Writing a Research Paper in Political Science: A Practical Guide To Inquiry, Structure, and Methods - Softcover

Lisa A. Baglione

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0495092622 ISBN 13: 9780495092629

Publisher: Wadsworth Pub Co, 2006

Synopsis

WRITING A RESEARCH PAPER IN POLITICAL SCIENCE teaches research methods and research paper writing skills to undergraduates. This concise text discusses both the parts of a research paper and what students should seek to accomplish in them. In addition, the text explains details such as how to choose and use headings and titles, examines different types of sources, stresses that each part of a paper requires different types of information, and considers different ways of evaluating data. Topics include how to develop a research question, write a literature review, design a study, analyze information, write introductory and concluding sections, and edit and revise a paper. Thus, this book is more than a typical research methods text: it trains students in writing, methodological, and research skills.

About this title

About the Author

Lisa Baglione received her Ph.D. in Government from Cornell University in 1992. She is currently an Associate Professor of Political Science at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia and the Director of the International Relations program there. In her last years of graduate school, Lisa taught at the Cornell-in-Washington Program, where she supervised undergraduates who were writing public policy theses. That experience, along with teaching research methods at St. Joseph's, made Dr. Baglione realize that a textbook that combined a focus on writing and methodology was needed.

Review

"The greatest strength of the text is the coverage of the rare mixture of issues relevant to teaching political science students how to conduct empirical research. The worksheets are absolutely tremendous."

"[The book] shows a healthy dose of respect for the capabilities of students while guiding them through what many see as a daunting process. The book provides students with an easy to follow, step-by-step approach to the research process, conveying the purpose of research, the methods behind it, and the best ways to achieve the results students will want from their efforts."

"The author presents the major issues without being bogged down in the methodological disputes that are common, and addresses some of the hardest issues for most students, such as the development of the research question. Unlike many books on methodology, the author is not out to impress anyone. The result is a simple handbook, clear, concise, and relatively jargon free."

Edition details

• Publisher: Wadsworth Pub Co
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0495092622
• ISBN 13: 9780495092629
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 184