The Graduate School of International Studies
Yonsei University
Fall 2009
Research Design in Social Science
Ajin Choi
choiajin@yonsei.ac.kr
112 New Millennium Building
3:00~5:50 Monday
Office Hour: 10:00-12:00 Monday or by appointment
Course Description
This course purposes to introduce students the various methods of empirical inquiry in
social science, and to help students learn how to formulate empirical research projects
comparing the strengths and weaknesses of each method. The course begins with a
discussion of the elements of research design and turns attention to the process of theory
construction and the collection of data. After the midterm period, the course will be
devoted to the analysis and discussion of the various methods of empirical research,
including: experiments, single case studies, comparative case studies, and large-n
statistical studies. The final section of the course will encourage students to present and
discuss their research design papers.
Course Requirements
Midterm Exam: 30%
Homework: 20% (to be assigned in class)
Class Participation: 20%
Research Design Paper: 30%
Course Schedule
Week 1: Introduction
Week 2: What is Research Design?
King, Keohane, and Verba (KKV), Designing Social Inquiry, Chapter 1
Booth, Colomb, and Williams(BCM), The Craft of Research, pp. 3-74.
Week 3: Theory Building: Formulating Argument and Hypothesis
KKV, Chapter 3
BCM, pp.114-150
Manheim and Rich (MR), Empirical Political Analysis, Chapter 2
Week 4: Operationalization and Measurement
MR, Chapter 4
Collier, David and Robert Adcock, “Democracy and Dichotomies,” Annual Review of
Political Science 2 (1999)
Week 5: Collecting Data I: Survey and Interview
MR, Chapter 6, 8
Earl Babbie, Survey Research Methods, Chapter 3, 4, 7, 8
Week 6: No Class
Week 7: Collecting Data II: Direct Observation, Content Analysis, and Aggregate
Data
MR, Chapter 10, 11, 12
Jay Ovsiovitch, “News Coverage of Human Rights.” Political Science Quarterly, 46/3
(1993)
Week 8: Midterm Exam
Week 9: Discussion on your Project
Week 10-11: Arranging Cases I: Experiments and Single Case Studies
MR, Chapter 5
KKV, Chapter 6
James Fearon “Counterfactuals and Hypothesis Testing in Political Science,” World
Politics 43/2 (1991)
Week 12: Arranging Cases II: Comparative Case Studies and Large N Studies
David Collier, “The Comparative Method,” in Ada Finifter ed., Political Science
MR Chapter 15, 21
<Debate>
Michael Desch, “Democracy and Victory,” International Security 27/2 (2002)
Ajin Choi, “The Power of Democratic Cooperation,” International Security 28/1 (2003)
Week 13: Application and Practice I
Week 14: Application and Practice II
Week 15: Application and Practice III
Week 16: Papers Due