Experimental Political Science: Research design and application

Key topics covered

The course will cover the following topics:

Day 1

You will explore the key dimensions of experimental research, including its differences from observational research and surveys in political science. You will also examine criteria for evaluating research designs and findings, drawing on existing experiments as examples.

Day 2

To begin, the instructor will dive right into research examples, with a focus on laboratory experiments and survey experiments. Using selected experiments and foundational literature, you will analyse and discuss the research practices of these two approaches. Our goal is to gain a deep understanding of these methods by examining real-world examples from research literature.

Day 3

On the third day, you will cover field experiments and natural experiments using the same approach as the previous day's topics. These four types of experiments are the most important in political science, and by studying them, you will gain a practical understanding of relevant theories.

Day 4

This session will focus intentionally on political science theory related to experiments, particularly causality and validity. This will allow you to apply theoretical foundations directly to different types of experiments in political science. You will also discuss your projects on this day, though these projects will be the main focus on day five.

Day 5

Together with other students, you will work on projects. For this purpose, detailed feedback will be provided by the lecturer, as well as the opportunity for discussion and mutual constructive feedback and criticism. In addition to that, you will discuss ethics in research, especially as it relates to political science experiments, but also matters of ethical research in general and what the frame of scientific research activities is constituted of.

How the course will work online

The course is structured into five live Zoom sessions, one per day, each lasting 3 hours. There will be online 'games' and work in groups on specific topics. Online apps will be used that support collective work and engagement with the course content.

You will have the opportunity to complete a post-class assignment. The assignment can be either an exposé in which you apply the course insights to your own project, or a short, methods-focused review of a published case study.

Suggested readings

The following books will be the foundation of this course. It is not obligatory to read these books before the course, but instead they are suggested readings for the purpose of orientation. A detailed list with core and additional readings will be provided by the lecturer.

• Druckman, J. (2022) ‘Experimental Thinking. A Primer on Social Science Experiments’, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Druckman, J., Green, D., Kuklinski, J. and Lupia, A. (2011) ‘Cambridge Handbook of Experimental Political Science’, Cambridge University Press.
• Dunning, T. (2012) ‘Natural Experiments in the Social Sciences’. Cambridge University Press.
• Green, D. (2022) ‘Social Science Experiments: A Hands-on Introduction’, Cambridge University Press.
• Gerber, A. Green, D. (2012) ‘Field Experiments: Design, Analysis, and Interpretation’, W.W. Norton & Company, New York.
• Morton, R. and Williams, K. (2010) ‘Experimental Political Science and the Study of Causality. From Nature to the Lab’, Cambridge University Press.

Prerequisite Knowledge

You will need a general understanding of how a topic and concept can be transferred into a research question and research design.

Each course includes pre-course assignments, including readings and pre-recorded videos, as well as daily live lectures totalling at least three hours. The instructor will conduct live Q&A sessions and offer designated office hours for one-to-one consultations.

Learning commitment

As a participant in this course, you will engage in a variety of learning activities designed to deepen your understanding and mastery of the subject matter. While the cornerstone of your learning experience will be the daily live teaching sessions, which total three hours each day across the five days of the course, your learning commitment extends beyond these sessions.

Upon payment and registration for the course, you will gain access to our Learning Management System (LMS) approximately two weeks before the course start date. Here, you will have access to course materials such as pre-course readings. The time commitment required to familiarise yourself with the content and complete any pre-course tasks is estimated to be approximately 20 hours per week leading up to the start date.

During the course week, you are expected to dedicate approximately two-three hours per day to prepare and work on assignments.

Each course offers the opportunity to be awarded three ECTS credits. Should you wish to earn a 4th credit, you will need to complete a post-course assignment, which will involve approximately 25 hours of work.

This comprehensive approach ensures that you not only attend the live sessions but also engage deeply with the course material, participate actively, and complete assessments to solidify your learning.

Disclaimer

This course description may be subject to subsequent adaptations (e.g. taking into account new developments in the field, participant demands, group size, etc.). Registered participants will be informed at the time of change.

By registering for this course, you confirm that you possess the knowledge required to follow it. The instructor will not teach these prerequisite items. If in doubt, please contact us before registering.