Through accounts from innovative research projects by world-leading political scientists, this volume offers a unique perspective on research methodology. It discusses the practical and intellectual dilemmas researchers face throughout the research process in a wide range of fields from implicit attitude testing to media analysis and interviews.

Autorentext

Jessica Bain, University of Leicester, UK Michael Bruter, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK Nathalia Chaban, University of Canterbury, Christchuch, New Zealand Robert Erikson, Columbia University, USA Mark Franklin, European University Institute Julie Gervais, University Paris I - Panthéon-Sorbonne, France Sarah Harrison, LSE, USA Will Jennings, University of Southampton, UK Martin Lodge, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK Milton Lodge, SUNY at Stony Brook, USA Maya Renko, European University Institute Aaron Strauss, Princeton University, USA Brad Verhulst, Virgina Commonwealth University, USA Ben Wellings, Australian National University ?

Inhalt

1. Introduction: Writer's Block; Michael Bruter and Martin Lodge PART I: APPROACHING AND MEASURING SOCIAL SCIENCE OBJECTS 2. Measuring the Immeasurable? Capturing Citizens' European Identity; Michael Bruter 3. Decoding Manifestoes and other Political Texts - the Case of Extreme Right Ideology; Sarah Harrison 4. Reaction Time Measures in Implicit Attitudes Research; Brad Verhulst and Milton Lodge 5. Studying Party Choice; Mark Franklin and Maja Renko 6. Into the Archives; Ben Wellings PART II: MAKING SENSE OF DATA 7. Euro-Visions: An Analysis of Visual Imagery in Television News; Jessica Bain and Natalia Chaban 8. When Access is Restricted: Craftiness and Combining Methods in the Study of a Secretive Elite; Julie Gervais 9. Semi-Structured Interviews and Informal Institutions: Getting Inside Executive Government; Martin Lodge 10. Error-Correction as a Concept and as a Method: Time Series Analysis of Policy-Opinion Responsiveness; Will Jennings 11. Working Backwards? Using Simulation to Sort out Empirical Inconsistencies; Robert Erikson, Aaron Strauss and Michael Bruter 12. Conclusion; Michael Bruter and Martin Lodge