{"product_id":"the-craft-of-political-research-w-phillips-shively-9781032414966","title":"The Craft of Political Research","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Craft of Political Research\u003c\/i\u003e is a nontechnical introduction to research design and analysis in political science, emphasizing the choices we make when we design a research project and analyze its results. The book's approach centers on asking an interesting research question, then designing inquiry to eliminate as many alternative explanations as possible.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow do we develop theory, and what constitutes a good research question? How do we operationalize measures and gather evidence to answer a question? How do we analyze our data? Students are introduced to such topics as multidimensional concepts, levels of measurement, validity, reliability, random and non-random measurement error, sampling, case selection, causality, experimental and quasi-experimental design, statistical inference, and regression and correlation analysis. Throughout, the emphasis is on understanding the \"back story\" of analysis--\u003ci\u003ewhy\u003c\/i\u003e do we measure in a particular way, \u003ci\u003ewhy\u003c\/i\u003e do we choose one design as against another, \u003ci\u003ewhy\u003c\/i\u003e do we conduct our analysis as we do.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEmphasizing the internal logic of research methods, the greatest strength of the book is its clarity and the broad range of political science examples provided. It works at a conceptual level, seeking an understanding of the principles that underlie techniques and the reasons why we choose them.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNew to this edition: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eNew and revised examples from the US, UK, Canada, Latin America, and Africa among others, and updated international data from organizations such as the World Bank and the United Nations.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eSeparate chapters on causality and research design, with more discussion of each component of the political science research process\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eNew section on indexes and scales that reviews ways to improve reliability and validity of measures by combining several variables\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eNew sections reviewing collection of publicly available data including downloadable sources of quantitative data\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eNew material on internet surveys and other contemporary techniques used in political science research.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e W. Phillips Shively, James W. Endersby\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1032414960\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781032414966\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Routledge\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/26\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 228\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.74lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.52d","brand":"W. Phillips Shively","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":46670585430271,"sku":"9781032414966","price":86.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-craft-of-political-research-w-phillips-shively-9781032414966","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}