Administrative Research Methods
PADM 212
Spring 2016
Instructor:Yeonji No
Office:CL 404B
E-mail:
Office Phone: (408)924-1356
Office Hours: Thursday 2:00 p.m. – 3:.00 p.m. (other times by appointment only)
Class Time: Thursday 6:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.
Classroom: Clark Hall 306
Notice: The course syllabus provides a general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary. If a change does occur, sufficient notice will be given through Canvas and class announcements or e-mail.
Course Description
This course is intended to develop practical quantitative skills for summarizing, describing, and analyzing the types of data that enable public administrators to make better decisions. We will focus on the presentation and interpretation of “quantitative” data. We will use samples from the General Social Survey and the Office of Personnel Management to perform univariate analysis, bivariate analysis, and multivariate analysis.
Learning Objectives
Students will learn to:
- Run basic statistical analysis using SPSS software.
- Calculate and interpret absolute, relative, and cumulative frequency distribution.
- Calculate, interpret, and distinguish among column, row, and total percentages.
- Calculate the gamma and chi-square statistics.
- Demonstrate the direction and strength of relationships between ordinal-level variables, using both column percentages and the gamma statistic.
- Determine when we can generalize a relationship from a sample to the population from which the sample was drawn using the chi-square statistic.
- Develop hypotheses, choose appropriate statistics to test them, and describe the results correctly in a short research paper.
- Calculate three measures of central tendency (mean, median, and mode) and three measures of dispersion (range, variance, and standard deviation).
- Use scatterplots and correlation coefficients to show the direction and strength of relationships between interval-level variables.
- Interpret regression coefficients on interval-level and dummy independent variables in both bivariate and multiple regression.
- Explain clearly what it means to hold a variable constant.
- Discuss the strength of relationships using regression coefficients, standardized regression coefficients (beta-weights), and the coefficient of determination (R2).
- Determine when (and to what extent) we can generalize a relationship from a sample to the population from which the sample was drawn, using both hypothesis tests and confidence intervals.
Course Resources
Lecture Notes
There is no required textbook for this course. The lecture notes posted on Canvas are the only required text. The following books are recommended for those interested in more technical and rigorous explanations of concepts:
Meier, K., Brudney, J., & Bohte, J. (2012). Applied Statistics for Public and Nonprofit Administration. 8th edition. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
SPSS Software
The Academic Technology Computer Center (ATCC), located on the first floor of Clark Hall in room 102, provides installer files to students who come in with flash drives with at least 1 GB of free space. The ATCC also sells install media on a DVD disk for $15 for either Mac or Windows. You need to bring your tower card to prove your affiliation.
Canvas
A class website on Canvas contains the course syllabus, lecture notes, SPSS data sets for the homework assignments, and other resources.
Evaluation Items & Grading Scale
Assignment / Percentage of Grade / Grading ScaleParticipation / 10% / A+
A / 96 or Higher
92 – 95
Homework Assignments / 20% / A-
B+ / 90 – 92
86 – 89
Midterm Exam / 20% / B
B- / 83 – 85
80 – 82
Final Exam
Two Team Research Papers / 20%
30% / C+
C
F / 76 – 79
73 – 75
59 or Lower
Participation
Your participation grade will be given on the basis of the frequency and quality of participation in class. Participation includes asking and responding to questions during the class, as well as presentations and discussions of class assignments. Failure to come to class regularly will adversely affect your participation grade.
Classroom Protocol
Turn off your cell phones and put them away.
Students are not allowed to use computers in class except in SPSS practice sessions.
Failure to comply with the policies will lead to penalty on your class participation grades.
Homework Assignments
There are four homework assignments over the course of the semester. I do not accept late homework for any reason. Only hard copy is allowed, and please staple them with your SPSS output when necessary. Though it is encouraged to work with others, homework assignments must be your own work and in your own words.
Exams
The midterm and final exam require calculation and interpretation of statistics. The exams will be given in-class. Make-up exams will be allowed only in very rare circumstances and only if I was informed before the beginning of the exam. Under no circumstances will a make-up exam be given if the instructor is not informed of the absence and reason for absence before the exam.
Team Research Papesr
Students will be assigned into teams of 2-3 students, and a team paper assignment will allow you to demonstrate that you have learned how to use statistics in policy analysis including: how to choose appropriate statistics to answer particular questions, how to interpret those statistics, and how to write about your findings.Note that students must submit a completed paper topic form onXX. The form will be posted on Canvas. The research paper is presented in class on XX,and the final paper should be submitted on XX. There will be a penalty of one-half letter grade (e.g., A to A-) for each day late.
How to Succeed in this Course
Read the Lecture Notes
Lecture notes not only cover all the topics systematically but are easy to understand. Be sure to read lecture notes before each class even if you don’t immediately understand the material, having seen the subject before class will help your understanding in class.
Do the Homework
You are expected to put in the necessary hours to complete the homework. The homework is essential for understanding the material and doing well on the quizzes, paper and examinations.
Come to Class & Review Session
This class builds steadily on material learned in previous class sessions. If you fall behind because of absences, you will have difficulty catching up. If you do have to miss a class, please arrange to get notes from another student. I am also willing to meet with you one-on-one but only to discuss what you do not understand from the missed class.
Collaborate with classmates
Consider your classmates one of your best resources. I strongly encourage you to work with a partner or a group to complete and/or check your homework assignments. However, this comes with a note of caution: do not rely too heavily on your group members because tests are taken individually. Also, remember that you much turn in your homework individually, not as a group.
