Professor Richard Goe
T.A.: Kellie McEwen
Office: 202D Waters Hall
Office: 253A Waters Hall
Phone: 532-4973
Phone: 532-7178
E-mail: goe@ksu.edu
E-mail: mcewenkj@ksu.edu
Office Hours:
T: 9:30-10:45 AM
T: 1:00-2:00 PM
U: 9:30-10:45 AM
W: 11:00-1:00 PM
Lecture: Lab:
T U 11:05 AM - 12:20 PM
W 1:30 PM 201a Waters Hall
328 Waters Hall
W 2:30 PM 201a Waters Hall
W 3:30 PM 201a Waters Hall
Course Description:
This course is intended to introduce you to the basic methods of conducting research in the social sciences. It is not expected that you will emerge from this course as a professional researcher -- this generally takes more time and experience than can be gained in one semester. However, a major objective of the class is to make you a more critical evaluator and consumer of social research. By learning the basic methods of social research, you should be better able to analyze and critically evaluate research conducted by other social scientists. A second objective of the course is to provide you with some initial experience in conducting social research. The course will provide experience in constructing hypotheses, designing a research project, analyzing data via statistical software on the computer, and writing and reporting research findings. This experience will provide a base from which you can work toward becoming an experienced researcher. Gaining research experience is important because such skills are required in many areas of business and government, including the criminal justice system.
Required Texts:
Stark, Rodney, and Lynne Roberts. Contemporary Social Research Methods. Bellevue, WA: MicroCase Corporation.
Roberts, Lynne, and Michael Corbett. Social Research Using MicroCase. Bellevue, WA: MicroCase Corporation.
Both textbooks come in a boxed set. The Stark and Roberts text will be used for lectures. The Roberts and Corbett text is a workbook that contains the MicroCase analysis system software for students. Exercises from the workbook will be used as part of the class lab. Extra readings will also be available on reserve in Hale Library.
Course Requirements and Grading:
Contract for a Grade: Approximately one week into the semester, students are required to submit a signed contract with the professor for a desired grade in the course. Students have the choice of contracting for either an A, B, or C, as a desired final grade. Each desired grade will have a different set of requirements that must be met in order to earn the desired final grade. The professor will give each student the option of changing his/her contract grade midway through the semester. Students cannot earn a higher grade for the course than what is agreed upon in the contract.
Exams and Lab Assignments: Regardless of whether a student contracts for an A, B, or C as a desired final grade, he/she is required to take class exams and complete lab assignments. In total, there will be three exams. Each one will count 100 points toward the final grade. The exams will consist of some combination of multiple choice, short essay and problem solving questions. Exam questions will be drawn from lectures, readings and lab material. The final exam will be held during final examination week as scheduled by the university and will not be comprehensive.
Lab assignments must be completed from the Roberts and Corbett text as assigned by the T.A. in the lab. These exercises will teach students how to use the MicroCase Analysis System software. These exercises will be graded by the T.A. and will count 50 points toward the final grade.
Contract for an A: an A can be earned only if a student has contracted for an A as a desired grade. Students that contract for an A are required to: (a) take the three exams; (b) complete the lab exercises; and (c) write a research paper. The professor and the T.A. will work with the student to define a topic for the research paper. An example of a topic would be the identification of factors correlated with divorce rates across the 50 states. Preferably, each project will be some type of comparative research project that analyzes secondary data available in the MicroCase software. However, other types of research designs will be considered as long as the research can be reasonably completed before the end of the semester. A research topic must be finalized by the 5th week of the semester. A short description of the topic must be turned into to the professor for approval by February 17th. The description of the project must be typed.
Following approval of the research topic by the professor, the research paper will then be completed over the course of the semester. This will likely involve the following tasks:(1) conducting a literature review on the topic; (2) defining theoretical concepts relevant to the topic; (3) identifying indicators of concepts (if applicable); (4) formulating hypotheses to be tested in the study; (5) collecting observations; (6) analyzing data; and (7) writing up the research findings. The final product of the research project will be a written research paper that presents the research findings (instructions will be provided in class). The research paper can be no longer than 20 pages and must be typed. Research papers are due May 4th, the last day of class. Papers must be turned in on time. The research paper will count 100 points toward the final grade.
In order to earn an A, a student that has contracted for an A must maintain an A average on the three exams, lab assignments, and research paper. Otherwise, the grade earned will be assigned.
Contract for a B: a B can be earned only if a student has contracted for a B as a desired grade, or a student has contracted for an A, but earns a B average on the course requirements. Students that contract for a B are required to: (a) take the three exams; (b) complete the lab exercises; and (c) write a critique of two research articles found in professional sociological journals including American Sociological Review, American Journal of Sociology, Social Forces, and Criminology. The student must identify two research articles to be critiqued. These articles must be approved by the professor. The references and a short description of each articles must be turned in to the professor by March 2. The critique of each article should include the following: (1) identification of the key theoretical concepts used in the study; (2) identification of the hypotheses being tested in the study; (3) identification of the indicators used to measure the key theoretical concepts; (4) a description of the methods of data collection and data analysis used to test the study hypotheses; (5) a description of the key study findings; and (6) an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the study. The critiques of the two journal articles must be typed. The final critiques are due May 4th, the last day of class. The critiques must be turned in on time. The critiques will count 50 points toward the final grade.
