The Ohio State University has a number of resources that Political Science graduate students can take advantage of.
Political Research Laboratory
The Political Research Laboratory (PRL) is a faculty, graduate student, and staff resource for the Department of Political Science. Department labs provide access to expensive statistical software and high-end computational machines to give graduates the ability to research without heavy financial investment. The PRL also maintains an experiment lab for running research with actual participants. The Program in Statistics and Methodology (PRISM) group is available for advising and helping students with statistical and computational questions in many modern software packages (e.g. R, Stata, SPSS).
University Libraries
The Ohio State University Libraries collaborates with students, faculty, and staff to offer a dynamic resource of collections, services, and spaces to enhance learning, teaching, and research at the university. The library provides all types of media for work in political science, such as digital and printed books and journals, digital databases, statistical data, and film. OSU Libraries offers access to the holdings of regional and national sources, such as Ohiolink, the HathiTrust, and research collections from the Center for Research Libraries. Also, Interlibrary Loan and Article Express enhance quick access to resources inside and outside the library. OSU Libraries is a publisher in the form of the Knowledge Bank, and a source of research and teaching support in the form of the individual and class research consultation, the Research Commons, and the Copyright Resource Center.
For assistance with the Libraries consult Political Science Resources or contact the Political Science Librarian.
Mershon Center for International Security Studies
The Mershon Center for International Security Studies 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. The Mershon Center offers Mershon Research and Study Abroad Grants for Undergraduate and Graduate Students and an annual Faculty Grant Competition. In addition to supporting university faculty and student research, the Mershon Center routinely hosts speakers for talks, conferences, and symposia.
Area Studies Centers
The Area Studies Centers advance knowledge and awareness of international cultures and world regions. The centers work with departments to identify programmatic needs, sponsor a wide range of academic activities, including lectures, symposia, conferences, and library resources, as well as conduct outreach activities for P-12 students and teachers. Area Studies Centers are funded through the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI National Resource Center (NRC) and Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships.
Ohio State has five Area Studies Centers, four with full Title VI NRC and FLAS funding, they are listed below.
- Center for African Studies
- Center for Latin American Studies
- Center for Slavic and East European Studies
- East Asian Studies Center
(Institute for Chinese Studies, Institute for Japanese Studies, Institute for Korean Studies) - Middle East Studies Center
The Kirwan Institute for Study of Race and Ethnicity
As a university-wide, interdisciplinary research institute, the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity works to deepen understanding of the causes of—and solutions to—racial and ethnic disparities worldwide and to bring about a society that is fair and just for all people.
Decision Sciences Collaborative
Over 100 Faculty Members and Graduate Students at Ohio State are actively engaged in research and teaching related to Decision Sciences.
The Decision Sciences Collaborative awards small grants to faculty and graduate students to support behavioral decision-making research at Ohio State. The goal of these competitive grants is to foster new decision sciences research activity and collaboration.
The Center for Ethics and Human Values
The Ohio State University Center for Ethics and Human Values is a research center that aims to advance the understanding of these questions by encouraging research and writing on topics of ethics and value, including the history of thought on these questions, and by providing a resource for public discussions of foundational and applied moral questions. It provides a venue and resource for ongoing discussions of ethical issues within and across disciplines at Ohio State University, including issues that arise within the academic contexts of research and education, as well as issues that confront us all as human beings and citizens aspiring to live worthwhile and rewarding lives.
Research Commons
Support and physical space designed for graduate student researchers. Workshops, referrals, networking, and expert consultations.
Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum
Annual research forum co-sponsored by the Council of Graduate Students, the Graduate School, and the Office of Research. Students enrolled in any graduate degree program are invited to participate.
The Office of Research
The Office of Research supports the development, submission, management and integrity of research at Ohio State. Animal Care and Use, Human Research Protections, Biohazards, Research Compliance, Business and Industry Collaborations, Resources for Inventors & Entrepreneurs, and Sponsored Programs.
Copyright Resource Center
Provides education and guidance to graduate students, faculty, and staff regarding copyright law and identifying, using, and creating copyrighted content.
Graduate Student Code of Research and Scholarly Conduct
Graduate students are expected to familiarize themselves about appropriate standards for ethical research and scholarly conduct and are responsible for following all university policies related to ethical research and scholarly conduct.
Guidelines for Academic Success
Tips and tools for academic success.
Ohio Union Activities Board (OUAB)
Programming and activities developed by the Graduate and Professional Student Committee and supported by student fees.
University Registrar
The registrar keeps the academic calendar for each semester and is a vital resource for forms.
College of Arts and Sciences Technology Services
ASCTech provides IT and technical assistance to all of the instructors within the College of Arts and Sciences. For immediate assistance: (614) 688-4447.
Office of the Chief Information Officer
The OCIO is the broad university tech support provider. They have walk in hours at the Thompson Library and the Tech Hub, offer online and phone assistance, and provide classroom IT assistance. Main line: (614) 688-4357 Classroom help line: (614) 247-4357.
Resources for Graduate Teaching Associates
The Michael V Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning offers resources to support and enhance the teaching of Graduate Teaching Associates (GTAs) at Ohio State.