PS133 Special Topics in Quantitative Methods: Applied Computational Tools and Techniques for Causal Research

This course will focus on the practical application of research methods for political science. In this course, we will take on two major tasks:

1. How can we implement standard research designs found in political science research? The research aims of scholars are varied, but all research requires a strong research design. This class will examine several topics in research design and causal inference with emphasis on how to implement these techniques in practice.

2. How can we communicate our results so that others can reproduce what we have done? Successful research programs rely on the ability of others to scrutinize claims. This course will cover methods to explain our results to others in a transparent manner and strategies for visualizing research results.

By the end of the course, students will feel comfortable with the foundational tools of causal inference. They will also learn how to code these techniques in their research.