bq. Political scientists like “original datasets.” The topic is really unimportant. They simply want to know that you have spent copious amounts of time collecting new information about something or another. Political scientists are scientists, but they have become increasingly like entomologists. Your data set, however, should be machine-readable, not fastened by pins in a display case. That would inhibit its replicability. (See below.)
bq. New datasets are important because they take time away from developing new theories. Political scientists, particular international relations experts, have grown tiresome [HF – should be tired surely] of theories. They are all “non-paradigmatic” now with no prior assumptions or biases whatsoever. Everyone is getting along great. Theory was once something done by people on the East and West Coast in the days Before Fearon (BF), but it has been successfully eradicated from all places except the Continent. And no one understands what they are saying anyways.
More from Brian Rathbun “here”:http://duckofminerva.blogspot.com/2011/04/stuff-political-scientists-like-1.html