Research Methods in Politics is an accessible and student-friendly guide to the use of qualitative and quantitative methods in researching politics. This clearly written book is ideal for use on introductory methods courses and its helpful structure also makes it a useful guide for readers who are doing their own research project. Roger Pierce covers every angle in his overview of contemporary approaches to political research:
Part I: Introduction – gives a solid overview of the philosophy and principles of research.
Part II: Methodologies – presents qualitative and quantitative research methods, introduces research design and offers a critical review of selected methods.
Part III: Collecting Information – concentrates on methods of gathering information, such as interviews and focus groups, and discusses issues associated with ensuring quality of information.
Part IV: Analyzing and Interpreting the Information – deals with selecting and employing appropriate methods for analyzing and interpreting data, and covers the process of communicating research.
Methods for analyzing both quantitative and qualitative information are covered, including factor analysis and discourse analysis. The inclusion of chapter objectives, regular summaries, questions for discussion, and tasks and assignments, makes this the must-have text for anyone studying research methods as part of an undergraduate or graduate politics course.