RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHADOLOGY

History 812/Political Science 815

Instructors:

Dr. Emizet F. Kisangani

228C Waters 532-0447

emizetk@ksu.edu

David Stone

208 Eisenhower 532-6730

stone@ksu.edu

Course Scope and Objectives

 

The purpose of this capstone course is to introduce graduate students in Security Studies to rigorous interdisciplinary research methods in both history and political science.   As the capstone course in History 812 and Political Science 815, it will prepare students to think systematically and perform original research..  This course has two parts.

The first half of the course will outline research methods in political science and history, including research design, methodology, and presentation.  Students will review basic readings on research design and methodology from both history and political science.  Students will also produce response essays on assigned readings and participate in discussions of the works with classmates and the instructors.

            The main product of the course will be research papers on topics chosen by the students in consultation with the instructors.  These papers will be formally presented to other members of the class. The papers will not exceed 35 pages in length and will be of publishable quality. 

Requirements

1.  Attendance and Participation.  The best formula for obtaining the most from this course (to include a satisfactory grade) is quite straightforward - be an active and informed participant in all aspects of every session.  Remember that the importance of class attendance and full participation is heightened in this course because we will meet only once a week. Because your progress depends upon your attendance and participation, all must attend each class and to be fully prepared to present assignments for each session. Any student who accumulates more than two unexcused absences during the semester will suffer a penalty of one letter grade.

2.   Response Essays.   Students will prepare two response essays on assigned topics from the required readings.  All essays will conform precisely to the following format:

                        Five pages in length.

                                    Typed and double-spaced.

                                    Twelve CPI font.

                                    One-inch margins all around.

You will include your name, "Security Studies 812/815," and the date the essay was due in the upper left-hand corner of the first page of each essay.

 

Example:                               Jane Jones

Security Studies 812/815

20 October 2005

     Each essay will be posted to the class list no later than one day before the assignment is due. Each student is expected to read each of the essays posted and be prepared to discuss the compositions and conclusions of classmates.  Essays not submitted or posted on time will receive a three-point penalty.   An additional three points will be deducted for each day the essays are late. 

            Moreover, students will receive peer critiques.   In other words, each student will compose a written critique at each stage of the preparation of the research papers. Students will bring to class one paper copy of each critique for the instructors and one for the presenter.

           

3.  Research Paper.   Initial drafts are due in sessions ten and eleven. Students will post papers to the class list NLT noon on the day before class.   They will present progress reports to the class, and following these reports, a critique will be delivered by the assigned peer critique. The final drafts of the research papers will be presented in sessions 14 and 15. These sessions will follow the same format as the initial presentation sessions.

 

4.  Grading.  Distribution of Grade Weights:

Class Participation                                                                          40 points

            Two homeworks – Political Science                                            20 points

            Thesis and bibliography                                                                10 points

            First draft of research paper                                                          10 points

            Peer critique of 1st draft                                                                  10 points

Second draft of research paper                                                    30 points

            Peer critique of 2nd draft                                                                  10 points

Final presentation                                                                           20 points

Final research paper                                                                      50 points

                                                                                                                        -----------

                                                                                                                        200 points

 

A: 200-180 points; B: 179-160; C: 159-140; D: 139-120; F: 119-0.

 

5.  Plagiarism.  If you take somebody's work to make your point, you should acknowledge it to avoid plagiarism.  "Plagiarism" or academic cheating "is the academic and literary equivalent of robbery, taking somebody else's property."  Please visit and read University Handbook,

Appendix F.  http://www.k-state.edu/academicservices/fhbook/fhxf.html

 

6.  Arrangements for students with disabilities.  We would like to hear from anyone in this class who has a disability that may require some modification of the seating, testing, or other class requirements.  Any student seeking an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact the instructors immediately.

7. Required Texts:

 

1.  Booth, Wayne C., The Craft of Research: Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing.  2nd ed.  Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003.

           2. Howell, Martha, and Walter Prevenier, From Reliable Sources: An Introduction to Historical Methods. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2001.

           3.  Neuman, Lawrence, Basics of Social Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches.  Boston & New York: Pearson, 2004.

