Research Design in Political Science

Dimiter Toshkov is Associate Professor of Public Administration at Leiden University, the Netherlands.

• 1. Introduction2. Types of Research and Research Questions3. Theory in the Research Process,4. Concepts and Operationalization5. Measurement and Description6. Explanation and Causality7. Experimental Designs8. Large-N Designs9. Comparative Designs10. Single Case Study Designs11. Mixed and Nested Designs12. Communicating ResearchReferences.

'This is the best and most comprehensive text on research design in political science. It is highly accessible without being superficial, and will quickly take students from the basics to a serious understanding of research design issues' - Frank Schimmelfennig, ETH Zurich University, Switzerland. 'This superbly executed and truly comprehensive guide to research design will provide students with a thorough understanding of the larger research process, from the conceiving of research questions to the presenting of research results.' - David Lowery, Pennsylvania State University, USA. 'An excellent treatment of research design that combines considerable depth with breadth in its coverage of methodological debate. It will be a first-rate textbook for students and an important source for seasoned scholars.' - Markus Haverland, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands.