Fall/Winter Timetable

POL455Y1Y L0101

Craft of Political Research

Themes

Political Science is defined by the content of its investigations, not its methods. In this class, we will explore the conceptual, analytic and practical issues arising in the conduct of research in Political Science. With illustrations provided by guest speakers sharing their own research, the class contrasts and compares the diverse approaches taken by Political Scientists when they conduct their research to understand common dilemmas faced by researchers. The class culminates with a research design proposal incorporating knowledge of the approaches covered during the class.

Preparation

This class is designed to help prepare students for graduate school in Political Science or those students interested in a “capstone” class at the culmination of their studies. No prior knowledge of qualitative or quantitative methods is assumed.