 48(1)(Jan. 2004), pp. 28-46. (Handout).