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Schedule

  • Course Length: 16 weeks
Lesson 1: Introduction to Research Methods
Readings:
  • Babbie (2021):
    • Chapter 1: Human Inquiry and Science
    • Chapter 2: Paradigms, Theory and Social Research
  • Lesson 1 commentary
Assignments:
  • Complete basic steps in the Getting Started lesson.
  • Participate in the course map activity.
  • Participate in the Meet-and-Greet Discussion.
Lesson 2: Research Ethics
Readings:
  • Babbie (2021), Chapter 3: The Ethics and Politics of Social Science
  • Lesson 2 commentary
  • Visit and explore the contents of the Office for Research Protections (ORP) website.
  • Visit and explore the Institutional Review Board (IRB) website.
  • Kent E. Vrana, Ethics in Science: Responsible Conduct of Research (Penn State ORP Slides)
  • Michelle Stickler, The Ethics of Human Participant Research (Penn State ORP Slides)
Assignments:Complete the CITI training:
  • CITI test results (certificates) must be uploaded to Lesson 2 CITI Certificate Submission.
  • Email your CITI completion reports to Autumn Wise (adw5533@psu.edu). This is a requirement for graduation.
Lesson 3: Research Design
Readings:
  • Babbie (2021), Chapter 4: Research Design
  • O'Sullivan, E., Rassel, G., & Berner, M. (2017). Research methods for public administrators. 
    • Chapter 2: Design for Description (e-Reserves)
  • Lesson 3 commentary
Assignments:Complete Review Exercise 1.
Review Week
Readings:N/A
Assignments:N/A
Lesson 4: Conceptualization and Measurement
Readings:
  • Babbie (2021): 
    • ​Chapter 5: Conceptualization, Operationalization, and Measurement
  • Lesson 4 commentary
Assignments:
  • Take Quiz 1.
Lesson 5: Sampling
Readings:
  • Babbie (2021):
    • Chapter 7: The Logic of Sampling
  • Lesson 5 commentary
Assignments:
  • Take Quiz 2.
Lesson 6: Asking People: Survey Research, Scales, and Indexes
Readings:
Assignments:
  • The Survey Design Paper is due by the end of Lesson 9.
  • Introduction to the final assignment Research Report
    1. Review sample research reports provided on Canvas.
    2. Review Research Report Planning Sheet (due at the end of Lesson 12).
Lesson 7: Asking People: Qualitative Interviews I
Readings:
  • Babbie (2021), Chapter 10: Qualitative Field Research
  • Bryman, A. (2012). Social research methods. 4th edition (e-Reserves) 
    • Chapter 20: Interviewing in qualitative research
    • Chapter 24: Qualitative data analysis
  • Lesson 7 commentary
Assignments:
  • Complete Review Exercise 2.
Lesson 8: Asking People: Qualitative Interviews II
Readings:
  • Babbie (2021), Chapter 13: Qualitative Data Analysis
  • Calman, L. What is Grounded Theory?
  • Lesson 8 commentary
Assignments:
  • Complete Review Exercise 3.
Lesson 9: Using Existing Data
Readings:
  • Babbie (2021)
    • Chapter 9: Survey Research, pp. 283–285 (reread)
    • Chapter 11: Unobtrusive Research. 
  • O'Sullivan, E., Rassel, G., & Berner, M. (2017). Research methods for public administrators. 
     
    • Chapter 9: Finding and Analyzing Existing Data (E-Reserves)
  • Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. (2019). Content Analysis.
  • Lesson 9 commentary
Assignments:
  • Complete Review Exercise 4.
  • Submit the Survey Design Paper. 
Lesson 10: Data Analysis
Readings:
  • Babbie (2021):
    • Chapter 14: Qualitative Data Analysis (pp. 416–432).
    • Appendix D: Normal Curve Areas
  • Trochim, W. M., Donnelly, J. P., & Arora, K. (2016). The essential research methods knowledge base. Cengage 
    • ​Chapter 11: Introduction to Data Analysis, pp. 278–304 (e-Reserves).
  • ​Lane, D. M. (n.d.). Online Statistics Education: An Interactive Multimedia Course of Study
  • Lesson 10 commentary
Assignments:
  • Complete Review Exercise 5.
Lesson 11: Univariate Analysis and Data Mapping
Readings:
  • Lesson 11 commentary
Assignments:
  • Complete Review Exercise 6.
Lesson 12: Literature Review
Readings:
  • Babbie (2021), Chapter 17: Reading and Writing Social Research (pp. 491–505).
  • Leedy, P. D., & Ormrod, J. E. (2019). Practical research: Planning and design (12th ed.). Pearson (e-Reserves)
    • Chapter 3: Review of the Related Literature (pp. 58–81).
  • Lesson 12 commentary
Assignments:
  • Submit the Research Report Planning Sheet for feedback and topic approval.
Lesson 13 Writing and Presenting Research
Readings:
  • Babbie (2021): Chapter 17: Reading and Writing Social Research (pp. 505–514)
  • Lesson 13 Commentary
Assignments:
  • Continue to work on the final group research report.
Study Days
Readings:N/A
Assignments:N/A
Final
Readings:N/A
Assignments:
  • This course utilizes a final exams date. Submissions are due by 5:00 p.m. (ET) on the final exams date, although you may submit your group research report earlier, if you prefer. Submit the report to Final Group Research Report Submission and Peer Evaluation in Canvas.

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