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PLS 201: Research Methods

PLS 201: Research Methods. Mr. Aaron King Ms. Sue Cody. Topics for the Sessions. Selecting the right information sources Selecting the right finding aids Accessing resources Doing a better search Citing Sources Specialized Sources in Political Science. Your Current Research Skills?.

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PLS 201: Research Methods

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  1. PLS 201: Research Methods Mr. Aaron King Ms. Sue Cody

  2. Topics for the Sessions • Selecting the right information sources • Selecting the right finding aids • Accessing resources • Doing a better search • Citing Sources • Specialized Sources in Political Science

  3. Your Current Research Skills? • How would you rate your current research skills? • Strong • Satisfactory • Needs improvement • Poor • What causes you the most anxiety/confusion/frustration?

  4. Where to get help • Learning Commons Help Desk • In person • Telephone • Email • Chat • Text • By Appointment • Contact me directly: codys@uncw.edu

  5. What are your favorite finding aids (search engines) for: • Background information? • News/Opinion sources? • Scholarly Analysis/Theory? • Primary Sources? • Data?

  6. My favorites (for PLS) • Background information • CQ Electronic Library • CQ Political Reference Suite • World FactBook • Library Catalog • WorldCat • News/Opinion sources • Lexis Nexis Academic (now ProQuest) • Points of View Reference Center

  7. My favorites (for PLS) • Scholarly Analysis/Theory • Academic Search Complete • Jstor • Public Affairs Information Service • Worldwide Political Science Abstracts • Google Scholar • CIAO (International Affairs) • Library Catalog • WorldCat

  8. My favorites (for PLS) • Primary Sources • Hein Online • Lexis-Nexis Congressional • Library Catalog • WorldCat • FDsys • Data • ICPSR • Statistical Abstract of the United States • Polling the Nations

  9. Selecting the right finding aids • Database Scope • Bibliographic or Data? • Publication Types and Numbers • Subjects • Time period (publication or subject) • Search Engine / Structure • Abstract or Full-text search • Special Limit features

  10. Finding Articles • Home page Article Search (Integrated search) • 10 databases (out of ~150) • Databases A-Z • Individual databases • Details page • Databases by Subject • Quick Search (Integrated search) • Individual databases (Best, More, All) • Citation Searching (Bibliographies)

  11. Let’s try a search • Database: • Academic Search Complete • Research topic: • How does party politics cause polarization in the U.S. Congress? • Key concepts? • Synonyms?

  12. Doing a better search • AND narrows • Polarization AND Congress • OR adds synonyms/related (OR is More) • Political OR Parties OR Party

  13. Doing a better search • Truncation • Typically use * • Polari* = polarization, polarity, polarizing • Sometimes not a good idea • Part* = part, party, parties, participation • Party OR parties is better • Phrase Searching • Political Parties = Political AND Parties • “Political Parties” = Political [next to] Parties

  14. Putting it together Politic* OR Parties OR Party AND Congress* AND polari* OR partisan* One line strategy: (Politic* OR Parties OR Party) AND Congress* AND (polari* OR partisan*)

  15. Availability of Resources • PDF Full Text, Linked Full Text, HTML Full Text • Get it from UNCW • “Have a Citation? Looking for a Journal” • Library Catalog and WorldCat • Interlibrary Loan

  16. Saving/Sending • Ebsco: • Add to Folder – don’t forget to save/send results • PDFs sent as email attachments. • ProQuest: • Check box to mark for Emailing/Printing/Saving • Jstor: • Email Citation • Save PDF (Flashdrive, Timmy, your computer)

  17. Finding Books • Library Catalog • local & UNCP/FSU • WorldCat • 9,000 libraries / @1.2 billion items • Google Books (@ 12 million / @ 7 million full-text) • Project Gutenberg (@ 33,000 books) • Some databases lead to books • Cited directly • Book reviews

  18. Style Manual for Political Science • American Political Science Association • Available online: http://www.ipsonet.org/data/files/APSAStyleManual2006.pdf • Different elements for different publication types

  19. Assignments – Due on Wednesday • Answer questions 1-6 • Complete Research Strategy Worksheet • Topic of your choice • Construct strategy • Use search strategy in the Library Catalog • Identify 2 relevant book or government document sources • Identify 3 databases that provide relevant sources • Use search strategy in the relevant databases • Identify and Cite 2 relevant articles • Use APSA Style for citations.

  20. PLS 201: Research Methods Mr. Aaron King Ms. Sue Cody

  21. Monday’s Assignment • What was confusing? • What did you find most useful? • What questions do you have?

  22. Do we have? • Beckmann, M. N., & McGann, A. J. 2008. “Navigating the Legislative Divide: Polarization, Presidents, and Policymaking in the United States.” Journal of Theoretical Politics, 20: 201-220. • Karol, David. 2010. “Party Polarization in Congress.” Perspectives on Politics, 8: 1242-1243. • Perry, Glenn E. 2011. “Taking Tea Parties Seriously: Corporate Globalization, Populism, and Resentment.” Perspectives on Global Development and Technology 10:11-29.

  23. Do we have? • Theriault, Sean M. 2008. Party Polarization in Congress.New York : Cambridge University Press. • Forgette, Richard and Marvin King. 2009. “Electoral Cycles in Racial Polarization and the 2006 Senate Elections.” In Beyond the Boundaries: A New Structure of Ambition in African American Politics, ed. Georgia A. Persons. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 111-122. • Sinclair, Barbara. 2006. Party Wars : Polarization and the Politics of National Policy Making. Norman : University of Oklahoma Press.

  24. Specialized Resources for: • Statistics • Data • Congressional Votes • Congressional Documents • Country Profiles/International Relations • Polling data • Statutes • Court Opinions • See the Research Guide

  25. Statistics • Statistical Abstract of the United States • During the 110th Congress, what was the political party composition of Congress?

  26. Data • ICPSR • Find the study on partisanship in the US House of Representatives by David W. Rohde. • What data is the study based on?

  27. Congressional Votes • CQ Almanac Online • How did North Carolina Representatives vote on passage of HR 5297, a 2010 bill to provide funding to small businesses affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill?

  28. Congressional Documents • Hearings • Lexis Nexis Congressional • Find hearings on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. • Debate on the Floor • HeinOnline • How many documents are retrieved on a search of channel dredging in the Debates of Congress for the year 2011?

  29. Country Profiles/International Relations • World FactBook • What type of government does Egypt have? • What does the source say about the current upheaval? • CIAO • What analysis does this database provide on Egypt in 2012?

  30. Polling Data • Polling the Nations • What opinions can you find about natural gas drilling? • How did the people of Ohio feel about it in January 2012? • What else did Qunnipiac University ask in that poll?

  31. Statutes • Lexis Nexis Academic • US Legal Search box • Federal Statutes, Codes and Regulations • How many statutes mention apples?

  32. Supreme Court Opinions • Lexis Nexis Academic • Find the opinion for the Citizens United case, decided by the US Supreme Court on January 21, 2010. • Who delivered the opinion for the court?

  33. Evaluating Resources • Authority • Scope • Current? Does it matter? • Audience • Purpose • Inform, Persuade, Entertain, etc.? • Accuracy • Usability • Evaluating News Magazines

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