Sociology 302
Spring 2010

Textbooks: 

Adler, Emily Stier and Roger Clark. 2008. How It's Done: An Invitation to Social Research, 3rd Ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson.

Course Description:

In this course, we critically survey the assumptions, strategies, and techniques sociologists use for systematically observing the social world. Moreover, we examine the processes by which research problems are formulated, research designs selected, data gathered and interpreted, and inferences and conclusions drawn.  We engage in this examination both theoretically, through reading and discussion, and practically, through quantitative analyses data and exposition).

Course Objectives:

• To develop an understanding of what it means to do sociology as a profession (i.e., to give you some skills you will need.).
• To appreciate and understand the issues involved in systematically observing the social world
• To provide a solid foundation for critically reviewing the reliability and validity of research findings.
• To provide familiarity with the dominant research designs and research strategies used by social scientists.
• To demonstrate key decision points in the research process.
• To provide "hands on" experience with the research process and specific research skills that can make students employable as sociologists.
• To make students critical (and, it is hoped, intelligent) consumers of social research as reported, for example, in the mass media. This involves, at the least, the ability to identify and disregard utter nonsense.

Course Format:

It is essential that each student come to class prepared to ask questions about things that they do not understand and turn in assignments as scheduled. Active class participation is required.

Readings are generally assigned the class meeting prior to the in-class discussion. Thus, students are expected to read the assignments prior to class.  Exercises are usually given out after in-class discussion and be due 3-5 days after their assignment.

Helpful hint:  Learn the location of computer rooms on campus. You may locate machines which have low demand and this will be important to you (not only in this class, but in your other classes in the future).

In compliance with university policy, students with disabilities who require academic and/or auxiliary accommodations for this course must contact the Office for Student Disability Services in Downing University Center, A-200.   The phone number is 270 745 5004.

Please DO NOT request accommodations directly from the professor or instructor without a letter of accommodation from the Office for Student Disability Services.

Performance Evaluation Criteria:

         Student performance will be evaluated through chapter exercises, the mid-term, the final, and the student's research project.

The weight of each of these pieces is as follows:

Tentative Class Schedule
(The professor reserves the right to pace the course to best fit the students.)

Monday, January 25
    Topic:  Introduction to Course, the Professor, the Syllabus, and the Paper

PART I: Shaping a Research Problem

Wednesday, January 27  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Adler and Clark, Chapter 1-"The Uses of Social Research"
    Topic: The Sources of Knowledge

Friday, January 29  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Adler and Clark, Chapter 2-"Theory and Research"
    Topic:  The Research Process

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Monday, February 1  Film:  Obedience: The Milgram Experiment

Wednesday, February 3  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Adler and Clark, Chapter 3-"Ethics and Social Research"
                                                                      WATCH:  The Slideshow of the Stanford Prison Experiment:  http://www.prisonexp.org/
    Topic: Being an Ethical Researcher 

Friday, February 5  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Adler and Clark, Chapter 4-"Selecting Researchable Topics and Questions" and Orcher, Lawrence T. 2005. "Grant Funding," pp. 116-124 in The Ultimate Grad School Survival Guide.
    Topic:  Problem Selection, Research Feasibility, and the Search for Funding  

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Monday, February 8 -- NO CLASS 

Wednesday, February 10  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Adler and Clark, Appendix A-"Writing the Research Report"
    Discussion of Empirical Sociology Papers
   Getting on the Computer and Accessing Data

Friday, February 12  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Orcher, Lawrence T. 2005. Chapter 2-"Locating Literature and Refining a Research Topic." and Chapter 3-"Preparing a Literature Review"
    Searching for articles and data

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PART II: Measurement and Sampling

Monday, February 15  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Adler and Clark, Chapter 6-"Measurement"
    Topic:  Conceptualization and Operationalization 

Wednesday, February 17 
    Topic: Reliability, Validity, and Levels of Measurement 

Friday, February 19  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Adler and Clark, Chapter 5-"Sampling"
   Topic: Probability Sampling 

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Monday, February 22  
    In Class Sampling Exercise (Bring a Calculator if you have one.)     

Wednesday, February 24
   Topic: Nonprobability Sampling 

Friday, February 26 -- NO CLASS

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Monday, March 1 BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Adler and Clark, Chapter 7-"Cross-Sectional, Longitudinal, and Case Study Designs"
   Topic:   Intro to Research Design
     ******NOTE: PAPER TOPIC DUE TODAY******

Wednesday, March 3

Friday, March 5
    EXAM ONE

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Monday, March 8 -- NO CLASS

Wednesday, March 10 -- NO CLASS

Friday, March 12 -- NO CLASS

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PART III: Research Designs

Monday, March 15  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Adler and Clark, Chapter 8-"Experimental Research"

Wednesday, March 17

Friday, March 19  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Adler and Clark, Chapter 9-"Questionnaires and Structured Interviews"

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Monday, March 22
     DRAFT OF INTRO AND LITERATURE REVIEW DUE TODAY

Wednesday, March 24  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Adler and Clark, Chapter 10-"Qualitative Interviewing"

Friday, March 26  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Adler and Clark, Chapter 11-"Observational Techniques"

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Monday, March 29  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Adler and Clark, Chapter 12-"Using Available Data"

Wednesday, March 31 BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Adler and Clark, Chapter 13-"Content Analysis and Comparing Methods"

Friday, April 2 BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Adler and Clark, Chapter 14-"Applied Social Research"

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Monday, April 5
    Review for Final

Wednesday, April 7
    EXAM TWO (Comprehensive)

PART IV: Data Processing and Analysis

Friday, April 9
    Topic:  Data Cleaning and Distribution

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Monday, April 12
    Topic:  Univariate Analysis and Data Transformation

Wednesday, April 14
    Topic:  Barcharts and Histograms

Friday, April 16
    Topic:  Using the Univariate Analysis

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Monday, April 19
    Bivariate Analysis:  Crosstabulation and Significance (Chi-Square)

Wednesday, April 21
    Bivariate Analysis:  Crosstabulation and Measures of Association ( Lambda, Gamma, Tau-b)

Friday, April 23
    Bivariate Tables Workshop

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Monday, April 26
    Multivariate Analysis: Elaboration method

Wednesday, April 28
    Multivariate Analysis:  Elaboration method interpretation 

Friday, April 30
    Elaboration Method Workshop

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Monday, May 3
    Regression:  What is it?  Why do it?

Wednesday, May 5
    How to Format and Interpret Regression analysis

Friday, May 7
    Topic:  Putting it all together in the paper

Finally, my disclaimer.