Qualitative Methodology
Sociology 606 – Spring 2007
SYLLABUS TABLE OF CONTENTS
Important note regarding syllabus
General course information and instructor contact information
Course objectives
Required text
Final grade calculation
Participation and attendance
Required written comments and discussion leadership
Assignments
Class communication and email
Class cancellation policy due to weather
Adjustments to the schedule
Academic integrity
Disabilities
Class schedule
Other important dates
IMPORTANT NOTE
I will be going through the syllabus in great detail on the first day of classes; however, you are responsible for knowing the information provided in this syllabus.
If you do not understand any of the expectations laid out below, please see me immediately and I will be more than happy to clarify. If you added the course after the first day, you must make an appointment to meet with me and go over the expectations outlined below.
GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION
Professor: Dr. Tricia Wachtendorf
Office Location: Disaster Research Center; Rm. 208, 87 E. Main Street; Newark, DE 19716
The building is near Main & Academy. Use the side door. Faculty offices are upstairs on your left.
Office Phone: 302-831-1254 (DRC office number is 302-831-6618)
Email:
DRC Homepage: www.udel.edu/DRC
Office Hours: Wednesday 12-3pm or by appointment
Class Meeting Times: Monday 6-9pm
Class Location: 109 Memorial Hall
COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course explores approaches to qualitative inquiry, including its epistemology and research traditions, methods of data collection, data analysis, theory generation, and future directions. Upon completion of the course, students should have a solid understanding of the following:
- Underpinnings of major research traditions, including case studies, grounded theory, ethnographies, field research, phenomenology, participatory action research, and evaluation research
- Key ethical issues in qualitative research, human subjects protocol, and IRB review processes
- Proposal writing and seeking external support for qualitative research
- Major methods of data collection, including interviews, observation, focus groups, and material documents
- Key concepts as they relate to qualitative research, including validity, reliability, triangulation and sampling.
- Techniques to analyze information obtained through qualitative research
Ideally, students will use this class as an opportunity to work on a project related to their thesis, dissertation, or another prospective research project. Students will have the opportunity to choose their own project and conduct a semester-long investigation using a specific qualitative approach. All projects must be approved by the instructor. The course is structured in such a way to allow students to develop their project based on their own interests and reflect on the research process. While each student will focus on a specific project, students are responsible for studying all methodological approaches considered in this course.
REQURIED TEXTS
Qualitative Interviewing: The Art of Hearing Data (Paperback)
· By Herbert Rubin and Irene Rubin
· Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc; 2nd edition (August 19, 2004)
· ISBN: 0761920757 NOTE THAT THE 1ST EDITION IS ACCEPTABLE
Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences (6th Edition) (Paperback)
· by Bruce L. Berg
· Publisher: Allyn & Bacon; 6 edition (March 14, 2006)
· ISBN: 0205482635 NOTE THAT THE 5TH EDITION IS ACCEPTABLE
Basics of Qualitative Research: Second Edition: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory (Paperback)
· by Anselm Strauss, Juliet M. Corbin
· Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc; 2nd edition (September 22, 1998)
· ISBN: 0803959400 NOTE THAT THE 1ST EDITION IS ACCEPTABLE
Learning from the Field: A Guide from Experience (Paperback)
· by William F. Whyte, Kathleen King Whyte
· Publisher: Sage Publications; New Ed edition (December 19, 1984)
· ISBN: 0803933185 NOTE THAT THIS IS AVAILABLE AS A USED BOOK FROM A VARITY OF SOURCES
FINAL GRADES
A plus/minus grading policy will be followed for your final grade in the course. Students are required to complete every assignment in order to pass the course. Final grades for the course will be based on:
Participation and attendance 20%
Project proposal 30%
Final paper 50%
In addition to graded assignments, students will be asked to work on short assignments involving consent form development, interview guide development and qualitative coding. These assignments are required, but will not be graded.
PARTICIPATION AND ATTENDANCE: 20% of grade
Remember, attendance and full participation in class discussions are required. You should always come prepared to raise issues and actively discuss the class readings. In this component of the class, your active participation is critical to the success of the course and it will be important in completing assignments. Because students will encounter different issues while engaging in their projects, the extent that you are able to share those experiences with others will add to their understanding of qualitative research. Students have a great deal to learn from one another and your contribution to the course through participation and attendance is both essential and valued. You can also explore questions and issues in class to both solve problems you encounter in conducting your project as well as draw from those discussions in writing your final paper.
REQUIRED WRITTEN COMMENTS AND DISCUSSION LEADERSHIP
Each week, students are required to submit to the class a 500 word (minimum) commentary on the readings. Commentary should be in a WORD attachment. This commentary should NOT simply be a summary of the texts. Instead, students should thoughtfully consider major arguments, underpinning ideas, or proposed strategies. They are encouraged to offer supporting or opposing views of fundamental arguments. Students are welcomed to use the set of questions provided to the class at the beginning of the semester to guide their readings, or develop their comments along a completely different line. As the course progresses, you may wish to include your own research experience in your arguments; but again, you focus should not simply be on highlighting what you are researching. This is an opportunity for students to reflect on the readings. Commentaries will set the stage for our weekly class discussions. Comments must be submitted BEFORE 7pm on the Saturday before the readings are due; however, students can submit it any time before the deadline as their scheduled permits. You may wish to check with a classmate to make sure your email went through. Written comments will count toward your participation grade. Failure to submit even one commentary (or one that does not meet the outlined requirements) will result in a loss of your entire participation grade!!
Each week, a different student will be charged with leading the class discussions of the readings. Students will choose their assigned slot at the beginning of the semester. Students serving the discussion leader role are encouraged to use written commentaries to guide how they lead the discussion, but they are not required to do so and may opt for their own strategy to consider the readings. When two students are assigned to the same readings, they should coordinate how they wish to lead the discussions that week. Leading class discussions will count toward your participation grade.
ASSIGNMENTS 80% of grade (30% + 50%):
Students will be required to write a project proposal (30%) and a final paper (50%). Instructions will be handed out in class. You are required to follow the instructions carefully. The schedule for assignment dates is listed within the class schedule below. A hard copy of your paper must be presented to the instructor in class on the due date and an electronic (Microsoft WORD) document must be sent before the beginning of class that day. Failure to submit either the hard copy, electronic copy, or both will result in a “late paper” designation.
I reserve the right to deducted 1/3 of a letter grade for each 24 hour period that a paper is late.
Students must complete all assignments to pass the course.
CLASS COMMUNICATION
Students are required to have a University of Delaware email account and to check it regularly as I may need to send notices electronically to the class list between class meeting times. If you use another account, be sure to check your UD account or have emails from the UD address forwarded to your regular email address.
CLASS CANCELATION POLICY
Please see the University of Delaware’s policy on the canceling of classes due to bad weather.
ADJUSTMENTS TO THE SCHEUDLE
I reserve the right to make adjustments to the course schedule as I determine appropriate. Students are still required to have completed all assigned readings and assignments by the dates specified in the syllabus unless I specify otherwise.
ACADEMIC INTEGRETY
I take the issues of academic honesty and dishonesty very seriously.
The University’s rules on academic honesty and dishonesty are described in the official student handbook, available on the web (http://www.udel.edu/judicialaffairs/ai.html) or through the Dean of Students Office. At minimum, if you are found cheating or plagiarizing (or facilitating cheating or plagiarism by another student) you will receive a zero for that assignment. Following University policy, all cases of plagiarism, fabrication, cheating, or other forms of academic misconduct will be reported to the Dean of Students Office for disciplinary action.If there is sufficient proof of academic dishonesty, I will not hesitate to fail the student from the course and even move forward with charges of academic dishonesty. In other words, write your own paper and give credit where credit is do.
DISABILITIES
Students are encouraged to meet with the Office ofthe ADA and inform me at the beginning of the course if adaptations/accommodations are believed to be necessary due to a disability. You are also encouraged to notify me of the need for special assistance in the event of an emergency evacuation.
CLASS SCHEDULE
Additional readings may be assigned throughout the semester.
Feb 5 Introduction; Selecting a topic; Designing your research
Feb 6 Introduction email due
12 Approaches to Qualitative Research
Readings: Approaches to Qualitative Research, Creswell
Berg Chapter 1 & 2, 10
19 Topic paragraphs due
Funding Qualitative Research
Readings: NSF Report: Workshop on Scientific Foundations of Qualitative Research http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2004/nsf04219/start.htm
Strauss & Corbin Chapters 15/16
26 Ethics
Readings: Berg Chapter 3;
Sensitive Populations Lee Ch 1,2,9,10 (on reserve at DRC)
March 5 Proposals Due
Interviews
Readings: Qualitative Interviewing by Rubin and Rubin; Berg Chapter 4 & 9
6 Up Series screening in evening (42 Up DVD 2983 - 134 Minutes) (or on your own)
12 Interviews
Interview guides and informed consent statements due
Readings: Up Series (7/42 plus director’s commentary) (21 Up is optional)
19 Observation
Readings: Berg Ch 6; Thorne (216-234); Lofland & Lofland Ch 4
March 26th spring break!
April 2 Observation
Readings: Learning from the Field by Whyte
9 Focus Groups
Readings: Berg Chapter 5; Readings on reserve at DRC
16 Content analysis
Readings: Content Analysis Strauss and Corbin 1-4 ; Berg Chapter 8 & 11
23 Content analysis
Readings: Strauss and Corbin 5-14
30 Presentations
May 7 Presentations; Final papers due
14 Wrap up
OTHER IMPORTANT DATES:
February 5: First Class
February 20: Last day to register or to add course for Spring 2005. After this date there is a tuition and change-fee charge, and a grade of "W" is recorded for course withdrawal. Last day for textbook refunds.
March 25-April 2: Spring Break
April 17: Last day to change registration or withdraw from a course without academic penalty and dean’s approval. This includes changing registration to a pass/fail.
Possible Questions to Consider in the Readings
When considering each of the following questions, draw upon the literature and examples of actual qualitative research studies to support your arguments.
Reliability and validity are important issues in all social science research. How are these concepts applied to qualitative data collection and analysis and how can they best be achieved?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the various forms of qualitative methods? Why choose to use these methods, as opposed to quantitative methods?
Qualitative research is not really scientific research. Comment on this statement. Is it possible to establish equally rigorous standards for judging both qualitative and quantitative research? What is the role of theory in qualitative research?
Discuss the elements of the positivist and naturalist paradigms.
In the social sciences, research on sensitive topics is arguably the most critical topics that need further study. What are the considerations that need to be taken into account when researching sensitive topics using qualitative methods?
Consider a research project involving the various qualitative research approaches. What considerations must be taken into account to do this project well?
What elements of sampling should be taken into consideration in qualitative research?
Discuss the impact of ascribed and achieved characteristics of the researcher when conducting field studies.
Discuss the challenges of gaining entry in field research. What strategies can be used to overcome these challenges?
In conducting field research, how does one demarcate “the field?”
Researchers encounter ambiguities in the field. Discuss.
It is important to set boundaries when conducting field research, yet how does one go about doing do? What are considerations need to be taken into account and what are the consequences of where boundaries are set?
What have been the important ethical considerations of qualitative research in the past? What key considerations are current confronting researchers and how are those being reconciled within the field?
Discuss the dilemma of choosing between overt and covert participant observation strategies, including the ethical implications.
What is grounded theory? What are its objectives and what strategies and techniques are used?
What are the challenges for qualitative researchers seeking funding?
Feb 12: Approaches to Qualitative Research Creswell 1.______
AND Berg Chapter 1 & 2, 10
2.______
Feb 19: NSF Report on Funding Qual. Research
AND Strauss & Corbin Chapters 15/16 1.______
Feb 26: Ethics Berg Ch 3; Lee Ch 1,2,9,10 1.______
Mar 5: Qualitative Interviewing by Rubin and Rubin 1.______
AND Berg Chapter 4 & 9
2.______
Mar 12: Up Series (7/42) 1.______
Mar 19: Observation Berg Ch 6; Thorne (216-234) 1.______
Lofland& Lofland Ch 4
Apr 2: Learning from the Field by Whyte 1.______
2.______
Apr 9: Focus Groups Berg Ch 5; readings at DRC 1.______
Apr 16: Content Analysis Strauss and Corbin 1-4 1.______
Berg Chapter 8 & 11 1.______
Apr 23: Strauss and Corbin 5-14 1.______
2.______
Apr 30 ______
______
______
______
May 7 ______
______
______
______
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