Download Sociology 650: Methods of Research I

SOCIOL 650:
Methods of Sociological Research
Spring 2015
Professor: Sofya Aptekar
[email protected]
Office Hours: Tuesdays 11-1 and by appointment
Wheatley Hall 03-008
Teaching Assistant: Candace Cantrell
Email: [email protected]
Office location: Healey 11-011 cubicle 12
Office Hours: Tuesday 1-3
Course Description and Goals
Whether one is in the position of producing or consuming academic research, polls,
policy research, program evaluations, or even journalism, a detailed understanding of
research methodology is critical. In an extremely diverse field such as sociology, an
understanding of methodology is one of a few crosscutting and fundamental dimensions
of our discipline. This is especially the case in applied sociological research. While we
will pay special attention to applied approaches in this course, you will also get a broad
introduction to research techniques in this class and SOCIOL 651. Even if you end up
never using a particular approach yourself, this breadth is important, as you may need
the ability to weigh and evaluate the reliability of findings reached through a wide
variety of approaches.
In this course I hope to provide you with the methodological tools to both explore
research questions of interest to you and to confidently evaluate the work of others.
Specifically, this will involve a substantial amount of reading, participation in a group
project, pursuing individual assignments in an area of interest to you, participation in
both individual and group presentations, doing computer-based exercises, and the
preparation of a final paper. We will have a large number of guests, mostly drawn from
faculty in the sociology department, which will provide you with an invaluable
opportunity to ask methodological questions of a variety of researchers, as well as to get
a behind-the-scenes perspective on research. Ideally, these activities will introduce you
to a variety of specific methods so that you can choose those most appropriate to a
specific research question.
This syllabus outlines the first semester of a two-semester sequence in research methods
in our Sociology programs. The second semester (Soc. 651) focuses on quantitative data
analysis (statistics).
Required texts, readings, and software
Schutt, Russell K. 2015. Investigating the Social World: The Process and Practice of
Research, 8th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press. (The 7th edition is acceptable
as well)
Singleton, Royce A. Jr. and Bruce C. Straits. 2010. Approaches to Social Research, Fifth
Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. (The 4th edition is acceptable as well)
All additional articles and readings will be available on the course Blackboard page.
They are marked (BB) in the detailed schedule below.
SPSS: a version is available with the purchase of the Schutt textbook. You can also
access SPSS through UMB’s Virtual Computer Lab or by going to the actual computer
lab.
NVivo: you will be using a 30-day trial of NVivo to get introduced to qualitative analysis
software.
Group research project
In this course you are expected to participate in the ongoing class project, which is (as
many of you know) an evaluation of the UMass Boston’s CLA First! program. Basic
information on the program is available here:
http://www.umb.edu/academics/cla/info_for_prospective_students/cla_first
We will discuss the specific nature of your participation in this evolving project during
our first class and beyond. You will be expected to contribute in some manner to the
presentation of our overall findings from our class project.
Individual project
In addition, there will be four separate individual assignments and a final paper related
to a set of research questions in an issue area of your choosing. Along the way you will
be expected to do an individual presentation (details below).
Assignment #1: Developing Research Questions
Due in class 2/17
For this assignment you should conduct a literature review in an area of interest to you.
You need to propose two or three research questions (within the same area of interest),
describe how your questions relate to existing literature, and why your questions are
interesting and important. This assignment should be 1-2 pages and will be the basis of
your short research question presentations.
If you are having trouble developing a research question, I recommend taking a look at
chapters 3 & 4 of The Craft of Research 3rd Edition (Booth et al. 2008) available online
in the Healey library Ebrary catalog.
Presentation of research question
5-7 minutes presentation, followed by group discussion.
Assignment #2: Survey Research Mini-Proposal
Due in class 3/09
For this assignment you need to outline a survey research design that could be used to
explore a specific research question or set of research questions within your issue area.
Please describe in detail the types of questions that will be asked, your sampling
strategy, whether or not you will conduct follow-ups or not (and why), and how you plan
to analyze the results. As with the previous assignment please discuss why this is a good
approach given your research question(s) and any imagined advantages/challenges.
This assignment should be 1-2 pages, will not be graded (I will provide feedback), and
will become a part of your final paper for the course.
Assignment #3: Qualitative Mini-Proposal
Due in class 4/14
For this assignment you need to outline a qualitative research design that could be used
to explore a specific research question or set of research questions within your issue
area. Feel free to draw upon any of the techniques we have discussed in class and be
sure to explain how the research design is well suited to your specific research question.
