“If you could learn only one thing in graduate school, it should be how to do scholarly research” (Gary King, Harvard University, “Strategies for Political Inquiry”)

POGO 9096 is an introduction to empirical research in public policy, political science, and international relations, which is designed for PhD students who are beginning their dissertation projects. The aim of the course it to help students find their own research questions; develop expected answers with theoretical frameworks; formulate, re?ne, and operationalise concepts; identify strategies to make inference; gather quantitative and qualitative data; and finally analyse data. It emphasises the importance of designing “good” research by developing fine research questions and gathering high quality data for answering them.

The first part of this course focuses on the issues, problems, and strategies related to “small-n” qualitative research, while the second part focuses more on “large-n” quantitative research designs and introduction to statistical analysis.

Notes: This course is offered as part of the Postgraduate Training in Politics and Policy (PTPP) Program jointly organised by the Crawford School of Public Policy (CAP) and the School of Politics and International Relations (CASS). It mainly covers principles of research design in the social sciences. After taking this course, students are strongly advised to take Research Methods (POLS8004) offered in CASS to learn specific quantitative and qualitative methods.

Required Resources

Suggested but not required texts for this class:

A Tale of Two Cultures. Qualitative and Quantitative Research in the Social Sciences.

Author: Goertz, Gary. and Mahoney, James.

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Edition: 2012

ISBN:

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Notes:

This book describes and contrasts the differences between qualitative and quantitative research for causal inference.

Designing Social Inquiry: Scientific Inference in Qualitative Researc

Author: King, Gary., Keohane, Robert O. and Verba, Sidney.

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Edition: 1994

ISBN:

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Notes:

A seminal book, which applied a quantitative framework to assess qualitative research and provide recommendations for improving qualitative research. This book led to a resurgence in thinking about qualitative research for causal inference.

Rethinking Social Inquiry: Diverse Tools, Shared Standards

Author: Brady, Henry E. and Collier, David.

Publisher: Rowman and Littlefield

Edition: 2nd Edition, 2010

ISBN:

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Notes:

This book is an edited collection of thinking, highlighting various perspectives about how the debate had moved since King, Keohane and Verba's book.

Social Science Methodology. A Unified Framework

Author: Gerring, John.

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Edition: 2nd Edition, 2012

ISBN:

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Notes:

This book provides interesting a comprehensive compendium, and offers an interesting contrast when read alongside Goertz and Mahoney.

The Fundamentals of Political Science Research

Author: Kellstedt, Paul M. and Whitten, Guy D.

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Edition: 2nd Edition

ISBN:

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Notes:

This book is a rare book in that it introduces both research designs in political science and introduction to statistical methods. Please note that the second edition is a major update from the first edition. Please purchase the second edition.

The Craft of Political Research

Author: Shively, W. Phillips.

Publisher: Person Education

Edition: 9th Edition

ISBN:

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This small book is a good introduction to empirical/positive research design in political science.

