Out now: Are quantitative research methods to blame for a growing irrelevance of political science?
Are quantitative research methods to blame for a growing irrelevance of political science?
Ist die Tatsache, dass die politikwissenschaftliche Forschung in Öffentlichkeit und Politik kaum wahrgenommen wird auf die zunehmende Verwendung quantitativer Forschungsmethoden zurückzuführen? Diese Frage wird in den letzten Ausgaben der European Political Science immer wieder diskutiert. Jetzt ist auch der Diskussionsbeitrag von Viktoria Kaina und mir dazu erschienen – übrigens gleich mit einer spannenden Erwiderung von John E. Trent.
Abstract
Is political science out of step with the world?’ This question, raised by John E. Trent in a recent issue of european political science, is part of a recurring debate about the development of our discipline. In that article, and in a subsequent book with his colleague Michael Stein, John Trent blames adherents of the ‘scientific method’ for political science’s growing irrelevance. We challenge this claim by arguing that Trent falls back on outdated polarities between ‘objective and normative’, and ‘explanation and interpretation’, in order to justify his allegation. We argue for the need to review our methods continuously, rather than dig up a fruitless and biased division between qualitative and quantitative approaches.
