Sociology 3900-001; Social Work 3900-001TennesseeTechUniversity

Introduction to Sociological Research

Prerequisite: SOC 1010 or 1100 or consent of instructor.

Spring semester, 2009

Class meeting ~ 9:30 – 10:50 TR

Classroom ~ Matthews/Daniel 204

Dr. Lachelle Norris, Associate Professor of Sociology

Office: Matthews/Daniel Hall 258

Phone: 372-6220

Email:

Office Hours:Mondays and Wednesday 10am – noon. All other times by appointment.

Many of the things social scientists study--including all the social problems we intend to solve--generate deep emotions and firm convictions in most people. This makes effective inquiry into the facts difficult at best; all too often, we manage only to confirm our initial prejudices. The special value of social science research methods is that they offer a way of addressing such issues with logical and observational rigor....[1]

Course Description

This course will introduce you to a structured and rigorous way of thinking and arguing about our social life by exploring the fundamental methodological issues involved in the scientific study of human social behavior. We’ll examine how sociologists construct and pass along new knowledge within their disciplines. We’ll be refining our ability to evaluate social research. And we’ll we preparing ourselves for our own research projects in subsequent courses by learning the process and nuts and bolts of scientific research and by conducting a research project as a group.

Babbie states that one of the virtues of science is open-mindedness. Therefore we’ll work to move beyond “common sense” thinking based upon our own experiences to broaden our minds and question what we “know” and how we know it.

Course Objectives

  • To examine the philosophical foundations of social scientific research
  • To provide an understanding of how sociologists create, describe, disseminate and refine new knowledge in their disciplines
  • To gain an in-depth understanding of and practice with the basic concepts of social scientific research
  • To become familiar with the scientific process by doing research
  • To be better able to recognize, evaluate, apply and formulate explanations central to the sociological field, thus being more critical in our thinking

Required Texts:

How It’s Done: An Invitation to Social Research (3rd edition) by Alder and Clark. Thomson-Wadsworth Publishing. ISBN: 0-495-09338-6 (978-0-495-09338-1)

The Sociology Student Writer’s Manual. (5th edition) by Johnson, Rettig, Scott and Garrison. Pearson/Prentice Hall Publishing ISBN: 0-13-192851-1

Course Requirements

You will be required to do the following in a satisfactory manner:

  • 3exams (worth 100 points each; 43% of final grade) These exams may be short answer, multiple choice, or essay (or a combination of the three)
  • Final exam (cumulative, worth 100 points; 14% of final grade)
  • Unannounced in-class quizzes and occasional homework assignments (worth 10 point each; approximately 100 total; 14% of final grade). On occasion, I will be giving a quick quiz based on your readings at the beginning of class for which the reading material was assigned. You will be given a question based on what you should have read for that day. These will be unannounced, so please have all reading completed before class. At other times you may have a homework assignment to complete out of class. You cannot make up missed in-class quizzes. Homework will be accepted late only if verifiable written excuse is provided.
  • Completion of a research project; more details on these assignments to be announced as we go. You will work with a partner to complete a research project that combines both quantitative and qualitative components. There will be work to be done out of class for this. Note: many of the deadlines are in the schedule to follow– do not get behind on this. Please see me before little problems become huge (Worth 25 points for each assignment; 100 points possible total; 14% of final grade)
  • Introduction and literature review (25 points)
  • Questions for interviews and completion of interviews (all interviews will be taped and one will betranscribedverbatim) (25 points)
  • Questionnaire work: final version of questionnaire, questionnaires distributed and data gathered, and analysis of data from questionnaires (univariate analysis printed on a copy of your questionnaire) (25 points)
  • Draft of final paper (25 points)

A grade for final paper will be given separately(14% of final grade)

(another 100 points possible: 75% for final paper + 25% for Powerpoint presentation)

Evaluations

Your final average for the course will be calculated by taking the total number of points you have received divided by the total number of points possible (approximately 700). Your final grade will be based on the following:

90 – 100 % = A

80 – 89% = B

70 – 79% = C

60 – 69% = D

59% or below = F

Course Policies

Do not miss exams. If you know ahead of time that you will be absent on exam day, you can contact me to arrange for an alternative time for the exam. If you are absent for an exam, you must have a verifiable written statement of illness or emergency (yours, your children's, or a close family member’s) from a qualified medical professional in order to take a make-up exam (sorry, but this means I'll ask for proof of funeral attendance also). You must provide this verifiable excuse in order to take a make-up exam. There will be no make-up for the final exam. If you arrive after I have distributed an exam I may not allow you to take the exam (no one will be allowed to start an exam after the first person has finished). So please show up on time!

