Cover; Contents; List of Tables and Figures; Notes on Contributors; 1 Introduction: Writer's Block; Part I: Approaching and Measuring Social Science Objects; 2 Measuring the Immeasurable?; 3 Decoding Manifestos and Other Political Texts: The Case of Extreme-Right Ideology; 4 Reaction Time Measures in Implicit Attitudes Research; 5 Studying Party Choice; 6 Into the Archives; Part II: Making Sense of Data; 7 Euro-Visions: An Analysis of Visual Imagery in TV News; 8 When Access Is Restricted: Craftiness and Combining Methods in the Study of a Secretive Elite
9 Semistructured Interviews and Informal Institutions: Getting Inside Executive Government10 Error-Correction as a Concept and as a Method: Time Series Analysis of Policy-Opinion Responsiveness; 11 Working Backwards? Using Simulation to Sort Out Empirical Inconsistencies; Conclusion; Index
Summary
"What are the common challenges that researchers face when designing and performing research? What are the choices and trade-offs that social scientists encounter when seeking to implement a fascinating idea? This volume brings together world-leading scholars from a range of political research methodologies and sub-areas in order to show how they have dealt with these challenges during the research process. Looking at every stage of the research process, Political Science Research Methods in Action showcases common problems that affect diverse research approaches and shows how they were encountered and resolved. Aiming to help researchers - whether new or experienced - to take control of their research, this volume brings the research process to life and shows how actual research is 'done' within the frameworks of core methodological principles that guide research design"-- Provided by publisher