In order to earn a B for the class, a student that has contracted for a B must maintain at least a B average on the three exams, lab assignments, and article critiques. Otherwise, the grade earned will be assigned.
Contract for a C: students who have not contracted for an A or a B must contract for a C. Students that contract for a C are required to: (a) take the three exams; and (b) complete the lab exercises. In order to earn a C for the class, a student that has contracted for a C must maintain at least a C average on the three exams and lab assignments. Otherwise the grade earned will be assigned.
Determination of Final Grade:
Grades for course assignments will be based upon the following scale:
A= 90-100%
B= 80-89.5%
C= 70-79.5%
D= 60-69.5%
F= 59.5% or less
Extra Credit: No formal extra credit will be offered. However, the instructor reserves the right to schedule in-class assignments or quizzes which may be counted toward extra credit.
Course Tools on the World Wide Web: Course materials will be put on the World Wide Web and can be accessed from a link on the web page of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, & Social Work (http://www.ksu.edu/sasw). The course syllabus, study guides for exams, and selected course notes will be posted for reference.
Consequences of Academic Dishonesty: Remember that all work that is turned in must be yours and yours alone. You can be sure that the instructors will notice if two students turn in the same work or if someone directly copies their work from other sources. Plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses and may be punished by failure on the exam or assignment; failure in the course; and/or expulsion from the university. For more information, refer to university regulations on academic dishonesty at: http://www.ksu.edu/uauc/uncat/misc/university_regulations.html.
Course Outline:
1.0 Introduction to scientific inquiry
1.1 Sources of Knowledge
2.0 The role of social theory in social research
Reading - Chapter 1, Concepts & Theories
2.1 Concepts and theoretical propositions &
relationships
2.2 Indicators and the measurement of concepts
2.3 Hypotheses and statistical relationships
2.4 Approaches to theory construction
2.4a The deductive vs. inductive approach
2.5 Types of social research
3.0 The process of social research
Reading - Chapter 2, Steps in the Social Scientific Process
4.0 Methods utilized in the measurement of concepts
Reading - Chapter 3, Measurement
4.1 Systematic patterns of behavior and the concept
of variation
4.2 Variables versus constants
4.3 Types of variables
4.4 The properties of measurement
4.5 Levels of measurement
4.6 The unit of analysis
4.6a Types of units of analysis in social research
4.6b Issues with aggregate or ecological data
4.7 Measurement error
4.8 Reliability in measurement
4.8a Methods of assessing reliability
4.9 Validity in measurement
4.10 Using multiple indicators to measure concepts
4.10a Indices versus scales
5.0 Methods and issues in the collection of quantitative data
Reading - Chapter 4, Censuses and Samples
5.1 Defining the study population
5.2 Censuses versus samples
5.3 Issues in sampling
5.3a Types of sampling methods
5.4 Population parameters versus sample estimators
5.5 Calculating confidence intervals in order to
assess the accuracy of sample estimators
5.6 Types of probability sampling designs
5.6a Simple random, systematic, stratified, and cluster sampling designs
5.7 Types of nonprobability sampling designs
5.7a Convenience, quota, judgmental, and snowball sampling designs
5.8 Sources of error in sample data
6.0 Methods for developing causal models and establishing causal relationships
Reading - Chapter 5, Causation and Causal Models
6.1 Causal relationships, dependent versus independent
variables
6.2 Types of causal relationships
6.2a Necessary, sufficient, and contributory causal relationships
6.3 Criteria for inferring causal relationships
6.4 Issues in the development of causal models
7.0 Quantitative methods for testing hypotheses
Reading - (On reserve in library) Drawn from Elementary Statistics
in Social Research, Sixth Edition, by Jack Levin and James A. Fox,
Harper Collins Publishers, 1994.
Chapter 9, Nonparametric Tests of Significance, Pp. 275-303.
Chapter 11, Nonparametric Measures of Correlation, Pp. 361-375.
Chapter 10, Correlation, Pp. 323-339.
Chapter 12, Regression Analysis, Pp. 388-397.
7.1 Types of statistical analysis
7.2 Nonparametric univariate statistics
7.3 Bivariate analysis of nominal data
7.3a The chi-square test, Phi, and Cramer's V
7.4 Bivariate analysis of ordinal data
7.4a Gamma and the Z test
7.5 Bivariate analysis of interval or ratio level
data
7.5a Pearson's r and the t test
7.6 Multivariate analysis
7.6a Regression analysis
8.0 Research designs
Reading - Chapter 6, Basic Research Designs
8.1 Experiments
8.2 Survey research
8.3 Comparative Research
8.4 Field Research
8.4a The nature of qualitative data
8.4b Observation in field research
Dates to Remember:
January 20 - Initial Contract for Desired Grade is Due
February 17 - Description of Research Paper Topic Due for Students
Contracting for an A
February 22 - First Exam
March 2 - References and a Short Description of Journal Articles that
Will Be Critiqued are Due for Students Who Contracted for a B
March 30 - Second Exam
April 4 - Deadline for Changing Contract for Desired Grade
May 4 - Research Paper & Journal Article Critiques Due
May 12 - Final Exam
A Final Word:
I encourage students to come and talk with me about the course. Please feel free to stop by my office to discuss any concerns or problems that you may have. I am there most of the time outside my office hours. Good luck!