Social Science Mechanics: A Graduate Training Module that 'Looks Under the Hood' at Innovative Research Designs

19 Pages Posted: 6 Feb 2013

See all articles by James A. McCann

James A. McCann

Purdue University

Katie Cahill-Rincón

Purdue University

Michael Brownstein

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Amanda Burke

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Department of Political Science

Christopher Kulesza

Political Science, Purdue University

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss an attempt to address a gap in graduate-level pedagogy, with an approach rooted in retrospective assessment of a major research piece. In a series of talks, scholars reflect on how articles or books were originally framed, the trade-offs that were necessary to push the investigation along, the methodological challenges and non-findings that had to be faced – but may not have been published – and the evolution of the piece as it went through the stages of peer review. This approach to exposing graduate students to the entirety of the research process is termed Social Science Mechanics: A Look under the Hood at Innovative Research Designs. Using survey data, we find that students and faculty are highly interested and benefit from such an approach.

Suggested Citation

McCann, James A. and Cahill-Rincón, Katie and Brownstein, Michael and Burke, Amanda and Kulesza, Christopher, Social Science Mechanics: A Graduate Training Module that 'Looks Under the Hood' at Innovative Research Designs. APSA 2013 Teaching and Learning Conference Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2211819 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2211819

James A. McCann

Purdue University ( email )

Department of Political Science
Beering Hall
West Lafayette, IN 47907
United States

Katie Cahill-Rincón (Contact Author)

Purdue University ( email )

West Lafayette, IN
United States

Michael Brownstein

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Amanda Burke

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Department of Political Science ( email )

702 S. Wright Street
Urbana, IL 61801
United States

Christopher Kulesza

Political Science, Purdue University ( email )

West Lafayette, IN
United States

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