| Instructor: | Martha J. Bianco, Ph.D. |
| Phone: | 725-4050 |
| Office: | 370-L Urban Center, 506 SW Mill St. 3rd floor |
| Class Time: | Thursday 4-5:50 pm |
| Class Location: | URBN 312 and URBN 240 |
| Office Hours: | Th 2:30-3:30 pm; and by arrangement |
| E-Mail: | biancom@pdx.edu |
| Web: |
| Texts:
*Note: These texts are all from last term |
Required:
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| Objective: | This is the second part of a two-term course in which students learn how to conduct social science research at the graduate level. During this term, students focus on learning data-gathering techniques, such as surveys, interviews, content analysis, and archival research. There is also an emphasis on ethical considerations and choosing analytical methodologies that are appropriate to specific research questions and designs. By the end of the term, students will have a more developed proposal and will make a professional, conference-quality presentation describing their proposed work. |
| Student Responsibilities: | Please be on time. If you expect to be absent, let me know. Be sure to get notes from another student if you miss lecture. All assignments are due when stated; no exceptions. All work turned in is to be of graduate-level quality. That means you must proofread carefully for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and typos. The guidelines in Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writers must be adhered to. Always use the Writing Checklist at checklist.htm. |
| Assignments: | Readings, homework assignments, and due dates are indicated on the schedule. More detail regarding homework assignments will be discussed in class. |
| Self-Assessments: | There are on-line self-assessment exams, the purpose of which is to facilitate your understanding of key concepts and terms. It is up to you to decide when and/or if to complete the exams. You should review portions of the main text (Babbie) for questions you get wrong. |
| Lecture & Discussion Guides: | Lecture and discussion guides for each class session will be available online at www.upa.pdx.edu/MB/Resguides.html. They should be available prior to each class session. It is your responsibility to print out the lecture guides. |
| Listserv: | Students are required to join a class electronic discussion list, research,
by sending an e-mail message from your usual e-mail account to majordomo@lists.pdx.edu
with no subject header and no signature material, and the message
subscribe researchdesign |
| Assignments:
Due dates are indicated on the schedule. |
Proposed Methodology Draft: 20% Final Methodology Section: 20% Final Proposal, with work plan: 40% Survey Assignment: 20% SECOND TERM TOTAL: 100% |
| Plagiarism: | As Earl Babbie says: "Plagiarism is the presentation
of another's words or ideas as your own. It is a bad thing. Don't do it."
Refer to Read Babbie, Earl. "Plagiarism." Online at www.csubak.edu/ssric/Modules/Other/plagiarism.htm.
Last updated 26 Oct. 1998. Also see University of Alabama at Huntsville,
"Library Research Guides: Plagiarism," at www.uah.edu/library/guides/plag.html.
Last updated 7 August 2000.
You are responsible for learning about plagiarism, what it is and what it is not. If in doubt, ask me. If I have doubts, I will ask you. However, PSU’s Graduate Policy on Academic Honesty and Integrity provides for one or more of the following actions if plagiarism is established to have occurred: denial or rescinding of credit for the course; academic probation for one year; academic disqualification for 1-3 years; denial or rescinding of the graduate degree. See p. 53 of the 1999-2000 Portland State University Bulletin, at www.ess.pdx.edu/adm/Bulletin/99-00/99-00Bulletin.pdf. |
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(All readings are due by the date indicated) |
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1/18/01 |
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1/25/01-2/1/01 |
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Self-assessment at http://www.sociology.wadsworth.com/babbie_research/resources/index.html, Chapters 8-9 |
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2/08/01 |
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Surveys DUE |
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2/15/01 |
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Self-assessment at http://www.sociology.wadsworth.com/babbie_research/resources/index.html,
Chapters 10-13
Pilot-tested surveys DUE |
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2/22/01 |
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3/01/01 |
Methodology Draft Due | |
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3/08/01 |
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Self-assessment at http://www.sociology.wadsworth.com/babbie_research/resources/index.html, Chapters 14-15 |
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3/15/01 |
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Revised Methodology Section Due Self-assessment at http://www.sociology.wadsworth.com/babbie_research/resources/index.html,
Chapters 17-19
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3/22/01 |
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Final Proposal Due (with work plan) |