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Qualitative Methods and the Philosophical Orientation of Political Communication
Unformatted Document Text:  1 Q U A L I T A T I V E M E T H O D S A N D T H E P H I L O S O P H I C A L O R I E N T A T I O N O F P O L I T I C A L C O M M U N I C A T I O N Kevin G. Barnhurst, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA Abstract This paper assesses the current state of qualitative research methods in political science and political communication, through a review of textbooks, conference papers, key earlier works, and recent controversies. Despite advances during the past quarter century, qualitative methods of research, analysis, and writing remain at the margins due to the positive philosophical orientation of political science. Although they have provided a staging ground for complaints against that orientation in recent debates, qualitative approaches to knowledge serve principally as a tool for exploratory work and as a foil to police the boundaries of mainstream political science. Keywords archival techniques, case study, documentary, fieldwork, participant observation, qualitative research methods, unstructured (ethnographic) interviewing Kevin G. Barnhurst (Ph.D., University of Amsterdam, 1997), is Professor and Interim Head, Department of Communication. Thanks to Michael Vari for research assistance. Prepared for delivery to

Authors: Barnhurst, Kevin.
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Q U A L I T A T I V E M E T H O D S A N D T H E P H I L O S O P H I C A L
O R I E N T A T I O N O F P O L I T I C A L C O M M U N I C A T I O N
Kevin G. Barnhurst, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
Abstract
This paper assesses the current state of qualitative research
methods in political science and political communication, through
a review of textbooks, conference papers, key earlier works, and
recent controversies. Despite advances during the past quarter
century, qualitative methods of research, analysis, and writing
remain at the margins due to the positive philosophical
orientation of political science. Although they have provided a
staging ground for complaints against that orientation in recent
debates, qualitative approaches to knowledge serve principally as
a tool for exploratory work and as a foil to police the
boundaries of mainstream political science.
Keywords
archival techniques, case study, documentary, fieldwork,
participant observation, qualitative research methods,
unstructured (ethnographic) interviewing
Kevin G. Barnhurst (Ph.D., University of Amsterdam, 1997), is
Professor and Interim Head, Department of Communication. Thanks
to Michael Vari for research assistance. Prepared for delivery to


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