POLb1006 How to Research Politics

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2024
Extent and Intensity
2/1/0. 7 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Taught in person.
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Roman Chytilek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Peter Spáč, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Jakub Jusko (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Roman Chytilek, Ph.D.
Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Lucie Pospíšilová
Supplier department: Division of Politology – Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Prerequisites (in Czech)
! POL181 Methodology of Polit. Science && ! NOW ( POL181 Methodology of Polit. Science )
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 29 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
Students attending this course will be introduced into the fundamentals of political science research methods and theories in the political science. At the end of the course, students should be able to: to have a basic overview about methodological issues in political science to become familiar with basics in the political science research to make use of this skill and start a PS research of their own to distinguish and compare various approaches to the study of politics, to understand the main points of division among them
Learning outcomes
to have a basic overview about methodological issues in political science ;
to make use of the basics in the political science research ;
practise the basics PS research of their own ;
to distinguish and compare various approaches to the study of politics, to understand the main points of division among them ;
Syllabus
  • 1. Introductory lecture- research in PS ;
  • 2. Naturalist, Constructivist and Realist Epistemologies and Ontologies in PS, Research Ethic ;
  • 3. PS Research I. ;
  • 4. PS Research II. ;
  • 5. PS Research III. ;
  • 6. Comparative Method ;
  • 7. Seminar I- research ;
  • 8. Seminar II- research ;
  • 9. Research project ;
  • 10. Seminar III- Quantitative research ;
  • 11. Approaches in PS ;
  • 12. Seminar IV- Approaches ;
  • 13. Seminar V- Projects ;
Literature
    required literature
  • Lijphart, A.: Comparative Comparative Politics and the Comparative Method. The American Political Science Review, Vol. 65, No. 3., 1971, pp. 682-693.
  • Martin, W. E., Bridgmon, K. D. 2012: Quantitative and Statistical Research Methods: From Hypothesis to Results. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, pp. 442-449
  • Knopf, J. 2006. Doing a Literature Review. Political Science and Politics, Vol. 39, No. 1, pp.127-132.
  • KELLSTEDT, Paul M. and Guy D. WHITTEN. The fundamentals of political science research. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013, xxiv, 316. ISBN 9781107621664. info
  • BLAIKIE, Norman W. H. Designing social research : the logic of anticipation. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2010, ix, 298. ISBN 9780745643380. info
  • BURNHAM, Peter. Research methods in politics. 2nd ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008, xii, 370. ISBN 9780230019850. info
  • ŘÍCHOVÁ, Blanka. Přehled moderních politologických teorií : [empiricko-analytický přístup v soudobé politické vědě]. Vyd. 2. Praha: Portál, 2006, 303 s. ISBN 8073671778. info
  • Theory and methods in political science. Edited by David Marsh - Gerry Stoker. 2nd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2002, xv, 368 s. ISBN 0-333-94855-6. info
    recommended literature
  • VanderStoep, S.W., Johnston, D.D. 2009: Research Methods for Everyday Life: Blending Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, pp. 25-34, 97-126.
  • Boix, C. (1999): Setting the Rules of the Game: The Choice of Electoral Systems in Advanced Democracies. The American Political Science Review, Vol. 93, No. 3, pp. 609-624.
  • Adams, J. – Merrill, S. (2008): Candidate and Party Strategies in Two-Stage Elections Beginning with a Primary, American Journal of Political Science, Vol. 52, No. 2, s. 344-359.
  • LINEK, Lukáš. Zrazení snu? : struktura a dynamika postojů k politickému režimu a jeho institucím a jejich důsledky. Vyd. 1. Praha: Sociologické nakladatelství (SLON), 2010, 259 s. ISBN 9788074190292. info
  • FILIP, Jan, Zdeněk KOUDELKA, Jiří KROUPA, Jan SVATOŇ, Vojtěch ŠIMÍČEK and Renata VLČKOVÁ. Soudobé ústavní systémy. Vyd. 2., dopl. a upr. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2001, 241 s. ISBN 80-210-2520-4. info
Teaching methods
Th course is conducted through lectures and seminars.
Assessment methods
Course requirements: Essay (15 pts. max)- here the students have to demonstrate their ability to understand and work with the concepts in the PS research Research Project Outline (35 pts. max)- demonstration of the ability to establish his own research Final written exam (50 pts. max)- test the knowledge gained from the lectures It is necessary to get at least 60 pts., 30 out of them in the final exam to complete the course. Grading: A (100-92 pts.), B (91-84), C (83-76), D (75-68), E (67-60), F (59 pts. and less).
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2019, Autumn 2020, Autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2024, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2024/POLb1006