How IR Research Methods Have Evolved — Christopher Lamont

This episode of The IR thinker explores how research methods in politics and international relations are evolving in the digital age, in conversation with Professor Christopher Lamont. Drawing on the second edition of his widely used textbook Research Methods in Politics and International Relations, the discussion examines the rise of interdisciplinarity, the increasing sophistication of mixed-methods designs, and the implications of real-time and digitised data for empirical depth and rigour. It also addresses constructivist and postcolonial critiques of traditional methodologies, innovations in linking local case studies to broader generalisations, and the potential of tools such as multi-level network analysis for understanding power structures and informal diplomatic practices, as well as the ethical and practical challenges of working with electronic sources.Christopher LamontProfessor Christopher Lamont is Dean of the E-Track International Relations programme and Vice Dean of the Graduate School of International Relations at Tokyo International University in Japan. A specialist in research methodology and international relations, he has extensive experience teaching methods at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and his work engages both positivist and critical approaches to the study of global politics.Publications:Contested Governance: Understanding Justice Interventions in Post-Qadhafi LibyaInternational Criminal Justice and the Politics of ComplianceContent00:00 - Introduction01:53 - Key Differences Between the First and Second Edition03:13 - The Role of Interdisciplinarity in Research06:06 - Interdisciplinarity: A Researcher’s Motivation or a Structural Pressure?09:30 - Current Trends and Applications of Mixed Research Methods12:26 - Dr Lamont’s Preferred Mixed Research Methods14:57 - Causality and Complexity in Positivist Research Approaches18:30 - Real-Time Data Analytics: Balancing Empirical Depth and Immediacy in Political Research22:10 - Challenges of Accessibility: The Future of Electronic Sources in Research25:40 - Constructivist and Postcolonial Critiques of Traditional Empirical Methodologies29:00 - Bridging Local Case Studies and Global Generalisations: Methodological Innovations in IR32:20 - The Potential of Multi-Level Network Analysis in Understanding Power Structures35:40 - Methodological Challenges in Studying Informal Diplomatic Practices39:10 - Research Methods That Need More Focus in the Second Edition42:40 - The Role of AI in Research Methodology and Analysis46:50 - Which Research Methods Require Further Exploration for Better Understanding?Follow & Further ResourcesSubstack: https://theirthinker.substack.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ir-thinker/X: https://x.com/irthinker_Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theirthinker/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theirthinker.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/irthinkerfb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.