Be prepared when you come to class. Have assignments read, be ready for the quiz, and have any homework ready to turn in or discuss at the beginning of class. If I find you working on your assignment in class you will receive a zero for that assignment. In-class quizzes will begin as soon as roll has been taken. If you are late for class, and the quiz has been completed, you will not be able to make up the assignment.

Class Attendance according to the TTU handbook

“A student is expected to attend each meeting of every class for which he/she is registered. Each instructor is responsible for explaining, in writing, the practice in the treatment of absences at the beginning of each course. Regular class attendance is a definite part of the total performance required for the satisfactory completion of any course, and an unsatisfactory attendance record may adversely affect the final grade recorded for the course. When, in the opinion of the instructor, the attendance record of a student becomes unsatisfactory, the Office of Student Affairs will be notified. Unsatisfactory class attendance may result in the student's being dropped from a course with a grade of "F." A student who is unable to return to classes due to an emergency or serious accident should notify the Office of Student Affairs. A student who cannot avoid an absence from a class for any other reason is expected to assume the responsibility of explaining his absence to the instructor and for making arrangements to complete the work missed. Tardiness is recorded as an absence.”

I will take roll (before class, after class or in some other fashion). You will find it very hard to keep up if you do not come to this class. And you will not make your partner very happy if you are consistently absent (and I can tell you from experience that good attendance DOES matter). However, I will not make you come to class, either by “giving you points” if you attend or “taking points away” if you don’t. I will say that if your final grade is border-line, good attendance will be taken into consideration. Do note that if you stop coming to class I am required to report this to student affairs and your financial aid may be affected. If you are experiencing a situation that is resulting in your missing class please come speak with me before too much time has passed.

Remember: No late homework will be accepted without a written verifiable excuse (if accepted, one point will be deducted for each day late, including day due). Assignments for your research project will be accepted late if absolutely unavoidable, with five points deducted for each day late (including the day due).

Odds and Ends:

It is just plain rude to sleep in class or talk with your classmates while the rest of us are trying to concentrate. Prepare to be asked to leave.

Absence policy is explained above. I am not responsible for making you aware of what you have missed should you be absent. Try to get notes, assignments, etc from your partner or another classmate. Then feel free to see me anytime you need clarification or if you have questions, or if you just want to discuss the course material.

Remember to turn off all cell phones when coming to class; same goes for iPods and other such devices. PLEASE, do not check or send text messages or play games on your phone during class. Do not use your cell phone in any way while taking an exam. You will receive a grade of 0 for the exam if this happens.

Please do not have your laptop up and running during class, unless you are using it for SOC 3900 class work.

Please act in a professional manner while in class. Getting up and walking out for restroom, phone calls, etc except in cases of emergency is annoying and disruptive. Please refrain from this if at all possible.

Academic Integrity: Academic honesty is expected of all students in their participation of this course. Any form of academic dishonesty (cheating on exams, copying the work of someone else, plagiarism, faking the research project assignments, etc.) will result in your receiving a zero (0) for the work. You will be working with a partner, and many assignments will be completed together. If I do ask you to submit your own work make sure that your content is nottoo similar or exact as someone else’s. In addition, do NOT copywork from another source (such as the internet or a journal) and make no attempt to give credit to the author(s). You will not receive credit for the assignment if you do not reference your sources. We’ll discuss this, but a good rule of thumb is that when you use more than three words in sequence without proper citation, or if you represent an idea as your own when it is not, you have plagiarized. ALWAYS cite your source if you use quotations and when you summarize someone else’s work. This is serious stuff and I have a zero tolerance policy. You will also receive “no credit” if I see you cheating on an exam/quiz (no questions asked). In all cases, you may be turned over to academic misconduct if the offense is serious enough.

Disability Services: Students who need assistance with class should notify me immediately and should contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS). An Accommodation Request (AR) should be completed as soon as possible, preferably by the end of the first week of the course.I will do anything necessary to assist in making the course comfortable for you. The ODS is located in the RoadenUniversityCenter, Room 112; phone 372-6119.

Kids in Class: I realize that there are times when it is necessary to bring children to class. This usually doesn’t present a problem as long as they are not disruptive or sick enough to be contagious.