            4.  Srand, Kerry J., and Gregory L. Weiss, Experiencing Social Research: A reader.  Boston & New York: Pearson, 2005.

            5.  Tosh, John, The Pursuit of History.  Longman, 2006.

 

8.  Required Software

SPSS (Student Version), any edition, 12th and above.
Course Outline

 

January 22, Session 1: Joint Session--Course Introduction, Administrative Instructions, and Topic Selection

 

Note on Topic Selection: Students will meet individually with instructors for discussion of topics for research papers. 

 

Introduction to Research in History and Political Science

                          

January 29, Session 2: History – Purpose and Methodology

 

Readings: John Tosh, Pursuit of History, chaps. 1, 4, 5, 7; John Lewis Gaddis, "International Relations Theory and the End of the Cold War," International Security 17.3 (Winter 1992/3, pp. 5-58; From Reliable Sources, introduction, chap. 5.

 

February 5, Session 3:  Political Science -- Doing Social Research and Reviewing the Scholarly Literature

 

            Readings:

Elman, Colin and Miriam Elma, "Introduction: Appraising Progress in International Relations Theory," and "Lessons from Lakatos," in Colin Elman and Miriam Elma (eds.), Progress in International Relations Theory.  Cambridge and London: MIT Press, 2003, pp. 1-68 [Hale Reserve].

 

Vasquez, John, "Kuhn vs. Lakatos?  The Case for Multiple Frames in Appraising IR Theory," in Colin Elman and Miriam Elma (eds.), Progress in International Relations Theory.  Cambridge and London: MIT Press, 2003, pp. 419-454 [Hale Reserve].

 

            Neuman, Basic Social Research, Chapters 1, 2, & 4

           

            Strand and Weiss, Experiencing Social Research, Chapters 1 & 2

 

February 12, Session 4:     Political Science--Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches: an Introduction

                       

            Readings:

            Neuman, Basic Social Research, Chapters 5 & 6

 

Strand and Weiss, Experiencing Social Research, Chapter 3

 

Research paper: a topic and tentative thesis statement are due to the instructors by February 12, along with a preliminary list of primary and secondary sources you plan to consult in the completion of your research paper.

 

February 19, Session 5: Political Science--Conducting Quantitative Research: Survey, Experimental Research, and Data Analysis I

 

            Readings:

            Neuman, Basic Social Research, Chapters 7 & 8

            Strand and Weiss, Experiencing Social Research, Chapters, 4, 5, & 6

 

Homework One Due

 

February 26, Session 6: Political Science--Quantitative Analysis 2:  Inferential Statistics

 

Readings: Neuman, Basic Social Research, Chapters 9 & 10; Strand and Weiss, Experiencing Social Research, Chapters, 4, 5, & 6

 

Homework 2 due: First draft of Research Design

 

March 5, Session 7:  Political Science--Conducting Qualitative Research: Field Research, Historical-Comparative Research, and Analysis of Qualitative Data

 

Readings: Neuman, Basic Social Research, Chapters 11, 12 & 13; Strand and Weiss, Experiencing Social Research, Chapters 7 & 8

 

March 12, Session 8: History—Primary Sources and Source Criticism.

           

Readings: Tosh, Pursuit of History, Chaps. 2-3, 10; From Reliable Sources, Chaps. 1-2.

 

March 19: NO CLASS.  Spring Break.

 

March 26, Session 9: History—Archives and Archival Research.

 

Readings: Christopher Phelps, "My Dream Archive"; document exercise on Iran 1953.

 

FIRST DRAFT OF RESEARCH PAPER DUE TO INSTRUCTORS on March 26.

 

April 2, Session 10: History—Historical Argumentation.

           

            Readings: Tosh, Pursuit, Chaps. 6, 8; From Reliable Sources, Chaps. 3-4.

 

April 9 Session 11 Joint Session—Writing in History and Political Science

           

Readings: Neuman, Basic Social Research, Chapters 3 & 14; P. Limerick, "Dancing with Professors," William Germano, "Passive is Spoken Here," Elaine Maisner, "Getting Published by a University Press

          

April 16 Session 12—work day; no class.

 

SECOND DRAFT OF RESEARCH PAPER DUE TO INSTRUCTORS on April 16.

 

April 23, Session 12: presentation of final papers.

 

April 30, Session 13: presentation of final papers.

 

May 7: Final papers due.