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Abstract
The statistical computing and graphics software R, despite its many advantages, is sometimes considered too complex to be introduced to undergraduate political science majors. In this article I showed that when taught appropriately, R could be a valuable and well-received aspect of an introductory research methods course. It is important to teach R throughout the semester and take preventative measures to deal with common problems. I began with a comparison of four frequently used software in undergraduate research methods courses and a discussion of the pros and cons of teaching R. I then introduced a R sequence that I developed and implemented with success in my introductory research methods course, including example course notes, homework, and common problems and solutions, with the goal of providing research methods instructors a template to develop their own R workshops as part of an introductory political science research methods course.
Notes
1 The specific percentage of undergraduate programs that require “at least one methods course of some kind” is up for debate. Most analyses that based on surveying political science departments showed that the percentage is somewhere among 64% (Thies and Hogan Citation2005, 295), 70.9% (Daigle, Hofeman, and Neulen Citation2018, 4), to 75% (Turner and Thies Citation2009, 371). However, one analysis based on examining university catalogs and web sites found the number to be a lot lower at 28% (Parker Citation2010).
2 I chose these four functions as they are directly relevant to undergraduate research methods courses. A detailed comparison is provided in sections A1-A4 in the Supplementary Appendix.
3 An example of the key word search result is also available upon request. The three websites indeed.com, monster.com, and ziprecruiter.com were chosen because they were among the most popular online job search sites that do not require a fully registered user profile. A highly popular website, linkedin.com, was not chosen because it requires a full user profile before a job search is allowed. I repeated the sample collection process seven times between January 15th and February 5th of 2019 to account for variations due to timing. The presented results were based on the averages of the seven samples.
4 Search terms used: “data science” r. A description of the job: “As a Deloitte Data Scientist, you will use data and analytics methods and technologies to help clients interpret data and make informed business decisions. Working collaboratively with diverse clients around the world, you will also provide change management assistance and help clients design business processes that integrate predictive modeling within their existing infrastructure to drive change.”
5 Search terms used: “political science” r. A description of the job: “In this position, the policy analyst will be responsible for supporting the work of the office with the aggregation, reporting, and analysis of enterprise data sets. This position requires a combination of substantive criminal justice policy knowledge and analytical skills, as the ideal candidate will have the ability to work with various parts of the office to help determine how to capture the necessary metrics to fulfill the vision of Justice 2020 and increase the office’s efficiency and transparency.”
6 Search terms used: policy stata. A description of the job: “The Research Associate will be an integral part of a team that works to identify policy and practice solutions through research to ensure the well-being of vulnerable young people in contact with the juvenile justice system. The successful candidate will be responsible for coordinating research activities across various studies.”
7 Search terms used: policy excel. A description of the job: “This position will be responsible for managing and ensuring compliance with industry safety regulations and hazardous materials transportation regulations. Will Lead and facilitate the safety, security (FSP), ES& H and PHA/PSM audits. Will also be responsible for auditing and ensure compliance of driver qualification and equipment files.”
8 Search terms used: politics excel. A description of the job: “Under general supervision of the City Ad- ministrator, performs advanced and very complex office management duties, prepares and handles legal and highly confidential information including confidential information related to collective bargaining; performs budgeting and bookkeeping duties; and otherwise relieves officials of administrative and business detail.”
9 The time commitment for SPSS, STATA, and Excel is gathered based on undergraduate research methods course syllabus that are available online.
10 My average class size is 20 with an average response rate of about 71%.
11 Among the 99 respondents, 45 provided at least one answer to the question which led to a total of 57 answers. Among the 57 answers, R and R workshops were mentioned 20 times, which is about 35%.
12 The scales are 1,2,3,4,5; one student wrote 4.5.
13 The numbers are based on my institution’s 2017 and 2018 freshmen survey.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Ruoxi Li
Ruoxi Li is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at California State University San Marcos. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2015. She teaches courses in American politics and research methods including congressional politics, race and ethnicity, quantitative methods, and political game theory. Her research interests include congressional representation, money in politics, and interest group politics.