Recommended Resources

see detailed list in class syllabus

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Module 1 Session 1 (25 Feb) Part 1: Overview of the Course; Getting to Know Each Other, Clarifying Expectations Part 2: Introduction to the Discipline; The Idea of Social Science, Philosophy of Science (Basics) Lecture 1, 9-11am, Dressel Student Panel, 11:30-12.30
2	Module 1 Session 2 (March 4) Philosophy of Science: Positivism Lecture 2, 9-11am, Dressel Academic Skills session: Supervision, student panels, admin, ethics Academic Skills Session 1, 11:15-12pm, Poore (TBC)
3	Module 1 Session 3 (March 11) Philosophy of Science: Interpretivism Lecture 3, 9-11am, Dressel Guest Lecture, 11.15-12:30pm, TBC
4	Module 1 Session 4 (March 18) Basics of Methodology I: Motivating Research & Asking Questions; Debates about Styles and Goals of Research Lecture 4, 9-10.30am, Dressel	**Short Note 1: due March 25**
5	Module 1 Session 5 (March 25) Basics of Methodology II: Principles of Causal Thinking, Theory and Hypothesis Lecture 5, 9-11.00am, Dressel Guest Lecture Guest Lecture, 11:15-12:30pm, TBC
6	Module 1 Session 6 (April 1) Elements of Empirical Enquiry: Concept Formation and Measurement Lecture 6, 9-11.00am, Dressel Group Discussion, Concepts and Measurements TBC, 11:15-12:30pm	**Short Note 2 due April 8**
7	Module 1 Session 7 (April 22) Research Design Issues I: Causality and Causal Inference; Experimental Design Lecture 7, 9-11.30am, Dressel
8	Module 1 Session 8 (April 29) Research Design Issues II: The Comparative Method Lecture 8, 9-11.15am, Dressel Guest Lecture Comparative research design, TBC Guest Lecture, 11:30-12.30pm
9	Module 1 Session 9 (May 6) Research Design Issues III: Case Studies: Case Selection, Process Tracing, Within Case Analysis Lecture 9, 9-11am, Dressel Guest Lecture: Process tracing / within-case analysis TBC, 12-12.30pm
10	Module 1 Session 10 (May 13) Research Design Issues IV: Data Collection Observational/Non-Observational design Lecture 10, 9-10.30am, Dressel Student Reflection: In the field: Data collection issues in qualitative research, TBC TBC , 12.30-13.30pm
11	Module 1 Session 11 (May 20) Research Design Issues V: Data Collection - Quantitative Lecture 11, 9-11am, Dressel Guest Lecture: Surveys: How to do it; what to consider? (Jill Sheppard) TBC, 11:30-12:30pm
12	Module 1 Session 12 (May 27) The Practice of Social Science research / Towards a Unified Approach? / Mixed methods Lecture 12, 9-11am, Dressel
13	Module 1 Session 13 (June 3) Final Group session 9:00-11:00 Student 10min presentations on research prospectus followed by lunch	**Research Design Paper due June 6**
14	Module 2 This second module delivers hands-on, practical learning. Students will apply the course learning to their research projects, access widely-used data websites to understand when, how, and what data to use. To keep pace with the class, then, students need to: a) read ahead b) find readings related to their research that pertains to the topic of learning for that session c) use data and methods to demonstrate learning d) use data and methods to research topic Generally, at every morning class meeting, students need to share with the class a published paper related to their research, and discuss how the reading relates to the topic of the session. Generally, there is a 300-word paper (about 2 double-spaced pages) following every afternoon class meeting, where students write up on the data and analyses in relation to the afternoon class meeting. Session 1, Tuesday Aug 3 (please check wattle for latest updates) 10 am - 12:30 pm, Yap a) Meet and greet b) Review: module 1 Readings: Research Handbook, Crawford School Student shared reading: please email your paper submission for module 1 to class by Sunday, Aug 1, noon	Student shared reading: please email your paper submission for module 1 to class by Sunday, Aug 1, noon
15	Module 2 Session 2: Student Application/Methods 1:30 - 4:00 pm, Yap (please check wattle for latest updates) a) Social science research: Discuss how your research design is consistent with social science research b) Literature review: what is it good for? a. Discuss disciplinary approach to your research thesis b. Also discuss what are the leading journals or publishers in the area. c) Research question: (explain how you established them) a. Discuss: what are the seminal works on your research thesis? b. What were the previous milestones in your area of study? c. What are the recent works on the research thesis? d) The So-what question: Discuss the contributions of your research. Paper 1: Write a 300-word paper (about 2 double-spaced pages) on the contributions of your research	Paper 1: Write a 300-word paper (about 2 double-spaced pages) on the contributions of your research. Due next morning class meeting
16	Module 2 Session 3, Thursday Aug 5 (please check wattle for latest updates) 10 m - 12:30 pm, Yap a) Overview: Qualitative research and methods and Quantitative research and methods b) Post-positivism, theory-building, and hypotheses: : where do hypotheses come from? c) Sources of data d) What if the evidence or data do not work as expected? Student shared reading: please email to class by Tuesday, Aug 3, noon	Student shared reading: please email link or pdf to class by Tuesday, Aug 3, noon
17	Module 2 Session 4: Student Application/Methods 1:30 - 4:00 pm, Yap (please check wattle for latest updates) a) Accessing data: World Values Survey; World Bank Databank; International Labour Organization b) Using STATA or data-analysis software Paper 2: Write a 300-word paper (about 2 double-spaced pages) on collecting or accessing the data used in your research	Paper 2: Write a 300-word paper (about 2 double-spaced pages) on the method and methodology of your research. Be sure to contrast against previous research. Due next morning class meeting
18	Module 2 Session 5, Tuesday Aug 10 (please check wattle for latest updates) 10 am - 12:30 pm, Yap a) Concepts and data: measurement, validity, reliability Student shared reading: please email link or pdf to class by Sunday, Aug 8, noon	Student shared reading: please email link or pdf to class by Sunday, Aug 8, noon
19	Module 2 Session 6: Student Application/Methods 1:30 - 4:00 pm, Yap (please check wattle for latest updates) a) Applying statistical inference, comparison, and association analysis Paper 3: Write a 300-word paper describing the data and sources for your research. Be sure to include discussion of debates or challenges based on previous research	Paper 3: Write a 300-word paper describing the data and sources for your research. Be sure to include discussion of debates or challenges based on previous research. Due next morning class meeting
20	Module 2 Session 7, Thursday Aug 12 (please check wattle for latest updates) 10 am - 12:30 pm, Yap a) Descriptive Statistics: promises, problems, significance b) Statistical inference: Going beyond descriptive statistics a) Comparison of two groups b) Analysing association Probability distribution Student shared reading: please email link or pdf to class by Tuesday, Aug 10, noon	Student shared reading: please email link or pdf to class by Tuesday, Aug 10, noon
21	Module 2 Session 8: Student Application/Methods 1:30 - 4:00 pm, Yap (please check wattle for latest updates) a) Analyzing data with descriptive statistics: World Values Survey; World Bank Databank; International Labour Organization Paper 4: Write a 300-word paper using descriptive statistics for the data on your research, noting key or critical variables, or write on a published paper that uses descriptive statistics	Paper 4: Write a 300-word paper using descriptive statistics for the data on your research, noting key or critical variables, or write on a published paper that uses descriptive statistics. Due next morning class meeting
22	Module 2 Session 9, Tuesday Aug 17 (please check wattle for latest updates) 10:00 am - 12:30 pm, Yap a) Regression b) Controls: what, why, how Student shared reading: please email link or pdf to class by Sunday, Aug 15, noon	Student shared reading: please email link or pdf to class by Sunday, Aug 15, noon
23	Session 10: Student Application/Methods 1:30 - 4:00 pm, Yap (please check wattle for latest updates) a) Using regression Paper 5: Write a 300-word paper using regression on the data on your research, or write on a published paper that uses regression analysis.	Paper 5: Write a 300-word paper using regression on the data on your research, or write on a published paper that uses regression analysis. Due next morning class meeting
24	Module 2 Session 11, Thursday Aug 19 (please check wattle for latest updates) 10 am - 12:30 pm, Yap a) Beyond regression: Experiments and causal modelling Student shared reading: please email link or pdf to class by Tuesday, Aug 17, noon	Student shared reading: please email link or pdf to class by Tuesday, Aug 17, noon
25	Session 12: Student Application/Methods 1:30 - 4:00 pm, Yap (please check wattle for latest updates) Presenting your research: what, how, when

