Department of Political Science, Queens College
Introduction
1. What is a political science research paper?
2. What kind of information is most useful?
3. Where can students find the best sources?
4. How can students find relevant and quality sources?
5. Resources available at QC and NYC public libraries.
6. Further Reading
How
to Research a Political Science Paper
Peter Liberman, Queens College Dept.
of Political Science, September 20016. Further reading on how to do political science research
* Stephen Van Evera, Guide to Methods for Students of Political Science (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1997). A great common sense guide to political science research, aimed at advanced undergraduate and graduate students, with a focus on case study research.
* Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams, The Craft of Research (University of Chicago Press, 1995). An enlightening general guide for understanding what research is all about, and for writing research papers in all fields.
* W. Phillips Shively, The Craft of Political Research (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1998). Aimed at preparing students to understand quantitative political science research; includes some statistics fundamentals.
* Janet Buttolph Johnson and Richard A. Joslyn, Political Science Research Methods (Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly, 1995). A comprehensive survey of political science research methods, with lots of examples.