Lecture+3

Page 1: Overview of Political Research Design

• Course: POSC 201: Political Research Design

• Instructor: Lewis Luartz, Chapman University

• Lecture 3: Spring 2025

• Topics Covered:

  • Structure of a Research Paper

  • Research Questions, Hypotheses, and Variables

• Questions?

Page 2: Announcements and Reminders

• Homework Due Dates:

  • Homework 1: February 18, 2025, by 11:59 PM (PST) on Canvas

  • Homework 2: Assigned February 20, 2025.

• R Lessons:

  • Short R lessons at the end of most classes.

  • Options for participation:

    1. Install R (and R Studio if desired)

    2. Borrow a laptop with R installed from campus

    3. Use classroom computers (note: R Studio might not be available)

  • Recommendation: Install R personally for best learning experience.

Page 3: Structure of a Research Paper

• Purpose of Research in Political Science:

  • Answer questions about political phenomena.

  • Investigate diverse subjects affecting political behavior:

    • Individuals (voters, citizens)

    • Groups (interest groups, labor unions)

    • Institutions (legislatures, bureaucracies, courts)

    • Political jurisdictions (cities, states, nations)

• Functions of a Research Paper:

  1. Propose explanations by identifying various variables.

  2. Formulate testable hypotheses.

  3. Define concepts and operationalize them.

  4. Specify methods for measurement.

  5. Provide and interpret evidence that tests hypotheses.

  6. Discuss findings and suggest future research avenues.

Page 4: Research Question

• Formulating Research Questions:

  • Students often do not start with a well-defined research question.

  • Initial Steps:

    • Identify a topic and craft it into a manageable question.

    • Define and limit the scope, determining what information is needed.

• Important Considerations:

  • Questions must address political phenomena.

  • Avoid getting stuck on mere facts or normative conclusions—focus on relationships.

Page 5: Starting the Research Process

• Examples of Limited Research Questions:

  • "How many trade disputes have been referred to the WTO?"

  • "How many political parties are led by women?"

  • "What is the national defense spending in Africa?"

• Factual Information as a Launchpad:

  • Use basic facts to develop 'why' questions (e.g., fluctuation in trade disputes).

  • Investigate the patterns in how disputes are resolved and involved countries.

Page 6: Coming up with a Research Topic

• Tips for Finding a Good Research Topic:

  • Challenge a statement or conclusion from popular media or research articles.

  • Find empirical evidence to assess claims and identify mistakes.

  • Compare conflicting studies and explore explanations for discrepancies.

  • Apply existing theories to new situations for fresh insights.

Page 7: Variables in Research

• Understanding Variables:

  • Political scientists utilize variables to clarify relationships among phenomena.

  • Types of Variables:

    • Independent Variable: Influences or causes changes in another variable (X in X → Y).

    • Dependent Variable: The outcome affected by independent variables (Y in X → Y).

    • Example: Education (Independent) → Income (Dependent).

Page 8: Constants and Variability

• Characteristics of Variables:

  • Variables are expected to change; constants do not.

  • A researcher may discover expected variables are constants in their context.

• Case Example:

  • Survey examining military service's impact on attitudes found no variable respondents (constant).

Page 9: Types of Variables Explained

• Antecedent and Intervening Variables:

  • Antecedent Variable: Affects independent variables before they influence the dependent variable.

  • Intervening Variable: Affected by independent variables and occurs nearer to the dependent variable.

• Example Scenario:

  • Adequacy of Health Insurance → Attitudes Toward National Health Insurance → Presidential Voting.

Page 10: Using Arrow Diagrams

• Visualizing Relationships:

  • Arrow diagrams represent relationships among variables, designating which are independent, dependent, antecedent, or intervening.

  • Useful for organizing thought processes and formulating testable hypotheses.

Page 11: Formulating Hypotheses

• Definition of Hypotheses:

  • An explicit statement proposing how variables are related, which is tested through observations.

• Characteristics of a Hypothesis:

  • An educated guess about the relationship dynamics between independent and dependent variables.

Page 12: Good Hypothesis Traits

• Six Characteristics of a Good Hypothesis:

  1. Empirical: Must be testable.

  2. Stated as a Generality: Covering broader phenomena, not specifics.

  3. Plausible: Logically grounded.

  4. Specific: Directional understanding of relationships (e.g., changes in X lead to changes in Y).

  5. Correspondence: Outlines how the hypothesis will be tested with concrete examples.

  6. Realistic: Attainable and justifiable for testing purposes.