Also, discuss the advantages of your proposed approach and any potential challenges.
This assignment should be 1-2 pages, will not be graded (I will provide feedback), and
will become a part of your final paper for the course.
Assignment #4: Secondary Data Analysis or Experiment Mini-Proposal
Due in class 5/5
For this assignment you need to outline either an experimental research design or an
analysis using secondary data that could be used to explore a specific research question
or set of research questions within your issue area. If an experimental design is more
appropriate for your research interests, be sure to describe the experiment, your
recruitment, sampling, and assignment strategies, any ethical issues that you may
encounter and how you plan to analyze your data.
If you are outlining research using secondary data, you need to find an existing dataset
relevant to your questions (questions may have to be altered to accommodate existing
data sources.) Describe the dataset (location, time period, size, cross sectional,
longitudinal), the manner in which the data was collected, and how you would use the
data to address your research questions (describe which variables would be your
dependent, independent, controls, etc.). If you plan on taking Soc 651, I recommend
doing a secondary data proposal.
This assignment should be 1-2 pages, will not be graded (I will provide feedback), and
will become a part of your final paper for the course.
Final Paper Multi-Strategy Proposal:
Due 5/19
This paper will introduce your research questions, provide a brief review of the
literature relevant to these questions, and then present the (now hopefully refined)
various research strategies you described in assignments 2-4. Be sure to discuss how
your various research designs are tailored to address the specific research questions. In
the closing section, discuss the strengths and weakness of the various approaches and
the potential contributions (both social and academic) of such research. This
assignment should be 10-15 pages and ideally will be a resource in Soc 651 and for your
MA paper.
SPSS and NVivo Assignments:
I will assign exercises from Investigating the Social World that will require you to use
the statistical package SPSS. These assignments will help you gain familiarity with a
commonly used statistical package. This is a skill that will be a huge benefit to you in Soc
651 (where you will consistently use SPSS), and possibly helpful for your MA paper, and
beyond.
I will also assign several exercises using a qualitative software, NVivo. These exercises
are meant to familiarize you both with NVivo, which is used by many qualitative
researchers, as well as an introduction to the process of qualitative data analysis.
Course Policies
Attendance and Participation: To get the most out of the class and contribute fairly
to the group project as well as to class discussions, you are expected to attend every class
meeting. If you are not able to come to class, please inform me before class via email.
Please read all assigned readings, bring them with you to class, and be prepared with
questions and reflections, particularly when it comes to readings written by our guests.
It is important for civil discourse to govern our classroom interactions as a reflection of
professional ethics and the diversity each of you brings to the course. Be aware of your
level of participation as a constructive member of the group, not simply as an individual.
Please see the Code of Student Conduct for discussion of classroom decorum,
academic dishonesty and plagiarism http://www.umb.edu/student_affairs/code.html
Incompletes: I will not give a grade of INC (incomplete). Receiving an INC in this
introductory course will hinder your progress toward your degree and rarely leads to a
better final grade. Graduate School policies on incompletes can be found at:
http://www.umb.edu/academics/graduate/documents/Graduate_Bulletin_06-08.pdf .
Tips for academic integrity: (1) you have rights and responsibilities regarding your
work; (2) always acknowledge your sources; (3) never falsify information; (4) do your
own work; (5) recognize your limitations; and (6) be proud of your work. The bottom
line is this: words copied from another source must be so indicated (with quotation
marks or indenting) and such sources, as well as any from which you have paraphrased
or drawn significant evidence, must be fully and precisely identified. Please don't
hesitate to consult with me should you feel in need of any clarification.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990 offers guidelines for curriculum modifications and adaptations for students with
documented disabilities. If applicable, students may obtain adaptation
recommendations from UMass Boston's Ross Center for Disability Services
http://www.rosscenter.umb.edu/ 617-287-7430. If you have a disability and feel you
will need accommodations in order to complete course requirements, please contact the
Ross Center and provide me with the necessary information and corresponding
paperwork.
Grades
Assignment
Percent of final grade
Assignment #1
5%
Research Question Presentation
8%
Final Individual Paper
30%
Final Class Project Report
25%
Group Project Participation
10%
Overall Participation/Attendance
10%
SPSS/NVivo Assignments
12%
Course Schedule
Week 1
Introductions, expectations, goals, and logistics
January 27
-What do you want to learn in this class? Setting expectations
-Review of the syllabus
-Discussion of CLA First! Evaluation project and timeline
-Introduction of Assignment#1 due 2/10
Week 2
Introduction to Social Research and using SPSS
February 3
Scan the following, which will be a review for those who have taken
soc600

