Scope

The Methods and Measurement section is an inclusive platform for sharing the latest insights into the practice of political research. 

Empirical political analysis has made tremendous advances and arguably, political scientists never had more methods, measures, and evidence at their disposal. However, progress has been uneven and tensions are increasingly visible.

• According to today’s standards, some of yesterday’s findings would not be published as they are too descriptive or make weak causal claims. Causality itself is weakly defined. Outdated studies keep being cited and little attention is paid to ontological (in)stability in the social world. Should there be an expiration date for empirical research?

• Studies that meet today’s standards often fail to address the broader questions of our times. If we can only ask simplistic questions with reductionist precision, how do we address broader and more important political phenomena? What can be done to strengthen the relationship between theory building and theory testing? What is the relationship between society and social science?

• Despite the increase in methods textbooks, there is still a disconnect between methodologists and applied practitioners.What can be done to facilitate the adoption of contemporary methods guidelines? How can the variety of epistemic communities be supported?

Methods and Measurement welcomes submissions that address such debates and suggest a way forward. We publish articles that advance the empirical study of political phenomena in the broadest sense and welcome submissions from all epistemological backgrounds. This encompasses qualitative methods, case-based as well as interpretive; quantitative techniques, both deductive and exploratory; plus big data applications. We welcome broader epistemological dialogues and contributions that help to fulfill the promise of mixed and multi-method research designs. Finally, we are committed to publishing articles that connect methods scholars and applied practitioners, including features focused on the teaching of methods and techniques. 

Submission

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