Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Political Data

This course provides an integrated introduction to the methods and tools used in the analysis of political data, combining both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Students will learn to critically assess political phenomena through empirical research design, data collection, and analysis techniques. The quantitative portion of the course covers statistical methods, including descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and data visualization, using real-world political datasets. The qualitative portion explores techniques such as case studies, phenomenology, narratives, grounded theory, and ethnography, emphasizing their use in interpreting political behavior, institutions, and ideologies. Throughout the course, students will gain practical experience using software tools for data analysis (e.g., SPSS, R, Stata, NVivo) and develop the ability to choose appropriate methodological strategies based on research questions. By the end of the course, students will be equipped to design and conduct robust political science research using both numerical and narrative data.