Schutt – Ch. 1: Science, Society, and Social Research

Singleton & Straits – Ch. 1: Introduction pp. 1-11.

Ragin Ch. 1 What is Social Research? pp. 1-29. (BB)
Read these chapters

Schutt – Ch. 2: The Process and Problems of Social
Research

Ragin – Ch. 3: The Process of Social Research: Ideas &
Evidence
Optional reading:

Singleton & Straits – Ch. 2: The Nature of Science
Week 3
Research Design and Conceptualization and Measurement
February 10
-Presentations of Research Questions
*Class will meet
in computer lab
TBA for the first
hour

Schutt, Ch. 4: Conceptualization and Measurement

Singleton, Ch. 4: Elements of Research Design

Listen to: Radiolab’s “The Bad Show” mins 10:00-26:20
Optional (helpful for developing Assignment #1)

Schutt, Ch.3 p.88-94
Guest: Dr. Jie Chen
Week 4
Instrumentation
February 17

Schutt, Ch. 8: Survey Research
ASSIGNMENT
#1 DUE

Singleton & Straits Ch. 10: Survey Instrumentation

Fowler “Why It’s so Easy to Write Bad Question”(BB)

Brenner article (BB)
Guest: Dr. Philip Brenner
Week 5
February 24
Sampling and Generalizability

Schutt Ch. 5: Sampling and Generalizability

Marshall “Sampling for Qualitative Research” (BB)

Abrams “Sampling Hard to Reach Populations” (BB)

Small “Lost in Translation (BB)

Listen to: Radiolab’s “Gravitational Anarchy” mins
15:26-23:32
Guest: Dr. Anthony Roman
SPSS: Schutt, p. 28 #2-3, p. 62 #3-6, Schutt, p. 97#2
Week 6
March 2
Standalone and Survey Experiments

Schutt, Ch. 7: Experiments

Singleton and Strait, Ch. 7: Experimentation

Pager “Mark of a Criminal Record” (BB)

Wozniak article (BB)
Guest: Dr. Kevin Wozniak
SPSS: p. 145 #1-3, Schutt, p. 184, #1-3.
SPSS: Schutt, p. 215 #1-3
Week 7
Focus Groups
March 9

Kruger and Casey, Ch. 1-2 (BB)
ASSIGNMENT
#2 DUE

Morgan, “Focus Groups” (BB)

Devant and Ravn “Drug Risk Perceptions” (BB)
SPRING
BREAK
Week 8
March 24
Qualitative Methods – Interviews

Schutt, Ch. 10: Qualitative Methods p. 354-364, 377-383

Lamont and Swidler “Methodological Pluralism” (BB)

Leverentz (BB)
Guest: Dr. Andrea Leverentz
NVivo: TBA
Week 9
March 31
Qualitative Methods – Ethnography/ Participant Observation

Schutt, Ch. 10: Qualitative Methods p. 364-377

Schutt, Ch. 11: Qualitative Data Analysis

Singleton and Strait, Ch. 11: Field Research

Srinivas (BB)
Guest: Dr. Lakshmi Srinivas
NVivo: TBA
Week 10
NO CLASS (Prof. Aptekar at conference)
April 7
Week 11
Research Using Available Data and Mixed Methods
April 14

Schutt, Ch. 14: Secondary Data Analysis and Big Data
ASSIGNMENT
#3 DUE

Singleton and Strait, Ch. 12: Research Using Available Data

Spillman “Mixed Methods” (BB)

Capetillo-Ponce “Blacks and Latino/as in Boston” (BB)
Guest: Dr. Jorge Capetillo-Ponce
NVivo: TBA
Week 12
April 21
Historical and Comparative Research

Schutt, Ch. 13: Historical and Comparative Research
p.474-495

Aptekar 2009 and 2013 (BB)
NVivo: TBA
Week 13
April 28
Survey Analysis

Schutt, Ch. 9: Quantitative Data Analysis

Singleton and Straits, Ch.15: Data Processing and
Elementary Data Analysis

Creighton (BB)
Guest: Dr. Mathew Creighton
SPSS: Schutt, p.249 #1-2, p. 352 #1-2
Week 14
May 5
ASSIGNMENT
#4 DUE
Evaluation, community-based research, and participatory action
research

Schutt, Ch. 12: Evaluation and Policy Research

Feagin and Vera “Doing Liberation Social Science”

Varcoe and Irwin “If I Killed You, I’d Get the Kids” (BB)
Guest: Dr. Russell Schutt
Week 15
May 12
May 19
FINAL PAPER
PROPOSAL
DUE
Presenting results and writing reports

Schutt, Ch. 16: Summarizing and Reporting Research

Previous soc 650 class projects (BB)
Presentations of CLA First! Evaluation results