INTS 270-01, Introduction to Research Design, Spring 2012

Abstract

A great deal of what political scientists purport to know is based on interpretations and being aware of how much of the interpretation impacts our knowledge base is essential. It is only through the rigors of a carefully thought out research design that we can gain con dence in the robustness of our knowledge. This class is meant to introduce you to the tools that political scientists use to make sense of the information that we are faced as observers, data collectors and data analysts. After ending this class, you should be able to separate fact from opinion and bias and well on your way to structuring research projects that are robust in their ndings, what ever methodology you might choose.