Sometimes I cross paths with grad students from other departments and when I say that I am in the Political Science department, they inevitably ask me "How do you do research? It's a fair question and one that I have often wondered (and still wonder).
Research methods fall into two categories: qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative methods include interviews and case studies, while quantitative methods can include large scale survey research. I have not taken a research methods class yet, so I am not entirely familiar with these two methods. However, I do know that these research methods are the source of hostility and rivalries in many departments. You see, those who use quantitative methods think that their research method is more valid and superior than those who use qualitative methods and vice versa. Both research methods have their strengths and weaknesses, and they can be utilized to answer different research questions.
So, let me me explain how I "do" research. This past year, I have had experience with large scale survey research. I used the World Values Survey to look at trust in government, and I used the General Social Survey to look at abortion attitudes. This type of research is pretty self explanatory: yearly surveys are conducted both in the US and in various countries. The data sets are compiled and available for research use and statistical analysis using fancy stats programs.
I am currently collecting data for my first qualifying paper. It has been a tedious and frustrating experience, but I have made good progress this past week. Tentatively, I want to look at the factors that may influence abortion rates. However, most of the research centers on the barriers to abortion access, impact of laws, and the influence of demographics as a way to predict state abortion rates. Instead, I want to look at the availability of resources to accommodate motherhood. I want to know if states that invest in the welfare of children have lower abortion rates. To do this, I am collecting data on abortion rates, child care funding, Head Start funding, number of child care providers, and pre kindergarten funding. On top of this, I have also compiled data on the composition of the state legislatures. I also plan to collect data on prenatal care spending and health insurance. Did I mention that I am collecting this data for each state in the US? Sometimes this data is compiled by an organization, and then I only have to enter it in to an excel spreadsheet. For example, the Center for American Women in Politics had nicely compiled data on state legislatures. Other times, data is not so nicely compiled. For example, to find abortion rates, I had to go to each and every state department of health website.
This data collection has been frustrating, and at times I have wondered if I should just scrap the whole project in exchange for one where I can use existing data sets. There were days when I was spending hours in front of my computer and looking for material on the internet, only to come across many dead ends. However, I have been making progress, and KB and I are confident that I will have some interesting results. In the end, I think this will be a gratifying experience. I will keep you posted on my progress.
Research methods fall into two categories: qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative methods include interviews and case studies, while quantitative methods can include large scale survey research. I have not taken a research methods class yet, so I am not entirely familiar with these two methods. However, I do know that these research methods are the source of hostility and rivalries in many departments. You see, those who use quantitative methods think that their research method is more valid and superior than those who use qualitative methods and vice versa. Both research methods have their strengths and weaknesses, and they can be utilized to answer different research questions.
So, let me me explain how I "do" research. This past year, I have had experience with large scale survey research. I used the World Values Survey to look at trust in government, and I used the General Social Survey to look at abortion attitudes. This type of research is pretty self explanatory: yearly surveys are conducted both in the US and in various countries. The data sets are compiled and available for research use and statistical analysis using fancy stats programs.
I am currently collecting data for my first qualifying paper. It has been a tedious and frustrating experience, but I have made good progress this past week. Tentatively, I want to look at the factors that may influence abortion rates. However, most of the research centers on the barriers to abortion access, impact of laws, and the influence of demographics as a way to predict state abortion rates. Instead, I want to look at the availability of resources to accommodate motherhood. I want to know if states that invest in the welfare of children have lower abortion rates. To do this, I am collecting data on abortion rates, child care funding, Head Start funding, number of child care providers, and pre kindergarten funding. On top of this, I have also compiled data on the composition of the state legislatures. I also plan to collect data on prenatal care spending and health insurance. Did I mention that I am collecting this data for each state in the US? Sometimes this data is compiled by an organization, and then I only have to enter it in to an excel spreadsheet. For example, the Center for American Women in Politics had nicely compiled data on state legislatures. Other times, data is not so nicely compiled. For example, to find abortion rates, I had to go to each and every state department of health website.
This data collection has been frustrating, and at times I have wondered if I should just scrap the whole project in exchange for one where I can use existing data sets. There were days when I was spending hours in front of my computer and looking for material on the internet, only to come across many dead ends. However, I have been making progress, and KB and I are confident that I will have some interesting results. In the end, I think this will be a gratifying experience. I will keep you posted on my progress.
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