Political scientists draw on a wide range of research methods to analyze issues and answer questions related to power, political behavior, and political institutions.  With its focus on human political action - individuals, groups and states - there is an element of unpredictability that introduces complexity into the “scientific” study of politics.  The wide range of research topics addressed by political scientists relies on a variety of well-established methods of social science research such as: attitude and opinion surveys or observational and interview studies.  Some studies focus on analysis of official data and documents or examining how social resources are distributed.  Political scientists may examine how policies are implemented and their impact. 

The first step to deciding on an appropriate research methodology is to form the question.  Once you have decided on the question or problem, then you can determine:

·         what background information you need

·          what will count as evidence

After you know the type of evidence you need, you will be able to select an appropriate research method.  Potential methods include:

·         Quantitative Methods (Statistics, Empirical studies, modeling, etc.)

·         Qualitative Methods (Ethnography, Interviewing, etc.)

·         Case Method or Case Studies

·         Content or Document Analysis (Textual criticism, Discourse Analysis, Visual Research, etc.)

·         Critical Theory (Race, Feminism, Queer)

·         Literature Review

A good source to find basic background information on these and other research methodologies is in Sage E-Reference: