Oxford Handbook of Engaged Methodological Pluralism in Political Science

The Oxford Handbook of Engaged Political Methodology in Political Science (Volume 1) is the first of two volumes published as the result of the American Political Science Association’s 2021 Presidential Task Force on the state of methodology in political science. Methodology impacts every research project undertaken. These handbooks are a timely addition as the discipline is at a juncture in terms of debates around epistemology, quantitative, and qualitative methods. The chapter authors directly address and discuss these challenges for scholars and students across the spectrum, with overviews, critiques, and applications. The handbooks are unique in looking at methods, methodology and epistemology, consideration of new data, and assessment of diversity, equity, and inclusion that intersects with them. Volume 1 is comprised of five sections: The Driving Rigor of a Diverse, Inclusive, and Engaged Discipline; Understanding the Role of Methodologies; The Problem of Knowledge Cumulation; The Methodological Frontier; Advances in Computational Social Science. The annual meeting, task force, and resulting handbooks bridge disciplinary divides, championing a pluralistic approach where methodology and substantive inquiry are deeply intertwined. By showcasing a wide array of research strategies, the editors demonstrate that the discipline’s inherent diversity can be viewed as its most distinct intellectual advantage.