MORAD DIANI (ed.),
Issues of Methodology in Political Science, History, Law, and Demography (Doha/Beirut: ACRPS, 2022), pp. 504.
Introduction
Social science research is primarily conducted through detailed observations and the application of transparent methodologies to test hypotheses. Methodology is a process governed by theory and cognitive tools to analyse and understand research problems and establish reliable scientific facts. The second half of the 20th century saw a growth of research methods in the social sciences and humanities, especially in international relations. Most academic institutions around the globe currently include modules on research methods as a fundamental part of their curricula. The Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies is one such institution that has contributed to the study of methods. Its volume,
Issues of Methodology in Political Science, History, Law, and Demography, edited by Morad Diani, is the third in a series of books on the subject. This review explores the book’s contributions to research in political science, history, and law.
The book’s chapters focus on political science and international relations, historical and ethnological studies, and other themes in which various research methods intersect and cross disciplines. The book is not a mere review of research methodologies and tools. Rather, its importance lies in its assessment of different analytical approaches to relevant research questions and of ways in which they may be interpreted, based on the theories presented in various disciplines. Indeed, its contributors recognize that “a methodology is not a one-size-fits-all approach”.
This volume also represents an attempt to enrich the Arabic literature on research methodologies, filling a fundamental gap in this area. The sparse work available on the subject has largely attempted to address it through textbooks that serve students at carrying out undergraduate academic research.
* This review was published in the 14th issue of AlMuntaqa, a peer-reviewed academic journal for the social sciences and humanities. You can read the full paper here.
