Writing a Research Paper in Political Science

As I finish up the fourth edition, my determination to teach students about the research and writing process is stronger than ever, and this commitment stems from global events as well as developments extremely close to home. In today’s world, the importance of the careful analysis of arguments and the evaluation of those contentions based on data seems to be a lost art. Particularly among the contemporary American political elite, this lack of interest in what experts have to say or what the data indicate is extremely troubling. The hope of many is that this antagonism can be vanquished quickly before too much damage is done to, among other things, the environment, relations with allies, the public health, or the American social fabric. Key to those wishes is that young people will seek to understand by weighing varied arguments according to the quality of their logic and taking evidence seriously. This book is one small part of that endeavor, doing its best to promote rigorous thinking and evaluation among students of political science.