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Avoiding the Trivialization of Political Science

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 December 2016

Tulia G. Falleti
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Abstract

I extensively agree with Lieberman’s main argument and especially with his recommendations to graduate students and journal editors, which come at a critical time for our discipline’s development and future relevance. However, I depart from Lieberman on two issues. First, I argue that the research cycle is circular, and not teleological as Lieberman implies. For instance, randomized control trial (RCT) studies could be the start (and not the end) of a research cycle that leads to more descriptive and qualitative analysis in order to improve our understanding of causality. Second, I believe that the size of effects in RCT studies does matter, among other reasons because small effects might be symptoms of defective conceptualization of the main research problem.

Type
Reflections Symposium
Information
Perspectives on Politics , Volume 14 , Issue 4 , December 2016 , pp. 1071 - 1073
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 2016 

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