SOCI 205: Introduction to Social Research I

SOCI 205: Introduction to Social Research I

Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Spring 2018

Prerequisite: 3 Hours of Sociology or related courses

Instructor: Shawn Ratcliff, M.A.
E-mail:
Office: 406 Oldfather Hall
Office Hours: Mondays 1:30pm-3:00pm
Tuesdays 2:00pm-3:00pm / Classroom: CBA 104
MWF 9:30 – 10:20

What is Sociology?

“Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies, and how people interact with these contexts.” –American Sociological Association (ASA)

Course Description

Primarily, this course’s purpose is to introduce you to the purpose and techniques employed within social research. Generally, social research seeks to gather evidence in order to answer questions about the nature of relationships between individuals, groups, institutions, and societies. Over the course of the semester, students will be provided with a broad overview of social research, the process of research and research design, and major types of data collection techniques and methods of data collection. Students will learn to find, read, asses, and write sociological research. By the end of the course you will have a basic understanding of social research methods and limitations, and mastered a number of research skills applicable in future research.

By the end of the semester, you will be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of methods and specific techniques used by social scientists to conduct social research
• Develop a thoughtful and sociologically-relevant research question, including hypotheses
• Analyze and interpret data that answers the research question and tests hypotheses
• Compare and contrast methodologies and their advantages/disadvantages
• Interpret research findings to assess the merit of sociologically-based hypotheses

Required Text

Chambliss, Daniel F. and Russell K. Schutt. 2015. Making Sense of the Social World: Methods of

Investigation, 5th Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

**Other texts will be provided via Canvas.

Classroom Guidelines

Throughout the tenure of this course, students will be introduced to a diverse array of topics for which they may or may not have prior knowledge. In order to maximize student success and minimize distractions, it is important to follow the following guidelines.

• Attend classes regularly and engage in class discussion
• Provide timely notice if you have any issues or needs that need be accommodated
• All students should be respectful and courteous of others’ points of view
• Whenever students are uncertain or something is unclear, ask questions

Classroom Conduct

Unless you have informed me ahead of time, I expect you to arrive to class on time and not leave early. Please turn off all cell phones prior to the beginning of our schedule class time. Texting or taking phone calls during class is not permitted. I expect you to be prepared upon arrival to class; this includes being attentive and participating in class discussions. Laptop usage is permitted if related to the course (e.g., assignment or note taking). If you choose to use your laptop during class, please be respectful of myself and other students in this course and do not engage in distracting behavior (e.g., Facebook, Twitter). I reserve the right to request laptops not be brought into the classroom should they serve as a disruption.

I encourage all students to participate in class discussions and critically engage with the material learned in this course, however, respectful discussion is a requirement in this course in both your in class participation and written assignments. Diverse viewpoints yield dynamic and enlightening discussions but it is important to maintain respect despite different opinions. All faculty, staff, and students are responsible for understanding and complying with harassment policies. For more information please visit In addition, response-based writing assignments will also be used as a platform to voice your opinions and to promote engaged learning of the course material.

Disabilities

Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the instructor for a confidential discussion of their individual needs for academic accommodation. It is UNL policy to provide flexible and individualized accommodation to students with documented disabilities that may affect their ability to fully participate in course activities or to meet course requirements. To receive accommodation services, students must be registered with the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office, 132 Canfield Administration, 472-3787 voice or TTY. For further information regarding UNL policies in this regard, please visit or call (402) 472-2322.

Academic Integrity

All work that you turn in should be your own work. When you place your name on an assignment or exam, I interpret this to mean that you have received no unauthorized assistance on an assignment or test. Unauthorized assistance includes but is not limited to: cheating on an exam, turning in assignments/exams as your own work when it is not, and plagiarism (presenting someone else’s published ideas as your own, we will discuss proper academic citation in this course). These acts will not be tolerated and will be handled according to university policy. For more information, visit (Section 4.2)

Gender-Neutral Bathrooms

The following webpage provide a list of gender-neutral bathrooms on campus: involved.unl.edu/unl-gender-neutral-bathrooms. The closest ones are Morrill Hall 208C and 208D, or Andrews 138.

Lactation Rooms

There is a private lactation space in 727A Oldfather, and a family room on the ground floor (North side, room 105). Additional information about lactation spaces is available at

Course Requirements/Assignments

Attendance and Participation

As mentioned previously, attendance will be taken everyday. While complications may arise for a student’s attendance, they should inform the professor at least 12 hours ahead of time. Participation is measured by your engagement in class. I, the professor, will regularly take notes about who engages in class and who does not. Your final grade will reflect your participation and attendance record. Attendance and Participation will total 10% of your final grade.

Group-Led Discussions

During the third week of the course, students will be divided up into groups. Throughout the semester, each group will give one presentation based on one method of data collection and present their results in the class. These presentations help students not only understand the process of doing research, but how to present research in a clear and understandable manner. Students will be graded based off of the professor’s review of the presentation, as well as internal group evaluation of each participating member. The Group-Led Discussion will total 15% of your entire grade for the course.

Quizzes

Occasionally and randomly through the semester, students will be given quizzes to make sure they are grasping course material and keeping up with the readings. There will be 4-5 quizzes throughout the semester, however this could be higher or lower based on student engagement in the classroom (professor’s discretion). Collectively, quizzes will make up 15% of your entire grade

Exams

There will be two exams over the course’s tenure that coversALL material we have discussed up until that point. Collectively, exams will make up 30% of your final grade for the course. All exams will be cumulative, meaning questions from the prior exams may appear in the subsequent exams. The mid-term and final will both be 15% each of your final grade. I will take into account if there is substantial improvement from your mid-term score to your final (based off instructor discretion). Make-up exams will not be allowed unless you have a valid and documented excuse AND have contacted the professor prior (at least 12-hours) to the exam date about this issue. If you have any questions about this, please ask the professor as soon as possible.

