'Any student undertaking a politics degree at graduate level will find this book an indispensible introduction to the subject they are approaching and it will also be useful for teachers seeking to orientate themselves within the discipline as a whole. This is particularly true because of the supporting detail the book provides and the way it links up technical exposition to fundamental philosophical questions. From a student point of view it does not shrink from providing useful practical tips on how to present and publish research results and how to check out established themes with new data. This is a book which political scientists at all levels will benefit from reading. It should also stimulate them to take a fresh look both at their own work and that of others - and - who knows? - perhaps forge some of that unity across the discipline which is the main subject of its discussion.' - Colin Hay, University of Sheffield, UK and L'Institut d'Etudes Politiques at Sciences Po, France 'This Handbook provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date account of the current state of empirical-analytical political science. The contributions share a systemic and multi-layered approach combining political actors, organizations, and institutions. In addition, types of data and data collection as well as advanced types of data analysis are described and explained. Finally, much can be learned about the evaluation of research output and publication strategies. The editors have motivated a stellar set of 40 authors to contribute to the 33 chapters of the Handbook. The index makes it easy to navigate the vast ocean of results and ideas. The Handbook is a ''must have'' for scholars interested in what political science can contribute to reliably answer the most important questions facing the complex world of politics today.' - Hans-Dieter Klingemann, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin (Berlin Social Science Center), Germany This Handbook offers a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art research methods and applications currently in use in political science. It combines theory and methodology (qualitative and quantitative), and offers insights into the major approaches and their roots in the philosophy of scientific knowledge. Including a comprehensive discussion of the relevance of a host of digital data sources, plus the dos and don'ts of data collection in general, the book also explains how to use diverse research tools and highlights when and how to apply these techniques. With wide-ranging coverage of general political science topics and systemic approaches to politics, the editors showcase research methods that can be used at the micro, meso and macro levels. Chapters explore applied and fundamental knowledge, approaches and their usefulness, meta-theoretical issues, and the art and practice of undertaking research. This highly accessible book provides hands-on information on research topics and methods, and offers the reader extensive bibliographies for in-depth exploration of cutting edge techniques. Finally, it discusses the relevance of political science research, as well as the art of publishing, reporting and submitting your research findings. An essential tool for researchers in political science, public administration and international relations, this book will be an important reference for academics and students employing research methods and techniques across the social sciences, including sociology, anthropology and communication studies.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Introduction by the Editors PART I POLITICAL SCIENCE: RANGE, SCOPE AND CONTESTED METHODOLOGIES 1. Political Science: Researching a Multifaceted Topic in Essentially Contested Ways Philippe C. Schmitter 2. Epistemology and Approaches: Logic, Causation and Explanation Dirk Berg-Schlosser 3. Taking Critical Ontology Seriously: Implications for Political Science Methodology Angela Wigger, Laura Horn 4. Relating Theory and Concepts to Measurements: Bridging the Gap Paul Pennings 5. On Time and Space: The Historical Dimension in Political Science Hans Keman 6. Systems Theory: The Search for a General Theory of Politics Hans Keman PART II APPROACHES: EXPLORING POLITICAL INTERACTIONS 7. Applying Multilevel Governance Arjan H. Schakel 8. Regime Types: Measuring Democracy and Autocracy Manfred G. Schmidt 9. Institutional Analysis: Progress and Problems B. Guy Peters 10. Political Actors: Parties – Interest Groups – Government Nicole Bolleyer 11. Social Movements and Political Action Bert Klandermans 12. International Relations and Transnational Politics Andreas Nölke 13. Political Economy: Economic Miracles and Socio-Economic Performance Barbara Vis, Jaap J. Woldendorp and Kees Van Kersbergen 14. Political Theory and its Normative Methods Keith Dowding PART III ANALYZING POLITICS: DATA – CONCEPTS – TECHNIQUES 15. Organizing and Developing Data Sets: Exemplified by Party Government Dataset Jaap J. Woldendorp 16. Political Institutions Klaus Armingeon 17. Studying Voting Behavior Joop J.M. Van Holsteyn and Galen A. Irwin 18. The Role of High Quality Surveys in Political Science Research Sarah Butt, Sally Widdop and Lizzy Winstone 19. Quantitative Data Analysis in Political Science Paul Pennings 20. Models in Political Science: Forms and Purposes Robin E. Best and Michael D. McDonald 21. Qualitative Methods in Political Science Selen A. Ercan and David Marsh 22. Multilevel Regression Analysis Jan Kleinnijenhuis PART IV RESEARCH TOOLS: QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE APPLICATIONS 23. Studying How Policies Affect the People: Grappling with Measurement, Causality and the Macro-Micro Divide Staffan Kumlin and Isabelle Stadelmann-Steffen 24. Regression Analysis Uwe Wagschal 25. Configurational Comparative Methods (QCA And Fuzzy Sets): Complex Causation in Cross-Case Analysis Benoît Rihoux 26. Discourse Analysis, Social Constructivism and Text Analysis: A Critical Overview David Howarth and Steven Griggs 27. Case Study Analysis Esther Seha and Ferdinand Müller-Rommel 28. Cluster Analysis Uwe Wagschal 29. The Logic of process tracing: contributions, pitfalls and future directions Sherry Zaks PART V EVALUATION AND RELEVANCE OF RESEARCH OUTPUT 30. Political Science Research and its Political Relevance Ben Crum 31. What’s Methodology Got to Do With it? Public Policy Evaluations, Observational Analysis and Rcts Edward C. Page 32. Re-Analysis, Testability and Falsification Jan-Erik Lane 33. The Art of Publishing: How to Report and Submit Your Findings Richard S. Katz Index