Sources in Political Science Research

The article focuses on a metatheoretical analysis of Polish political scientists’ approaches to the sources of research on politics. The author discusses the diversity of these approaches, the dependence of the choice of sources on (normative and empirical) research paradigms as well as the historical and ideological contexts. She also emphasises the importance of the (external and internal) criticism of sources and interpretation in the research process. She points to the specificity of Polish political science, dominated by the normative perspective, but opening up to new methods and sources, and discusses the role of imagination and creativity in the research process. Particular attention is drawn to the sources for the study of political and programmatic thought and the evolution of their function in the digital media age. The article indicates the need for methodological reflection and flexibility in working with sources to successfully confront contemporary challenges.