You need to activate javascript for this site.
Menu Conteúdo Rodapé
  1. Home
  2. Courses
  3. Political Science
  4. Research Methods in Political Science

Research Methods in Political Science

Code 15741
Year 1
Semester S2
ECTS Credits 6
Workload OT(15H)/TP(30H)
Scientific area Ciência Política
Entry requirements n/a
Learning outcomes (1) Recognize the objectives of scientific research and the relevance of methodology;
(2) Understand the dynamics of the research process, as well as the content and usefulness of each stage of this process;
(3) Understand the functions and characteristics of a dissertation and an internship report;
(4) Create a dissertation (or internship) project by applying methodological knowledge to a specific case.


Syllabus Module A: Introduction to the Course Unit (UC)
A.1 Presentation of the UC
A.2 The Literature Review Project
A.3 The Applied Scientific Method Project and the Practical Work in Science Communication

Module 1: The Fundamentals of Research in Political Science
1.1 The epistemology of Political Science
1.2 The academic research cycle
1.3 Text planning, academic writing, bibliographic referencing, plagiarism and ethics in scientific research

Module 2: The Scientific Method in Practice
2.1 Literature review
2.2 The topic, problem and research question
2.3 Identifying and locating research sources and research quality, feasibility and timeline
2.4 Concepts, objectives and hypotheses

Module Z: Course conclusion
Z.1 An overview of the main research methods used in Political Science
Z.2 Presentation of the Practical Work in Science Communication
Z.3 General review of content
Main Bibliography Adcock, R., & Collier, D. (2001). Measurement Validity: A Shared Standard for Qualitative and Quantitative Research. The American Political Science Review, 95(3), 529–546.
Albarello, L. et al. (Eds.). (1997). Práticas e Métodos de Investigação em Ciências Sociais. Gradiva.
Anduiza, E. et al. (2009). Metodología de la ciencia política (2nd ed.). CIS.
Collier, D. et al. (2012). Putting typologies to work: Concept formation, measurement, and analytic rigor. Political Research Quarterly, 65(1), 217–232.
Della Porta, D., & Keating, M. (Eds.). (2008). Approaches and Methodologies in the Social Sciences. Cambridge University Press.
Kellstedt, P. M., & Whitten, G. D. (2018). The Fundamentals of Political Science Research (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Nina, S. R. et al. (Eds.). (2024). Manual de Métodos de Investigação em Ciência Política. Almedina.
Sartori, G. (1970). Concept misformation in comparative politics. The American Political Science Review, 64(4), 1033–1053.
Teaching Methodologies and Assessment Criteria Combination between lecture and presentation of research examples.

Assessment (normal):
Dissertation or internship project : 60%
Presentation: 15%
Progress reports: 25%

Assessment (working-students):
Dissertation or internship project : 80%
Presentation: 20%
Language Portuguese. Tutorial support is available in English.
Last updated on: 2025-04-02

The cookies used in this website do not collect personal information that helps to identify you. By continuing you agree to the cookie policy.