Administrative Data in American and Comparative Political Science

This workshop introduces students to the use of administrative datasets in political science. In the workshop, we survey the use of administrative data in both the American and Comparative subfields, discuss the advantages of such data relative to other research approaches, strategies for acquiring administrative data, as well as the limitations and challenges of working with these types of data. We then give a detailed overview of different datasets that students may use in their own research, providing students with a reference guide that they can return to after the workshop. We conclude with examples from our own dissertation research as well as examples from other recent CSDP fellows. This workshop is aimed at students in their first or second year of graduate school, particularly those who may not be yet aware of the wide variety of political data that is available, but may be useful for more advanced students as well.

By Hanno Hilbig and Jacob Brown.