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POLS 209: Introduction to Political Science Research |
COURSE
OBJECTIVES:
This course is
about the “science” in political science. It provides an introduction to the
scientific method, scientific research design and the use of quantitative
methods in political science. You will learn how to formulate scientific
research questions, develop theories, and then test them in a rigorous manner.
An important part of this process is statistics. Thus, this course will also
combine teaching the principles of statistics with some hands-on data analysis.
I have two goals for you in this class. The first is to prepare you for future
political science classes which will present rigorous scientific research. The
second and more important goal is to prepare you for a possible career in
political science and/or a related profession (e.g., law, public
administration, policy analysis). As you probably know, this course is required
for all political science majors. There is a reason it is required.
Specifically, the ability to evaluate causal arguments and use statistics to
analyze data is often essential to professional work. Further, the research
methods you will learn in this course will help you understand the political
world from a more objective perspective, and become an informed participant in
political debates and discussion.
COURSE FORMAT:
We
will split time in this class between the classroom and computer lab. Classroom
sessions will involve instruction in the scientific method and various topics
associated with doing rigorous political science research. Lab time will be
spent doing computer exercises related to the core texts and training you in
the use of a statistical package.
Again,
much of the instruction in this course will be computer-based, and the class
will frequently be held in the computer lab so that you can follow along and
replicate on your own computers what I am doing on the big computer screen in
the lab. The main software will be the STATA statistical program. Note that
STATA is a local company, but with world-wide usage. Students can purchase the
STATA package for installation on their laptops at a substantial discount.
While this is not necessary to do well in the class, it might be convenient to
do so. No prior computer experience is assumed.
IMPORTANT: To complete your computer
assignments and do the work for your final paper, you will need to set some
time aside in your weekly schedule when you can go to the computer lab outside
of class time.
This
is a “W” course. As a result, you will have ample opportunity for writing
practice. A full, 70% of your final grade will be based on four written
assignments. Note that this class has a writing assistant (WA) assigned to
help evaluate and improve your writing. The WA and I will give feedback on your
written work with the goal of improving your writing skills. For more details
about “W” courses, go to:
http://writingcenter.tamu.edu/about-w-c-courses/frequently-asked-questions-for-faculty/
IMPORTANT: You will need to meet with
the WA to discuss your performance on the first three papers, which are
preliminary to your final paper. You will also need to meet with the WA to
discuss a polished draft of your final paper before turning it in.
IMPORTANT: You are also required to
meet with me before March 14th to discuss the topic and content for
your final research paper.
COURSE
REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING POLICY:
As
noted above, 70% of your final grade in this course will be based on four papers
that vary in length and character. The grades on these papers will contribute
the following percentages toward your final grade:
10%:
Article Review #1 (2-3 pgs)
10%:
Article Review #2 (2-3 pgs)
10%:
Research Proposal (2-3 pgs)
40%:
Final Paper (8-12 pgs)
Command
of the course material and conducting the research are the most important
determinants of your grade on these writing assignments. However, this course
is a writing intensive course, intended to improve your ability to write papers
that are appropriate to the discipline of political science. Thus, regardless
of how well a paper addresses the substantive material of the assignment, the
paper will not earn a passing grade unless the writing in your paper is also
graded by the WA to be at a passing level.
The
remaining 30% of your final grade in this course will be based on a sequence of
in-class quizzes. I will NOT announce the dates for the quizzes in advance. However,
all of the questions on the quizzes will be drawn from the exercises at the end
of each chapter in the two Pollack books (both the Essentials book and the STATA
book). Therefore, one approach to achieving good performance would be to work
those exercises in advance of the lectures on the associated topics.
Do not turn in late work!
You
will lose one letter grade for each day late.
Your grade also depends on your participation
in and attendance of class. The TAMU attendance policy applies to this course, and I will take daily attendance. I will
not explicitly penalize you for poor attendance. However, I will reward you for
good attendance. If you have perfect attendance, I will add three bonus points
to your final grade. If you miss fewer than three unexcused absences I will add
one bonus point to your final grade. This could help if you are borderline between letter grades. More important, it will be
impossible to do well in the course having missed crucial lecture or lab
materials.
While
I do not grade on a curve (you
earn what you earn, and I hope
you all earn "A"s!), the typical class
average is around a middle or upper "C". (A=90-100;
B=80-89; C=70-79; D=60-69; F=0-59). Simply
completing the course requirements will most likely earn you a "C". Earning
an "A" requires extraordinary
performance.
Let
me also mention academic integrity. All students are expected to abide by the
University policy on academic integrity. In this regard you should not acquire
answers or written work from unauthorized sources, provide answers to others,
or engage in plagiarism. As commonly
defined, plagiarism consists of passing off someone else's ideas, words, writings, etc.
as one’s own. In accordance with the definition, you are committing plagiarism if you copy
the work of another person and turn it in as your own, even if you should have the permission
of the person. Plagiarism is one of the worst academic sins, for the plagiarist destroys the
trust among colleagues without which research cannot be safely communicated. If
you have questions regarding the University’s policy on scholastic dishonesty
you may consult the following link on scholastic
dishonesty.
The
handouts used in this course are copyrighted. By “handouts,” I mean all materials
generated for this class, which include but are not limited to syllabi,
quizzes, exams, lab problems, in-class materials review sheets, and additional
problem sets. Because these are copyrighted, you do not have the right to copy
the handouts, unless I expressly grant permission.
Students with Disabilities: The Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides
comprehensive civil rights protections for persons with disabilities. Among
other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be
guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of
their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring
accommodation, please contact the Department of Student Life, Services for
Students with Disabilities in Room 126 of the Koldus
Building, or call 845-1637.