The conduct of inquiry in international relations : philosophy of science and its implications for the study of world politics / Patrick Thaddeus Jackson.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [239]-258) and index.

Playing with fire -- Philosophical wagers -- Neopositivism -- Critical realism -- Analyticism -- Reflexivity -- A pluralist science of IR.

"The Conduct of Inquiry in International Relations provides an introduction to the philosophy of science issues and their implications for the study of global politics. The author draws attention to the problems caused by the misleading notion of a single unified scientific method, and proposes a framework that clarifies the variety of ways that IR scholars establish the authority and validity of their empirical claims. Jackson connects philosophical considerations with concrete issues of research design within neopositivist, critical realist, analyticist, and reflexive approaches to the study of world politics."-- Publisher.