Address
2140 Derby Hall
154 N. OVal Mall
Columbus, OH 43210
Phone: (614) 292-2880
Fax: (614) 292-1146
Resources and Research Facilities
Political science graduate students at Ohio State can take advantage of three unique resources: the Political Research
Laboratory, the Mershon Center and the John Glenn Institute.
The Political Research Laboratory
PRL is an instructional and research support facility of the
Political Science Department that
plays a central role in the research curriculum at Ohio State.
Its facilities are available to all
students in the Department. PRL services include staff
responsible for (1) advising and training of
students in the use of archived data sets (especially those from
ICPSR), (2) consulting in the use
of quantitative research methods social science software
packages (e.g., SPSS), and (3)
maintenance of the Department’s computer network and computing
infrastructure. In support of
these services, PRL provides equipment such as micro-computers
and printers. The PRL also
operates an experimental research laboratory for use by faculty
and graduate students. Finally,
and perhaps most importantly, PRL serves as a resource center
for students and faculty interested
in the scientific analysis of political phenomena. Students
interested in serving as GRAs in PRL
should talk with the Director. Current hours and information on
the availability of equipment can
be obtained through the PRL office manager (292-1061).
Students also have access to the University's mainframe computer
and to personal computers
located at various points in the Department and around the
campus.
Special opportunities for training and research are also
provided by membership in the
Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research
and selected foreign archives as well
as the assignment of graduate students to the College’s Survey
Research Unit.
The Political Analysis Lab (PAL) of the Department and the new
electronic classroom provide
high-speed computers for students and political science classes.
The Mershon Center
The Mershon Center for the Study of International Security
supports research on topics of
international security and focuses its research on four key
areas:
(1) The use of force and diplomacy in international relations.
(2) The study of political and economic decision-making that
affects war and peace.
(3) Culture and Identity and their impact on national security.
(4) Law and institutional management of violent inter-group
conflict that might arise from a variety of
causes, including conflicting material interests, normative
beliefs or resource scarcity and usage.
The Mershon Center supports research conducted by Ohio State
faculty and students and
hosts several competitions each year. Through its annual Faculty
Grant Competition, Mershon
encourages collaborative, interdisciplinary research projects
within the University and with other
institutions around the world. Faculty members from numerous
departments around the University
benefit from research support.
The Mershon Center offers Mershon Research and Study Abroad
Grants for Students, which
supports the research goals of Ohio State undergraduate and
graduate students who seek funding
for travel to conduct research or take accredited courses abroad
in topics related to international
security studies. Applications for this competition are reviewed
during winter quarter.
The Mershon Center also funds Mershon Center Dissertation
Fellows. This competition is for
graduate students within one year of completing their Ph.D.
whose research complements the four
main research foci of the center. These competitive fellowships
provide a stipend, office space, and
computer for students nearing completion of their degree.
In addition to supporting university faculty and student
research, the Mershon Center routinely
hosts speakers for talks, conferences, and symposia. Scholars as
well as policy makers come to
the Center from around the world are frequent visitors. The
Center is currently running several
speakers series, including the National Security Speaker Series,
the Citizenship Speaker Series,
the Political Economy and National Security Speaker Series, and
the Graduate Workshop in
Diplomatic History. For more information, see the Mershon Center
Events Calendar at
www.mershon.ohio-state.edu.
The Mershon Center is located on the south end of campus, at the
corner of 8th Avenue and
Neil Avenue. For more information about Mershon, please see
www.mershon.ohio-state.edu
or
contact Julie Rojewski, Coordinator of Public Relations, at
292-7529 or rojewski.2@osu.edu.