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Student-led Discussions on Readings for Class (Module 1)	15 %	04/03/2021	11/03/2021	1,2,3,4,5
Short Note 1 (Module 1)	20 %	25/03/2021	01/04/2021	1
Short Note 2 (Module 1)	20 %	08/04/2021	15/04/2021	1,2,3,4
Final Research Paper (Module 1)	45 %	06/06/2021	13/06/2021	1,2,3,4,5
Shared reading for discussion 1	5 %	01/08/2021	03/08/2021	1
Shared reading for discussion 2	5 %	03/08/2021	05/08/2021	1
Shared reading for discussion 3	5 %	08/08/2021	10/08/2021	1
Shared reading for discussion 4	5 %	10/08/2021	12/08/2021	1
Shared reading for discussion 5	5 %	15/08/2021	17/08/2021	1
Shared reading for discussion 6	5 %	17/08/2021	19/08/2021	1
Paper 1: Write a 300-word paper (about 2 double-spaced pages) on the contributions of your research. Be sure to contextualize against previous research.	15 %	05/08/2021	10/08/2021	2,3,4,5
Paper 2: Write a 300-word paper (about 2 double-spaced pages) on the method and methodology of your research. Be sure to contrast against previous research	15 %	10/08/2021	12/08/2021	2,3,4,5
Paper 3: Write a 300-word paper describing the data and sources for your research. Be sure to include discussion of debates or challenges based on previous research	15 %	12/08/2021	17/08/2021	2,3,4,5
Paper 4: Write a 300-word paper using descriptive statistics for the data on your research, noting key or critical variables, or write on a published paper that uses descriptive statistics	15 %	17/08/2021	19/08/2021	2,3,4,5
Paper 5: Write a 300-word paper using regression on the data on your research, or write on a published paper that uses regression analysis.	10 %	19/08/2021	24/08/2021	2,3,4,5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Student-led Discussions on Readings for Class (Module 1)

Attendance and participation in class and tutorial/guest lectures are mandatory for this course. Learning is an active exercise so you must come prepared to discuss the course material each week. To aid in your preparation, some of the important themes and questions for each week are identified on the syllabus. You would be well served to think about those issues and others before you enter class each week. You should come prepared to answer the following questions for each of the assigned readings.

1. What are the major themes?
2. What questions of clarification do you have?
3. What criticisms do you have of the arguments laid bare in the readings?  
4. What does the reading contribute to your understanding of research design?

