Final answer:
Time series methods focus on discovering patterns in historical data and projecting them into the future for predictive analysis, rather than cause-effect relationships or situations without historical data.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer to the student's question is "a. discover a pattern in historical data and project it into the future." Time series methods are statistical tools used to analyze a set of data points over time. Researchers and analysts use these methods to discern patterns or trends in the data. By identifying these trends, they can make forecasts or predictions about future events. Time series methods are not specifically designed to include cause-effect relationships (option b), and they are certainly not useful when historical data is unavailable (option c). In the context of political science, having a substantial amount of data helps in making better predictions rather than relying on the smartness of the individual (option a), the availability of the latest technology (option c), or random events (option d).