Inclement Weather: Tech rarely closes for snow but use good judgment; do not risk your life. I will make every attempt to email you if I cannot make it to class, so check your email before starting out if there’s any doubt. For you parents out there, TTU's Campus Recreation and Fitness Center has offered Snow Day Care in the past for children 6-15 years old (call 372-6211 for more details). I will not be in class in the event of a tornado warning. Find a safety zone.

Topics and Course Schedule

(subject to revisions as necessary)

Jan 20, 22

Introduction to the social sciences and social scientific research. We’ll start with some basics. What is science? What is meant by social science? What are the assumptions of science? What are the types of social research? I’ll also introduce you to the two main approaches we’ll be working with this semester: qualitative (field) and quantitative (survey) research.

  • Read Ch 1 in “How It’s Done”(Jan 22)
  • Brainstorm ideas for project; partners selected (Jan 22)
  • Read pp. 1-12 in “Manual” (Jan 22)

Jan 27, 29

Theory and research: what’s the connection? Science demands objectivity, a critical, open mind, and analytical skills. We’ll also examine the inductive and deductive processes by which science advances. What role does theory play? What is the language of science -- The basic tools of sociological research: concepts, variables, hypotheses, theories.

  • Read Ch 2 in “How It’s Done” (Jan 27)
  • Read Ch 8 in “Manual” (Jan 29)
  • Please have prepared, in writing,your primary idea (or ideas) for a possible research project. Be sure to include your thoughts on the following: Why are you interested in this topic? What are the benefits of research on this topic? Whatexactly do you want to explain or know more about? Is this topic “sociological?” If so, how? Have typed, and ready to turn in (you may submit one paper with your partner). (Jan 29)

Feb 3, 5

Now we have to decide what it is we’re interested in learning more about….how do we come up with our research questions? We’ll be discussing the basic structure of journal articles and searching for previous research in the library.

  • Read Ch 4 in “How It’s Done”; we’ll be meeting in the library today, unless otherwise instructed (Feb 3)
  • Read Ch 4, 5, 6 and 7 in “Manual” (Feb 3)
  • Practice journal article search assignment due (Feb 5)

Feb 10: Exam 1

Feb 12, 17

Social scientific research is guided by standard ethical considerations. We’ll examine these and discuss the role of human subject review boards while completing our own Forms A (and C). We’ll also begin discussing our literature review.

  • Read Ch 3 in “How It’s Done” (Feb 12)
  • Read pp. 191-196 in “Manual” (Feb 17)
  • Completed Forms A and C in duplicate (don’t forget your paragraph) due (Feb 17)

Feb 19, 24

More about the qualitative approach. Interviewing and observations.

  • Read Ch 10 in “How It’s Done”; Ch 12 in “Manual” (Feb 19)
  • Read Ch 11 in “How It’s Done” (Feb 24)
  • Introduction and literature review of paper due (Feb 24)

Feb 26, March 3

Qualitative analysis: what can we learn from our interviews and observations?

  • Read pp. 453 - 475 “How It’s Done”(Feb 26)
  • Observation assignment due (Feb 26)

March 5: Exam 2

No Class March 10 -12 (Spring Break)

March 17, 19

  • Three interviews completed and one transcribed (tapes and transcripts must be turned in for credit) [due individually]. Also, get with your partner and type up a brief paragraph addressing the following: what did you both learn from your interview research? How does it compare to what you’ve found in the literature? Based on your observations and/or interviews, what would you like to ask a larger number of people? [only one paragraph per team] (March 17)

Conceiving of and measuring social behavior: conceptualization and operationalization.

  • Read Ch 6 in “How It’s Done” (March 17)

March 24, 26

Constructing our questionnaire.

  • List of variables (independent and dependent) and definitions for each, typed and due (March 24)
  • Read Ch 9 in “How It’s Done” (March 24)

March 31, April 2

What is the logic behind “sampling?” Why do we do it? How do we do it? What conclusions can we draw?

  • Read Ch 5 in “How It’s Done” (March 31)
  • Draft questionnaire due (April 2) [hopefully returned to you with comments/required revisions April 7]

April 7: Exam 3

April 9

  • Revised questionnaires due; be prepared to also turn in your draft questionnaire with your revised version. Note: Do not distribute any questionnaires until you have final approval from me.

