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The Craft of Political Research
The Craft of Political Research immerses readers not only in how political scientists work but also in how ideas produce research questions and guide the selection of research methods.Emphasizing the internal logic of research methods and the collaborative nature of the research process, this slender text explores the design behind interesting questions, problems in measurement and analysis, and key statistical methods. Brief and inexpensive to include in any course, The Craft of Political Research’s elegant explanations inspire a big picture understanding of how political scientists explain political reality and encourage students to create their own inventive, original, and bold research work. Features Focuses on the big picture of how good research leads to good theories instead of just what research method to use. Provides concise and accessible coverage of key topics, including the nature of research, research design, sampling, statistical analysis, ethics, and more. Includes detailed examples of classic and contemporary political science research to give students models for their own original research.
162 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1974
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 3, 2018
Lying on my table beside this book is a cookbook with a cover review from revered chef Alice Waters, effusing that the book “not only teaches you how to cook, but captures how it should feel to cook.” Replace “cook” with “conduct political research,” and I think Alice Waters could have been describing The Craft of Political Research.
Full disclosure: I have no background in political science. I picked up a beat-up copy of this book up from a “FREE BOOKS!” shelf on the side of the street. Yet this book has lent me a greater understanding for how ideas in political research are born, some much-needed statistical literacy, and a deeper appreciation for the craft of research in general.
Throughout the book, a running theme that Shively addresses is where ideas and theories come from. As he addresses the nuts and bolts of research in political science, he bookmarks places where researchers might find new questions to explore. A few of these bookmarks:
- What does a vague word really mean? For example, a paper analyzing New Haven elections implicitly defined power as the power to cast a vote in local elections and deliberations. But what about the power to, say, set the agenda? What about the power to influence others’ opinions and interests? By analyzing a definition (power) through new lenses, other researchers built on the New Haven study to develop new ideas and theories.
- When does our theory break down? In his chapters on statistics, Shively gives a brief rundown of linear regressions and notes that anomalies can be fertile ground for new theories. Which data points don’t fit neatly into our regression? Is there something that ties these data points together?
- Can ideas from other disciplines inform our theory? Political scientists draw inspiration from epidemiology, microeconomics, anthropology, and dozens of other far-flung fields. Shively’s last chapter is, partially, a love letter to the vision of political science as this grand confluence of ideas.
If you’re looking for more quantitative knowledge, this book is also a solid crash course in statistical literacy. Many of its chapters are reminiscent of recent “pop statistics” books like The Signal and the Noise or How Not to be Wrong. Shively is deft at explaining basic statistical principles. In one excellent section, he describes why researchers set up a “null hypothesis,” and what it means to reject that hypothesis. He outlines the difference between random and nonrandom error, and the difference between correlation and regression scores — all in understandable language. With Shively in my pocket, I feel somewhat more literate at deciphering everyday statistics (read: “lies, damned lies, and statistics”).
Finally, this book is surprisingly fun to read — perhaps because it feels so relevant to the world. Real examples are sprinkled throughout the book, and in the middle of the book, Shively reminds us that “the ultimate purpose of theories is to give us levers on reality, some basis for choosing how to act.” Throughout the book, Shively not only captures how to research and how it feels to research, but why research matters.
Full disclosure: I have no background in political science. I picked up a beat-up copy of this book up from a “FREE BOOKS!” shelf on the side of the street. Yet this book has lent me a greater understanding for how ideas in political research are born, some much-needed statistical literacy, and a deeper appreciation for the craft of research in general.
Throughout the book, a running theme that Shively addresses is where ideas and theories come from. As he addresses the nuts and bolts of research in political science, he bookmarks places where researchers might find new questions to explore. A few of these bookmarks:
- What does a vague word really mean? For example, a paper analyzing New Haven elections implicitly defined power as the power to cast a vote in local elections and deliberations. But what about the power to, say, set the agenda? What about the power to influence others’ opinions and interests? By analyzing a definition (power) through new lenses, other researchers built on the New Haven study to develop new ideas and theories.
- When does our theory break down? In his chapters on statistics, Shively gives a brief rundown of linear regressions and notes that anomalies can be fertile ground for new theories. Which data points don’t fit neatly into our regression? Is there something that ties these data points together?
- Can ideas from other disciplines inform our theory? Political scientists draw inspiration from epidemiology, microeconomics, anthropology, and dozens of other far-flung fields. Shively’s last chapter is, partially, a love letter to the vision of political science as this grand confluence of ideas.
If you’re looking for more quantitative knowledge, this book is also a solid crash course in statistical literacy. Many of its chapters are reminiscent of recent “pop statistics” books like The Signal and the Noise or How Not to be Wrong. Shively is deft at explaining basic statistical principles. In one excellent section, he describes why researchers set up a “null hypothesis,” and what it means to reject that hypothesis. He outlines the difference between random and nonrandom error, and the difference between correlation and regression scores — all in understandable language. With Shively in my pocket, I feel somewhat more literate at deciphering everyday statistics (read: “lies, damned lies, and statistics”).
Finally, this book is surprisingly fun to read — perhaps because it feels so relevant to the world. Real examples are sprinkled throughout the book, and in the middle of the book, Shively reminds us that “the ultimate purpose of theories is to give us levers on reality, some basis for choosing how to act.” Throughout the book, Shively not only captures how to research and how it feels to research, but why research matters.
October 19, 2014
A very good introduction to political research, and social science research in general, with a heavy focus on the purpose and use of statistical analysis. It is a useful companion to a proper statistics textbook.
March 18, 2020
Another book used to help me craft my dissertation research, and research proposal. Helpful, but definitely lackluster to those who are not Poli-Sci academics.
December 15, 2012
I realize now why I could never be a scholar; I am still mystified by research methods. Statistics in particular.
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December 1, 2018Useful little book, good to have on hand for reference, but after reading 100 pages for a class the semester has ended and I'm not in the mood to actually finish the book at this point in time.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews