Outline1

POLI 2104, Week 1 Introduction

1) Political Science

Systematic description and explanation of political phenomena, e.g.
Public policies
Political institutions
Domestic order
International war & peace

2) Data

Phenomenon measured in numbers … Quantitative data
Not all data are coded in numbers … … … Qualitative data

3) Evidence-based inference

Conclusions are based on evidence
Qualitative & Quantitative evidence … …
Case studies, surveys, interviews, field observations, datasets, experiments

4) Research involving Human Subjects

Respect for Persons (e.g. informed consent; privacy)
Beneficence (minimize harm; maximize benefits)
Justice (burdens/benefits are shared equitably)

Note:
Informed consent / Anonymity / Confidentiality /Must Debrief if you had used Deception. (See Babbie 2013: 64-69)

Re-read Babbie 2013 before your research
Check IRB requirements: http://www.rss.hku.hk/integrity/ethics-compliance
At HKU, you must submit your proposal to the HRECNCF (Human Research Ethics Committee for Non-Clinical Faculties) for all research involving human subjects (e.g. experiments, surveys, interviews …)
Think carefully about the effects of your discoveries
You are responsible for the effects of your research

5) Ethics of reporting (see Booth 2008: 274)

6) Start with an interesting question/problem

甲.a. Important implications for theory or policy
甲.a.1. Results from your research can shift our existing priors or inform policy debates

甲.b. Understanding the causes of “X” is not “interesting” if no one cares about “X”
甲.b.1. “X” has no relevance to theory, policy, or people’s lives

Find a general area, and then a specific research topic

“It is at this step - seeing that a problem exists and that there is a good chance you can provide new insight into it – that originality and talent are most critical.” (Shively 2009: 20)

Read! And read critically!

7) Hypotheses

甲.a. Science is about discoveries. Discoveries can be made through the process of generating, testing & rejecting hypotheses

甲.b. Hypotheses are“tools to uncover new facts”, NOT “ends in themselves”. Meant “to suggest new experiments or new observations,” &“to help one see the significance” of something “that otherwise would mean nothing.” (Beveridge 1957: 48)