April 14, 16

Now that we’ve gathered our data what do we do with it? Quantitative analysis using SPSS

  • Read Ch 15 in “How It’s Done”; read Ch 11 in “Manual” [pay special attention to pp. 216 – 218! Your final paper will follow this format] (April 14)
  • Bring a blank copy of your questionnaire to class (April 14)
  • Have all questionnaires distributed by April 14. Bring all completed questionnaires to class on April 16, and be prepared to hand them in, or show me, for credit

April 21, 23

  • Draft of Methods section due (April 21); discussion of paper format
  • Have all frequency tables run on all your variables (each question on your questionnaire), AND type this data (actual totals and percentages) on a copy of your questionnaire (April 23)
  • Presentations begin (April 23)

April 28, 30

  • Presentations of papers (April 28, 30)
  • Draft of paper due (April 30)
  • Review for the final (April 30)

Final Exam: Monday, May 4, 10:30 – 12:30

This exam will be cumulative. You will need to review your past three exams as well as any material covered since Exam 3.

Final paper due on Wednesday, May 6. No later than noon. You may, however, turn this paper in early. Please turn in your draft along with your final paper.
A Few Research Project Requirements

  • You will be working with one partner. I hope you pick your partner wisely. However, problems can arise even in the best of situations. If you and your partner find you are having difficulty working together, or if either of you feel there is a problem, PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP. We might be able to work something out. Do NOT come to me when the final paper is due to tell me that you never saw your partner, that he or she never did any work, etc. You will be evaluating each other at the end of the semester and I do take this into consideration when assigning the final grade for the project.
  • Having said that, the entire class will be working as one big community of scientists. We will be critiquing, advising, and working with each other.
  • You can pick any topic for your research project that you wish (within reason) but it must have some sort of sociological relevance. Your project must be approved first by me, then by the departmental research committee (see below). We’ll brainstorm ideas in class. To get the ol’ brain started you might pick up any Intro to Sociology book, a social problems book, or simply think on questions/topics/issues you’ve always been curious about. Just remember, we are interested in human social behavior.
  • Most of your assignments regarding this research project will be turned in together. Make sure both your names are on whatever you are turning in.
  • We’ll be getting approval through our very own Sociology Department’s research committee, and then through the University Institutional Review Board committee. You must have this approval before any data can be collected!
  • Your project will be ongoing, and develop throughout the semester. You’ll do qualitative interviewing first to give you a better sense of what questions to include on your questionnaire (the quantitative part of the project). You will write in your final paper how you did some exploratory work with your interviewing, but your finished product will primarily be a quantitative paper. Chapter 11 in your Manual explains how this paper will be structured. We’ll be reviewing this in class (and I will provide a checksheet), but in a nutshell your finished product will contain a title page, an abstract, the text (or main body) of the paper, references, and the appendixes (which will contain a copy of your questionnaire filled out with your univariate analysis).
  • In terms of the text of your paper, you MUST have the following sections included: an introduction, a literature review, a methodology section, a results/or analysis section, a discussion section and a conclusion section. We will be going over this in class, also. Or pick up any journal article…most are organized in just this way. See pp. 216 - 218 in your Manual.
  • Speaking of those academic, peer reviewed, journal articles, you’ll need at least three of them for your literature review. You will need to be sure you have the hard copies of these articles to turn in to me when you submit your literature review for credit. You might be able to find these in the library, or online. However, our library may not have the articles you need, so you may have to use interlibrary loan. If you opt for this, do not wait until the last minute. It can sometimes take up to two weeks for the library to get what you’re requesting, but the process is easy. Interlibrary loan requests can even be made online now via the TTU Library website. Best of all, it’s FREE.
  • Your paper (both draft and final) will be double spaced, with 1 inch margins, standard 12 font. You must always include your reference page, even when turning in your literature review.
  • Always use standard ASA citation format. This will be discussed in class and you can find more information in your Sociology Student Writer’s Manual(Chapter 4).
  • You’ll be submitting a draft of your literature review first, then your methods section and your completed paper later. I will give you feedback and you will redo these for the final paper. This is not punishment! This is the way we do it. When you turn in your literature review draft, please include the articles that you used for the literature review part of your paper. Later when you submit the draft of your finished paper you will also need to include the original draft of the literature review and your questionnaire filled out with your analysis.
  • You will be required to have at least two crosstab tables in your findings section of your paper. This table should have actual totals, as well as percentages for each cell.
  • Do not hesitate to ask me questions about anything at anytime!
  • I may add to this list as we go. BUT KEEP THIS SYLLABUS AND REFER TO IT OFTEN!

[1] Earl Babbie, The Practice of Social Research, page xxiii.