Assessment Task 2

Short Note 1 (Module 1)

Students are required to hand in four short assignments aimed at helping them understand key elements of the research process. Each assignment requires 1-3 pages of thoughtful writing on a specific class topic.

Topics for the assignments #1 are:

1. development of a research question

If done properly, these assignments will be the foundation for your research design.

Assessment Task 3

Short Note 2 (Module 1)

Students are required to hand in four short assignments aimed at helping them understand key elements of the research process. Each assignment requires 1-3 pages of thoughtful writing on a specific class topic.

Topics for the assignments # 2 are:

1. development of a research hypothesis
2. a discussion of how to test (or explore) research hypotheses, and
3. selection of a research technique.

If done properly, these assignments will be the foundation for your research design.

Assessment Task 4

Final Research Paper (Module 1)

Each student is required to write a 15 page (6000 words max) research design. In this paper, you will state a research question and elaborate a plan for gathering the data necessary for developing an answer to that question. Your paper needs to address the following subjects, each of which will be discussed throughout the semester.

What is the state of scholarly knowledge on the subject?

What is your question, how does relate to previous research, and why is it interesting?

What potential answers – or, hypotheses – do you have to the question?

What concepts do you need to identify in order to investigate those possibilities?

How would you go about measuring those concepts and gathering data?

How would you deal with threats to validity and reliability?

What challenges do you foresee in gathering the data and how will you account for them?

What challenges do you foresee in analyzing the data and how will you account for those?

Assessment Task 5

Shared reading for discussion 1

Attendance and participation in class are mandatory for this course. Learning is an active exercise so you must come prepared to discuss the course material each week. In addition, you will be asked to share a reading related to your research that pertains to the topic of learning for the morning meeting sessions. You should write up answers to the following questions regarding your shared paper 1, and be prepared to discuss in class:

a)    Which discipline(s) does your research fall within?

b)   What methods are commonly used in the discipline? For your research area

c)    Which philosophy of research does your research fall under?

d)   What research method will you be pursuing? Why?

Assessment Task 6

Shared reading for discussion 2

You should write up answers to the following questions regarding your shared paper 2, and be prepared to discuss in class:

a.    What is method? What is methodology?

b.    What are the essential elements of theory?

c.    What are the sources of data for your research?

Assessment Task 7

Shared reading for discussion 3

You should write up answers to the following questions regarding your shared paper 3, and be prepared to discuss in class:

a.    what debates regarding data or sources of data are important to note? Explain why

b.    Explain: how do you demonstrate that your data or sources of data are up to date?

c.    Is it important to demonstrate that you have the most current understanding of data challenges? How do you demonstrate it?

Assessment Task 8

Shared reading for discussion 4

You should write up answers to the following questions regarding your shared paper 4, and be prepared to discuss in class:

a.    Is descriptive statistics a type of statistical analysis? Explain why or why not

b.    Discuss three considerations that affect statistical relationships

Assessment Task 9

Shared reading for discussion 5

You should write up answers to the following questions regarding your shared paper 5, and be prepared to discuss in class:

a.    Explain: what are controls?

b.    Discuss five controls generally used in analysing surveys regarding democracies or democratization. Why do these need to be adopted as controls?

Assessment Task 10

Shared reading for discussion 6

You should write up answers to the following questions regarding your shared paper 6, and be prepared to discuss in class:

a.    What is controlled in experiments?

Assessment Task 11

Paper 1: Write a 300-word paper (about 2 double-spaced pages) on the contributions of your research. Be sure to contextualize against previous research.

a. Discuss the contributions of your research

b. Discuss the contributions of previous research on this topic

c. In what ways does your research change the study?  

Assessment Task 12

Paper 2: Write a 300-word paper (about 2 double-spaced pages) on the method and methodology of your research. Be sure to contrast against previous research

a.    What method(s) do you use for your research

b.    What methods were used in previous research

Does your method used improve on previous research

Assessment Task 13

Paper 3: Write a 300-word paper describing the data and sources for your research. Be sure to include discussion of debates or challenges based on previous research

a.    How do you collect or access the data?

b.    How does previous research collect or access the data?

c.    In what ways does your data collection affect the results? Influence future research?

Assessment Task 14

Paper 4: Write a 300-word paper using descriptive statistics for the data on your research, noting key or critical variables, or write on a published paper that uses descriptive statistics

a.    What are key or critical variables in your research?

b.    What are key or critical variables in previous research

c.    In what ways do the variables you use affect the findings? How does this affect future research?

Assessment Task 15

Paper 5: Write a 300-word paper using regression on the data on your research, or write on a published paper that uses regression analysis.

a.    Identify and discuss three main differences between measures of association and regression

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students