Preface to 2nd Edition
Shortly after the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic, IPSRM was officially published online. At the time, I was hopeful, like countless others, that the COVID-19 would come and go. However, over five years later, we, as humans, must live with the virus, and its variants, for the foreseeable future, if not the rest of our lives.
In the shadow of a global pandemic, the need for well-informed, well-trained, and well-educated students, faculty, scholars, researchers, and practitioners is more important than ever. Political science, as a community of students, scholars, and life-long learners, welcomes individuals, young and old, and rich and poor alike. As an academic discipline that is advancing our knowledge and understanding of behavior, institutions, processes, and outcomes, political science is more important than ever.
Research methods are rooted in the scientific method, or the process whereby we observe the world, generate theories, propose hypotheses based on these theories, collect data on variables and relationships stated in hypotheses, analyze the data, and share findings. These findings shape our next observations of the world, and the cycle continues.
The 2nd Edition of Introduction to Political Science Research Methods expands the original textbook. 3 new chapters on comparative historical analysis, survey research, and geographic information systems have been added. These chapters written during my spring 2025 sabbatical, which was generously afforded by Cuyamaca College and my labor union contract, help catapult students into some of the latest research methods.
Ultimately, I believe we should trust students and their curiousity to act on their readiness and willingness to engage in political science research methods. This 2nd edition is a demonstration of that trust in students by adding 3 new chapters and continuing this OER’s dedication to future generations.
Josh Franco, Ph.D.
September 2025
Preface to 1st Edition
Introduction to Political Science Research Methods is a first-of-its-kind open education resource.
With chapter contributions from Dr. Charlotte Lee at Berkeley City College, Kau Vue at Fresno City College, Dr. Dino Bozonelos at Victor Valley College, Dr. Masahiro Omae at San Diego City College, Dr. Steven Cauchon at Imperial Valley College, and myself, the purpose of our open education resource is to provide students interested in or majoring in political science a solid introduction into the research methods of the discipline.
This textbook aligns with the California Community College’s C-ID Course Descriptor for Introduction to Political Science Research Methods in content and objectives. Additionally, support was provided by the Academic Senate for California Community College’s Open Educational Resources Initiative.
I want to share my personal experience and motivation for helping write this textbook. When I was a community college student, from 2003-2005, there was no introduction to political science research methods course, let alone a textbook. Without such an introduction, I wasn’t aware of the community of students, scholars, researchers, and practitioners of political science.
I struggled in my courses at the 4-year university when I was assigned a peer-review journal article, asked to interpret empirical analyses, or write a literature review for a research paper. I graduated and spent 5 years working in the California State Capitol and U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. In 2012, I returned to earn my Ph.D. in political science. Fair to say, the struggle returned.
I believe students should have the opportunity to introduce themselves to the research methods of our discipline in their first year or second year of post-secondary education. Thus, the purpose of our textbook is to afford students the opportunity to better prepare themselves for upper division political science courses and to seriously consider earning a Masters or Ph.D. in the discipline.
My sincerest hope is that this open education resource, which is free to students and faculty and available under the Creative Commons – Attribution – Noncommercial (CC BY-NC) license, serves as a spark which welcomes the next generation into the discipline.
Josh Franco, Ph.D.
June 2020
