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Course: 2025/2026

Research techniques in Political Science

(14092)

Dual Bachelor in Law and Political Science (Study Plan 2018) (Plan: 413 - Estudio: 232)

Coordinating teacher: VALL PRAT, PAU

Department assigned to the subject: Social Sciences Department

Type: Compulsory

ECTS Credits: 6.0 ECTS

Course: 2º

Semester: 2º

Requirements (Subjects that are assumed to be known)

Basic knowledge of statistics

Objectives

The course Research Techniques in Political Science aims to train students in the application of quantitative methods to social research. Building on prior coursework in basic research methodology and statistics, this course focuses on applying that knowledge to datasets commonly used in Political Science¿such as surveys, polls, and electoral data¿and introduces more advanced methodologies within the field of quantitative research. Additionally, this is the course in which students are trained in the use of advanced statistical software (R) for data analysis.

Description of contents: programme

1. Research in Political Science with Quantitative Databases: Towards Big Data 2. Data Analysis in R 3. Advanced Descriptive Statistics 4. The Importance of Correlation in Political Science 5. Analysis of Political and Electoral Polls 6. Inferential Statistics 7. Inferential Statistics into Survey Data 8. From Correlation to Causality and the Experimental Method 9. Advanced Quantitative Analyses in Political Science: Text Analysis

Learning activities and methodology

Master Classes (3 ECTS credits): Lecture on the theoretical content of the subject. Reduce Classes (3 ECTS credits): Practical classes in the computer room using Stata/R/SPSS

Assessment System

% end-of-term-examination/test 60
% of continuous assessment (assigments, laboratory, practicals...) 40

Calendar of Continuous assessment

Theory and practical exercises, and other activities conducted in the classroom
Percent of continuous assessment (assignments, labs, etc.): 40%.

Final exam: includes both theory and practice content
Percent of end-of-term examination: 60%.


In the extraordinary call, the evaluation system will be as follows: 
1) Exam: 100%.

Extraordinary call: regulations

Basic Bibliography

Cameron, Colin A. & Pravin K. Trivedi. Microeconometrics using Stata. Stata Press. 2010
Ethan Bueno de Mesquita & Anthony Fowler. Thinking Clearly with Data: A Guide to Quantitative Reasoning and Analysis. Princeton University Press. 2021
Kosuke Imai & Lori D. Bougher. Quantitative Social Science: An Introduction in Stata. Princeton University Press. 2021
Long, Scott J. & Jeremy Freese. Regression Models for Categorical Dependent Variables Using Stata. Stata Press. 2014

Additional Bibliography

James, Gareth, Daniel Witten, Trevor Hastie, & Robert Tibshirani. An introduction to Statistical Learning with applications in R. Spinger. 2013

Electronic Resources *

Institute for Digital Research and Education · Statistical Consulting : https://stats.idre.ucla.edu/stata/
Stata · The Stata Forum : https://www.statalist.org

(*) Access to some electronic resources may be restricted to members of the university community and require validation through Campus Global. If you try to connect from outside of the University you will need to set up a VPN

The course syllabus may change due academic events or other reasons.