Paul M. Kellstedt's and Guy D. Whitten's The Fundamentals of Political Science Research provides an introduction
to the scientific study of politics, supplying students with the basic tools needed to be both critical consumers
and producers of scholarly research in political science. The book begins with a discussion of what it means to
take a scientific approach to the study of politics. At the core of such an approach is the development of causal
theories. Because there is no magic formula by which theories are developed, the authors present a series of strategies
and develop an integrated approach to research design and empirical analyses that allows students to determine
the plausibility of their causal theories. The text's accessible presentation of mathematical concepts and regression
models with two or more independent variables is a key component to this process, along with the integration of
examples from political science and the real world to help students grasp the fundamental concepts.