Assignments

There will be a diverse array of assignments assigned throughout the course of the semester. Both in-class and take-home assignments will be given to help learn and employ different methodological approaches. Some of these assignments will be individual and others will be done in a group setting, students will be informed by each of these during class and on Canvas. Assignments will make up 10% of your final grade.

Final Paper

As a final project of this semester, students will construct a paper that proposes a research topic they are interested in. Throughout the course of the semester, there will be a number of different check points (outlined in the calendar) to help students succeed. This paper will be made up of a literature review, hypotheses, identification of data collection method(s), and expected results. Each student will come up with a topic for their paper that falls within their sociological interest but is approved by the professor. Overall, the final paper will make up 25% of your final grade. The final version will be 15% of your final grade, and all other assignments will collectively make up the other 10%. This 10% will be based off completion of all assignments, clear improvement from the initial stages, and clear evidence of strong effort in all paper assignments. You are encouraged to meet with the professor 1-2 times throughout the course of the semester to talk about your projects, progress, and assess any questions you may have about the writing process.

Final Presentation

As part of your final grade, you will be expected to complete a presentation of the research you conducted/proposed through the semester. Comprising 15% of your final grade, students will be marked by their professionalism, clarity, visual appeal, and strong presentation skills. A rubric will be provided at least 2 weeks in advance of the presentations for students to use a guideline. More information about these presentations will be provided throughout the course of the semester.

Assignment / Percentage / Points
Attendance and Participation / 10% / 100
Group-Led Discussion / 10% / 100
Quizzes / 10% / 100
Exams / 30% / 300
Assignments / 10% / 100
Final Paper / 25% / 250
Final Presentation / 15% / 150
Total / 100% / 1000

Grading

A+ / 96% / C / 73%
A / 93% / C- / 70%
A- / 90% / D+ / 66%
B+ / 86% / D / 63%
B / 83% / D- / 60%
B- / 80% / F / =<59.9%
C+ / 76%

Grades will not be rounded for this course. If you receive a 79.9% in the class, this means that you have earned a C+ in the class. Throughout the semester, I will offer a number of opportunities for students to achieve extra credit and increase their overall grades. As the instructor, however, I reserve the right to make grade adjustments based on overall improvement (or lack thereof) in the course. Improvement based on a student’s tremendous dedication and in exams or papers may be taken into consideration but this is based on the instructor’s discretion. Grades will not be discussed over e-mail. Please make an appointment with your instructor or visit office hours to discuss grades.

Course Outline and Schedule

Date / Topic / Reading / Assignment
Week 1
01/08 / Course Introduction / Chapter 1 (T)
01/10 / Sociological Research / White (2005)
01/12 / Reading Research
Week 2
01/15 / Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
01/17 / Developing a Research Question / Chapter 2 (T)
01/19 / Research Process
Week 3
01/22 / Research Process / Quiz #1 Due
01/24 / Library Instruction(221 Love Lib.) / Research Question/Topic
01/26 / NO CLASS – Writing Day
Week 4
01/29 / Research Process
01/31 / Conceptualization / Chapter 4 (T)
02/02 / Conceptualization/Operationalization / Meyer and Minkoff (2004)
Week 5
02/05 / Operationalization
02/07 / Study Design / Assignment #1 Due
02/09 / In-Class Writing Day
Week 6
02/12 / Study Design / Annotated Bibliography
02/14 / Sampling/Study Design / Chapter 5 (T)
02/16 / Sampling
Week 7
02/19 / Sampling / Quiz #2 Due
02/21 / Questionnaire Development/Sampling / Chapter 7 (T)
02/23 / Questionnaire Development / Method Identification
Week 8
02/26 / Questionnaire Development/Data Analysis
02/28 / Elementary Data Analysis / Chapter 8 (T) / Assignment #2 Due
03/02 / Elementary Data Analysis/Surveys / CITI Training
Week 9
03/05 / Surveys / Literature Review
03/07 / Surveys (Group 1)
03/09 / Experiments / Chapter 6 (T) / Assignment #3 Due
Week 10
03/12 / Experiments (Group 2) / Data Identification
03/14 / Mid-term Review
03/16 / MID-TERM
Spring Break / 03/17 (Saturday)– 03/25 (Sunday)
Week 11
03/26 / Mid Term Recap
03/28 / In-Class Writing Day
03/30 / Interviews / Chapter 9 (T) / First Draft
Week 12
04/02 / Interviews (Group 3) / Quiz #3 Due
04/04 / Ethnography / Chapter 10 (T)
04/06 / Ethnography (Group 4) / Progress Report
Week 13
04/09 / Archival Research / Chapter 11 (T)
04/11 / Archival Research/Unobtrusive Measures
04/13 / Unobtrusive Measures (Group 5) / Full Draft
Week 14
04/16 / Research Ethics
04/18 / Research Ethics / Chapter 3 (T)
04/20 / Individual Presentations / Peer Review
Week 15
04/23 / Individual Presentations
04/25 / Individual Presentations
04/27 / Final Review / Chapter 13 (T)
Week 16 / FINAL EXAM/FINAL PAPER DUE