2. Research Techniques (3500)

Social Research Methods

We will meet in person and also use Google Drive, Slack, and Google Sheets. Plan to bring your laptop to class, and during the first 10 weeks, bring your copy of the research methods book by Singleton and Straits. The page below includes links to the resources that you will need to get set up. Please order the Singleton and Straits 4th edition (used!!) text soon because you will need to buy it early if you want to use slow shipping and keep the price low.

I am teaching two sections of Soc 3500. Students should only attend the section they are enrolled in.

Fall 2022;

Morning: 9:30 AM to 10:25 am; T, TH; Section 100; Course number 6635

Gordy 201

Afternoon: 11:00 to 12:20 pm; T, TH; Section 101; Course number 6636

Gordy 301

Course Schedule at a Glance [link to Soc 3500 Semester Plan]

Get your materials ready:

Software:

Gmail / Google Drive / Docs: will will use docs and drive extensively during class and for workgroup materials.

Slack: is a better way to integrate communication, files, and workgroups. When you create your account for class make sure that you use your first name, and then either last name or last initial. Also, include a photo of yourself to make it easier for class members to know you. You can make direct message threads with classmates, and with faculty. You can also post questions to existing channels. To get extra credit points, you can check the in_class_today channel and complete the instructions there. Offer expires on Wednesday of week 2.

Google sheets / Excel: This class will primarily use google sheets for data management. However, students planning to attend graduate school should consider taking an advanced course like Data Analysis (Soc 4500) should plan to learn R as well.

Optional:

R is an open source statistical and data analysis program (install from here)

RStudio Desktop is an integrated development environment that makes R easier to use (install the FREE version from here).

If you prefer to run RStudio remotely, go to RStudio Cloud and create a free account.

Books:

Approaches to social research, Singleton and Straits; Get the old (5th) edition. [Order the 5th edition, used, online from about $10 plus shipping]

Google sheets 101: Zapier team. Online and free.

Google sheets is like Excel, but it is easier to use online data sources and to work in a group. Additional optional books on using google sheets.

Optional:

R for Data Science: Garrett Grolemund and Hadley Wickham. Online and free.

Start learning how to work more effectively with both quantitative and qualitative data.

Other readings:

Research articles ( available through the library online and in a shared folder)

Learning Objectives

This course provides: An introduction to the techniques employed by social scientists to identify research problems, gather data, analyze data, and reach conclusions about their research ideas. Topics include how to identify a research problem, ways to develop data gathering procedures, techniques of gathering data, ways to summarize data, and ways to analyze data. The overall goal is to provide the tools to be able to design and carry out a research project.

Students of sociology learn research techniques that are fundamental across a wide range of social sciences.

These methods are not just of interest to academics but are valuable to people who work in a wide variety of professional careers in law, business, enforcement, and public policy.

This class has three main goals:

1. build familiarity with a range of research methods

2. cultivate understanding of how to perform and evaluate research projects.

3. gain perspective on the additional skills and abilities needed for continued work in social research

We will accomplish these goals through lecture, reading, and discussion; plus a series of hands-on homework assignments where we will practice key steps in the research process.

Learning Outcomes

Students will understand the fundamentals of sociological research techniques. These techniques and areas include:

literature review

study design

interpretation of research findings

project management

work team contribution

qualitative field research

data collection

content analysis

survey methods

survey question construction

writing a research report

basic quantitative methods

social network analysis

applied descriptive statistics

Assignments

Participation and online learning modules [200]: This course provides numerous in class participation events as well as a wide range of learning modules that include reference materials, video instruction, and assessment questions. Between these two sources you can accumulate up to a maximum of 200 points during the semester. Students will keep track, and document their progress on they course scorecard, which is an individually shared google document.

Cumulative Quizzes [150]: Three [50 pt] online quizzes will be held during the first 9-10 weeks. These will review topics from the preceding weeks from both the modules, readings, and in-class discussion. They can include any combination of multiple choice, true/false, definition, applications and short answers.

Homework [200]: Hands on-work with existing research and with real data. Our focus will be on working effectively in a digital office, and using google sheets and/or R and RStudio to develop your skill with quantitative and qualitative data.

Homework #1 [100] focuses on collection of existing data from an online discussion and the interpretation of themes from qualitative data. Homework #1 focuses on working with qualitative data in sheets, interpretation of themes from qualitative data, and active use of literature review.

Homework #2 [100] combines qualitative and quantitative data from the same online discussion context, and practices skills of descriptive data analysis and comparison.

Research project and white paper assignment [200]: Students will build practical research skills throughout the semester. We will use real data sets to answer research questions that carry both sociological and policy implications. The project culminates with a formal written report.

The final research project combines progress from research you completed for HW1 and HW2. You will be held to a higher standard of writing, analysis, and editing for the final white paper.

Profiles: [50] Create, revise, and improve how you present your digital self. We start with a brief, informal profile that is internal to our class [10]. Then, we review and revise at least 1 digital profile, and one single page resume [10 each]. Students will either create or improve existing materials.

Contacting me

Send me a direct message on slack, or post to one of our slack channels.

Howard T. Welser Professor Welser

Office: Bentley Annex 123

Email: h.t.welser@gmail.com; welser@ohio.edu

Office hours:

Monday 11:00 to 11:50 123 Bentley Annex

Tuesday 3:00 to 4:00 123 Bentley Annex

Zoom in: Most weekdays 9:30 to 4:00;

General teaching issues

Attention: Treat class time like your avocation.

Attendance: Be in class everyday, and be ready to do the work that we have planned of that day. If you know you will miss a day it is your job to get your work done ahead of time.

Polite electronic communication: Be brief, courteous and considerate. I will be brief, to the point, and to the best of my abilities, prompt. Send a follow up if you don’t hear back within 24 hours (during the school week).

Take credit for your work only: I should not need to mention this in this course, but I will include it from my 100 level syllabus: You should, with pride, lay claim to all of your unique contributions. When you work with others on assignments you should take pains to assure that you know, appreciate, and clearly identify the contributions of each of your colleagues. Deliberate attempts to claim the work of others as your own without clear acknowledgement will be seen as plagiarism and will be severely punished: a grade of F will be assigned to the plagiarized assignment.

Other details

Students with disabilities: I will gladly provide reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities, with the recommendation of Disability Services, at the Office for Institutional Equity (740-593-2620). Please show me the letter from that office indicating accommodations that you may need for this class.