Have Patience
Please be patient with your classmates when they need more time than you do to understand concepts and to figure out the software. Furthermore, have patience with yourself. Statistics is not easy for everybody, even the best of students. So give yourself and others time to understand.
Class Schedule
This schedule is subject to change (with sufficient notice).
Week / Date / Topic(s) / Readings / Assignments Due1 / Jan 28 / Class Introduction
2 / Feb 4 / Frequency Tables
Introduction to SPSS / Lecture Notes 1
3 / Feb 11 / Contingency Tables / Lecture Notes 2
4 / Feb 18 / Contingency Table Analysis / Lecture Notes 3 / Research Topic Form
5 / Feb 25 / Chi-Square Test / Lecture Notes 4 / HW 1
6 / Mar 3 / Chi-Square Test
Describing Distribution / Lecture Notes 5
Review Session TBA
7 / Mar 10 / Midterm / HW2
8 / Mar 17 / Conference- NO CLASS
9 / Mar 24 / Scatterplots and Correlation Coefficients / Lecture Notes 6
10 / Mar 31 / Spring Break- NO CLASS
11 / Apr 7 / Bivariate Regression / Lecture Notes 7
12 / Apr 14 / Multiple Regression / Lecture Notes 8 / HW3
13 / Apr 21 / Multiple Regression / Lecture Notes 9
14 / Apr 28 / Measuring Strength of Relationship / Lecture Notes 10 / HW4
15 / May 5 / Hypothesis Testing / Lecture Note 11
16 / May 12 / Final Paper Presentation
17 / May 19 / Final Exam 17:15-19:30
Final Paper Submission
University Policies
Dropping and Adding
Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drop, grade forgiveness, etc. Refer to the current semester’s Catalog Policies section at Add/drop deadlines can be found on the current academic year calendars document on the Academic Calendars webpage at The Late Drop Policy is available at . Students should be aware of the current deadlines and penalties for dropping classes.
Information about the latest changes and news is available at the Advising Hub at
Consent for Recording of Class and Public Sharing of Instructor Material
- Common courtesy and professional behavior dictate that you notify someone when you are recording him/her. You must obtain the instructor’s permission to make audio or video recordings in this class. Such permission allows the recordings to be used for your private, study purposes only. The recordings are the intellectual property of the instructor; you have not been given any rights to reproduce or distribute the material.
- Course material developed by the instructor is the intellectual property of the instructor and cannot be shared publicly without his/her approval. You may not publicly share or upload instructor generated material for this course such as exam questions, lecture notes, or homework solutions without instructor consent.
Academic integrity
Your commitment, as a student, to learning is evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University. The University Academic Integrity Policy S07-2 at requires you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The Student Conduct and Ethical Development website is available at
Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 at requires that students with disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the Accessible Education Center (AEC) at to establish a record of their disability.
Accommodation to Students' Religious Holidays
San José State University shall provide accommodation on any graded class work or activities for students wishing to observe religious holidays when such observances require students to be absent from class. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor, in writing, about such holidays before the add deadline at the start of each semester. If such holidays occur before the add deadline, the student must notify the instructor, in writing, at least three days before the date that he/she will be absent. It is the responsibility of the instructor to make every reasonable effort to honor the student request without penalty, and of the student to make up the work missed. See University Policy S14-7 at
Student Technology Resources
Computer labs for student use are available in the Academic Success Center at located on the 1st floor of Clark Hall and in the Associated Students Lab on the 2nd floor of the Student Union. Additional computer labs may be available in your department/college. Computers are also available in the Martin Luther King Library. A wide variety of audio-visual equipment is available for student checkout from Media Services located in IRC 112. These items include DV and HD digital camcorders; digital still cameras; video, slide and overhead projectors; DVD, CD, and audiotape players; sound systems, wireless microphones, projection screens and monitors.
SJSU Peer Connections
Peer Connections, a campus-wide resource for mentoring and tutoring, strives to inspire students to develop their potential as independent learners while they learn to successfully navigate through their university experience. You are encouraged to take advantage of their services which include course-content based tutoring, enhanced study and time management skills, more effective critical thinking strategies, decision making and problem-solving abilities, and campus resource referrals.
In addition to offering small group, individual, and drop-in tutoring for a number of undergraduate courses, consultation with mentors is available on a drop-in or by appointment basis. Workshops are offered on a wide variety of topics including preparing for the Writing Skills Test (WST), improving your learning and memory, alleviating procrastination, surviving your first semester at SJSU, and other related topics. A computer lab and study space are also available for student use in Room 600 of Student Services Center (SSC).
Peer Connections is located in three locations: SSC, Room 600 (10th Street Garage on the corner of 10th and San Fernando Street), at the 1st floor entrance of Clark Hall, and in the Living Learning Center (LLC) in Campus Village Housing Building B. Visit Peer Connections website at for more information.
SJSU Writing Center
The SJSU Writing Center is located in Clark Hall, Suite 126. All Writing Specialists have gone through a rigorous hiring process, and they are well trained to assist all students at all levels within all disciplines to become better writers. In addition to one-on-one tutoring services, the Writing Center also offers workshops every semester on a variety of writing topics. To make an appointment or to refer to the numerous online resources offered through the Writing Center, visit the Writing Center website at For additional resources and updated information, follow the Writing Center on Twitter and become a fan of the SJSU Writing Center on Facebook. (Note: You need to have a QR Reader to scan this code.)