Revision as of 17:15, 24 August 2011

Soc 654; Social Reseach Methods

Details

• 102 Bentley Annex
• Tuesday: 6:10-10:00 pm
• Fall 2010
• SOC 654 - Section Code: A01 - Call No: 06837

Contact

• Howard T. Welser, Ohio University Sociology, welser "at symbol" ohio.edu
• My Google profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/H.T.Welser#about
• OU Faculty Page: http://www.cas.ohiou.edu/socanth/faculty/welser.html

Intro

This course helps students cultivate the skills and sensibilities necessary for designing, implementing, analyzing, and reporting on social scientific research.

Course blog: http://soc654researchmethods.blogspot.com/

Using technology in graduate school

We use technology that helps us facilitate our collaborative work in the class.

1. Bring your laptop to class with you every week.
   1. Before class, open a tab for the syllabus, today's notes, and gmail.
2. Google Account create one for your professional career.
   1. Google documents. We will make extensive use of shared documents in the course.
   2. Gmail, chat. Handy for collaborating
   3. Google sites, blogger. Course updates.
   4. Google+ Profile: control your google juice
3. Misplaced Pages stuff: the syllabus is editable and on Misplaced Pages.
   1. Create an editor account at Misplaced Pages.
      1. Learn how to edit basic stuff using the sandbox.
      2. Make edits to the course page as necessary.
      3. Inspect pages on methods related to our course.
         1. Find room for improvement.
4. Google documents for daily class notes.
   1. We will keep weekly, in-class notes on google docs
5. Dropbox; use this to store course related files
   1. you can share some files with others, or simply have an accessible file storage system for your use from different computers

Readings

• Book: Social research methods.
  • William Lawrence Neuman.
  • Edition: 7th ed. 2009
    • or 6th ed. Publisher: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon. 2006.
• Digital Readings
  • PDFs: readings, examples, etc.
  • Google docs of your classmates work.

Course work

Four general grade inputs

1. Quizzes (200 pts. total)
   1. Early in the quarter we will have a quiz each week that reviews undergraduate level methods
   2. Each quiz is based on content of Neuman's book
   3. Start reviewing the concepts now
2. Research Summaries (200 pts total)
   1. Systematic summary and assessment of an empirical research paper. Described below.
3. Mini Proposal (300 pts total)
   1. Described below
4. Digital portfolio: (300 pts)
   1. An empirically based, descriptive self assessment of your performance and progress in the course.
      1. Four areas of assessment
         1. Knowledge: improvements and expansions of knowledge related to methods, methodology,
         2. Accomplishments: contributions to projects, papers, presentations.
         3. Skills: development of skills in methods, research design, digital tools and academic writing.
         4. Cooperation: evidence of collaboration and successful contribution to group work, in-class and online.

Course Schedule

Week 1: The purpose(s) of Science and Social Scientific Research

1. See google doc for detailed agenda: https://docs.google.com/document/edit?id=1sQnehCuwdVV-KE1O6Bx3YLQoRHko3iwX5rXKRS_bCqA&hl=en&authkey=CM232KgG
2. Your research background and goals
   1. Background
   2. Goals
3. Why research?
   1. Read for today: Sagan, Chapters 1,2, Feynman: Cargo Cult Science
4. Sociological imagination
   1. Example: Names
   2. Social scientific explanation
   3. Discussion: Different analysis strategies apply to different parts of the boat

Week 2: Basics of research; Neuman Chapters 1-5

1. Readings:
   1. Ch 1. Why do research?
   2. Ch 2. Major types of social research
   3. Ch 3. Theory and research
   4. Ch 4. Meanings of methodology
   5. Ch 5. Review literature and conduct ethical studies
2. Things to do:
   1. Online Quiz
   2. Notes in-class
3. Look ahead
   1. Quiz and chapters for next week
   2. Applications to MA thesis examples

