Democracy and Democratization

This course is envisioned simultaneously as a research seminar and a seminar about qualitative research in comparative politics. It is designed to guide you through the various stages of the research design process, from finding a topic, to framing a question, writing a literature review, understanding and selecting a methodology, and crafting an argument. Assigned readings have been selected to explain and/or illustrate the various components of the research and writing process. But the major aim of the seminar is to permit you to conduct your own research and writing and to workshop these with other seminar participants and the professor. While the seminar is designed to help seniors embark on their capstone thesis project, others who are interested in learning the “trade” are welcomed into the seminar.\ud There are reading and writing assignments due at various stages of the process. Each of these must be completed in order to move on to the next stage. There are two final written products due in the course. The first due in class on the last day, is an expanded research proposal – equivalent to the first draft chapter of your thesis, lays out the puzzle, argument, method, cases and overview of the rest of the book. (It should be 8 pages and will count for 20 percent of your grade). The second assignment is a draft literature review (12 pages and 30 percent of your grade) due at the end of exam period that synthesizes and situates your topic/argument within the existing scholarly literature