Session 1

Introduction

Session 2

a. Research Process b. Problem Formation
Class Plan:
Research Process:
1. Problem Formation
2. Development of Research Design
a. Literature review
b. Hypothesis formation
c.Measurement
(1)Conceptual definitions of variables (define variables)
(2)Operationalization
d. Method selection
Recommended Readings:
 why conduct reserch?

Session 3
a. Problem Formation b. Basic Concepts in Research
Class Plan:
a. Characteristics -- who they are
b. Orientation -- what they think
c. Action -- what they do
The following two topics are not covered by Section 4 (Tuesday evening class)
4. Hypothesis
5. Measurement Process
Assignments Due
1. Information Tutorial by Healey Library -- good for narrowing down your research topics.

Session 4

Topic:
1. Measurement
Class Plan:
.Measurement - how to measure your DV and IVs.
Measurement usually contains two steps:
a. provide a conceptualization or conceptual definition (CD) -for EACH VARIABLE you will study. Aclear conceptual definition helpsyou figure out ways to measure it.
Wherecan you find conceptual definitions?Dictionaries, encyclopedias, books, andjournal articles.
b. provide an operationalization or operational definition (OD) for EACH VARIABLE . OD tells people how you will actually measure variables.
Please seeLecture Handout for examples.
Soc 351 Sample Operational Definitions for Independent and dependent variables
Hagan et al. ‘s study of delinquent behavior -- Criminology vol. 36:309-342, 1998.
Independent variables: school achievement, competiveness, anomic amorality, group delinquency
1. School achievement (self reported grades 0=1 poor, 5=excellent):
a) English grade
b) Math grade
c) overall GPA (--- specify______)
2. Competiveness: (1 =strongly agree, 2= agree, 3= disagree, 4=strongly disagree)
a) I would like to be among the best in all areas of life
b) For me, to be successful in life means to be better than others
c) My ambition is always to be better than others
d) I am only satisfied when my performance is above average
3. Anomic amorality (1 =strongly agree, 2= agree, 3= disagree, 4=strongly disagree)
a) it is more important to get ahead in life than to play by the rules
b) people who are the most successful in life are the most dishonest
c) I want to make a lot of money, even if I must sometimes break the rules
d) If you want to get ahead, sometimes you must do things that are not right
e) It is ok to break the law if you can get away with it
4. Group Delinquency
What kinds of things you and your friends do together as a group?
1= never 2= rarely 3=sometimes 4= often 5=always
a) steals tings
b) damages property
c) provokes fights
d) get into fights
DV -- Self-reported delinquency:
In the past year how many times did you do the following things:
a) shoplift items worth about $10
b) shoplift worth about more than $50
c) take drugs
d) get drunk
e) have group fights
f) get arrested
g) vandalize other’s property
h) get in trouble with police
i) steal things from work place
j) sell drugs
Assignments Due
Session 5
a. Measurement Exercise b. SPSS Lab1

Lecture Notes

Lab Notes

1. What is a variable? - a measured concept.

2.Basic terms about variables:

a. Variable Name: name of a variable – no more than 8 letters

b. Variable label: a detailed description of a variable
c. Value label: a description of response categories for a variable

Example: What is your religious preference?

1. Protestants 2. Catholics 3. Jewish 4. Others 5. None

Since it is too long to record such a sentence – people use

Relig as variable name

Rs’ Religious Preference --- as value label

For the above question, the value labels are as follows:
1. Protestants 2. Catholics 3. Jewish 4. Others 5. None
Introduction to Spss -- Basic Steps:
  1. Get the data set into Data editor
  2. Select a procedure
  3. Select the variables for analysis
  4. Examine the results

Windows

1.Data editor window – display data
2.Viewer window – view the results of data analysis
Tool Bars
Each window has its own toolbar.
UtilitiesFind variable information
In-Class Exercise
Complete a) Research Report 1.2 (p23)
b) If you time, you can work on Research Report 1.1 (p20).
Note: There are some minor differences between your computer textbook and the SPSS in the lab. The textbook is SPSS version 8.0 and SPSS in the lab is version 11.0 (or 10.0). Pay attention to the following difference:

Spss 8.0SPSS 11.0

in your textbook in the lab
•Statistics Analyze
•Summarize Descriptive Stats
Assignments Due

Session 6

a. levels of measurement b. causation

Class plan

Assignments Due

Session 7

Units of analysis and review for test 1

Session 8

spring Break

Session 9

1. Problems in Writing Survey Questions 2. Structure of Questionnaire (response categories) 3. Guidlines for response categories

Class Plan