Week 3: Planning and Preparation; Neuman 6-8

1. Readings:
   1. Ch 6. Strategies of research design
   2. Ch 7. Qualitative and Quantitative Measurement
   3. Ch 8. Qualitative and Quantitative Sampling
   4. Socio econonomic status updates
   5. Survey instrument, Brooks thesis
      1. See class drop-box
2. To do:
   1. Quiz online
   2. Skype conversation with Brandon Brooks
   3. Class notes
3. Look ahead:
   1. Coming chapters
   2. Application to thesis projects

Week 4: Quantitative Data Collection and Analysis

1. Readings:
   1. Ch 9. Experimental research
   2. Ch 10. Survey research
   3. Ch 11. Nonreactive research and secondary analysis
   4. Ch 12. Analysis of quantitative data
2. Example research:
   1. Content analysis, exploratory network visualization. "Self-Governance Through Group Discussion in Misplaced Pages: Measuring Deliberation in Online Groups"
      1. http://sgr.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/05/08/1046496411406137.abstract
   2. Non reactive research, linear regression, hypothesis testing: "The Diffusion of a Task Recommendation System to Facilitate Contributions to an Online Community"
      1. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2009.01491.x/full
   3. Quiz online
   4. Class notes
3. Look ahead:
   1. Coming chapters
   2. Application to thesis projects

Week 5: Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis

1. Readings:
   1. Ch 13. Field research and focus group research
   2. Ch 14. Historical-comparative research
   3. Ch 15. Analysis of qualitative data
   4. Example research:
2. To do:
   1. Quiz online
   2. Class notes
3. Look ahead:
   1. Coming chapters
   2. Application to thesis projects

Week 4: Read example Thesis and Current Paper Draft

1. Discuss Readings
2. Collective Writing of Research Summary
3. Reflect;
4. Mini Lecture: Topic of choice
5. Look ahead:
   1. Plan research summary #1.
      1. Form Teams
      2. Agree on Papers

Week 5: Research Summary #1 presentations and discussions

1. Present and Discuss
   1. . . . as necessary, Present and Discuss
   2. What did you encounter that you need to learn more about?
2. Brainstorm research ideas
   1. Discuss
   2. Choose one for yourself

Week 6: 1000 word proposal draft

1. 1. 60 Second Prezzies
      1. Discuss prezzies;
   2. Reflect on challenges in project development
      1. What was hard?
      2. What needs improvement?
   3. Identify paper for research summary #2
   4. Mini Lecture: Topic of choice

Week 7: Research summary #2

1. 1. ## Present and Discuss
      1. . . . as necessary, Present and Discuss
   2. Reflect on your project idea:
      1. Who gives a frack?

Week 8: Working meeting; progress reports

1. 1. Interpretation: What will your findings mean? Who cares?
   2. Mini Lecture: Topic of choice

Week 9: Proposal Prezzies

1. 1. Presentations 1-8

Week 10: Proposal Prezzies

1. 1. Presentations 9-?
2. Finals week: Final proposals and portfolios due.
   1. Food and drink
   2. Wrap up slide show

Assignment details

Structure of a research summary:

1. See blog for current verstion: http://soc654researchmethods.blogspot.com/2010/09/article-review-instructions.html

Mini Proposal

• Version 1 due Week 6
  • Generally same structure as research summary
  • See handout
    • Presented in outline structured paragraph form, based on your thesis idea
  • 1000 words max
  • Provide feedback to group members
  • Two min presentation
    • 3 slides max
• Version 2, due Finals Week
  • 2000 words max
  • 7 min Presentation
    • 10 slide max
    • 7 min questions

Digital portfolio

The digital portfolio is a collection of what you see as you most important contributions to the course, including any of the possible means of contribution ranging from chat comments to projects. The document is to consist of a series of links and selections with brief commentaries. In short, everything that we do in the course falls under the category of "things to be reported in the digital portfolio" except for the text versions of the proposals and the text two research summaries. Your digital portfolio is analogous to a C.V. in the sense that you draw attention to your best work, and also in the sense that it has types of data, upon each you must report. Due: Final Exam meeting period.