The relevance of empirical political science in Austria: Ask important questions, study them rigorously, and let people know

Abstract

In recent years, political science in Austria has become more open, more internationally oriented, and more visible internationally. While all these developments must clearly be welcomed, they do not automatically translate into greater relevance of the discipline. In this contribution we outline four criteria that need to be fulfilled for empirical research in political science to become relevant: the importance of the problem under study, the generalizabilitiy of the findings, the appropriateness of the research design, and the extent to which it is communicated within the discipline and beyond. Based on these criteria we discuss steps that political scientists working not only in Austria but also on Austria can take to improve the relevance of their research.