Course Description

Basic concepts and methodologies of qualitative and quantitative social scientific research. Through engagement with scholarly research examples and critical examination of knowledge production processes, students learn about the ethics and principles of research design and develop skills in utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods, analyzing social scientific data, and effectively communicating research results.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Develop a critical understanding of the research process. This entails developing a sophisticated understanding of how “facts” and “knowledge” are produced and insight into the arguments about the nature of “truth” and “objectivity.”  A key question is how our theoretical perspectives, cultural and political assumptions and personal experiences shape the questions we ask, the methodologies we choose, the data we collect, the interpretations and conclusions we reach, and the audiences we can engage.  

• Learn how to design and carry out social scientific research.  This means being able to: formulate interesting questions about the world we live in; develop a well-designed and doable research project; make appropriate and creative use of qualitative and quantitative methodologies to collect relevant data; organize, analyze, and interpret the data; and effectively present the research results to various audiences.  An essential component of this process is developing a clear understanding of ethical considerations in social scientific research.    

• Develop skill in using a range of research methodologies. Approaches we will cover include sampling, semi-structured and open-ended interviews, and survey questionnaires.  The emphasis will be on understanding the strengths and weaknesses of both different approaches and learning how to effectively integrate multiple strategies into a research design.

• Develop competence in analyzing research data.  This includes learning how to organize, discover patterns, and draw conclusions from complex qualitative data; developing basic skills in analyzing and presenting quantitative data; and becoming a knowledgeable and critical consumer of social scientific research.

• Develop skill in effectively communicating ideas and research results in written and oral venues. Effective communication with different audiences is an essential part of the research process.  

Prerequisite(s)

HLT 201 & HLT 211