IS 291b, UCLA
Research Methods and Design
Winter, 2014
Mon, 1:30-4:50pm, 245 GSEIS
IS 291b
PhD SEMINAR ON RESEARCH METHODS AND DESIGN
Christine L. Borgman, Professor & Presidential Chair Information Studies
235 GSEIS Bldg; 310-825-6164
http://is.gseis.ucla.edu/cborgman/
Course overview.................................................................................................................. 1
Learning outcomes:.......................................................................................................... 2
Assignments and Grading................................................................................................ 2
Office Hours.................................................................................................................... 2
Course Materials............................................................................................................. 3
Schedule of Course Topics and Activities........................................................................... 4
Course Activities............................................................................................................. 4
Jan 6, Topic 1: Course introduction, overview and review............................................. 5
Jan 13, Topic 2: Ethics in research; human subjects protection...................................... 5
Jan 27, Topic 3: Reliability, Validity, and Bias............................................................... 6
Feb 10, Topic 4: Research design and operationalization of concepts............................ 6
Feb 24, 9-12, Topic 5: Experimental and quasi-experimental research........................... 7
Mar 3, Topic 6: Randomization and sampling................................................................ 7
Mar 7, Friday, Topic 7: Survey research........................................................................ 8
Mar 10, Topic 8: Qualitative field research..................................................................... 8
Mar 17, Topic 9: Data analysis....................................................................................... 8
Course overview
This is the core course in social science research methods and research design for PhD students in information studies. It follows 291A, Theoretical Traditions In Information Studies. Graduate students in Information Studies or related fields (education, communication, public policy, management, psychology, etc.) who have not taken 291A but who have extensive background in epistemology or research methods may enroll with instructor’s permission. Also prerequisite is at least one course in descriptive and inferential statistics.
The course is conducted as a workshop, drawing upon students’ research projects as cases. We will survey quantitative and qualitative research designs and address research ethics and the protection of human subjects. The first week of the course will provide a brief review of epistemological issues, basic concepts of research design, and a refresher in statistical concepts. The course is intended to prepare students for further study on specific methods and to assist in preparation for the PhD qualifying exams.
Students will begin to build their personal libraries on research methods via the course readings. Materials include popular textbooks on social science research methods and the primary publication manual for social science research.
Students will develop a research project and will present an analysis of research reported in a journal article in class.
Learning outcomes:
- Students will become conversant with a range of research methods used in social settings, including experimental, quasi-experimental, and qualitative methods.
- Students will identify and describe the elements of reliable and valid research and means to reduce bias in research.
- Students will present critiques of published research using appropriate concepts in research design.
- Students will develop a research design on a topic of their choosing, using an appropriate method.
Assignments and Grading
- Reading assignments weekly, to be completed prior to class sessions
- Major project 50%
- Short assignment: selection, analysis, and presentation of a research article 25%
- Class participation and mastery of readings 25%
- Grading policy: Late papers will be accepted only with instructor permission in advance. They will be marked down 2 points per day late.
Office Hours
Office hour time is essential for developing your term papers and for selecting journal articles for the article critique assignment. Students are expected to meet individually with the instructor at least twice during the term.
Office hours are Mondays and Wednesdays, 5-6pm and by appointment. Please sign up in advance by Doodle. While you are welcome to stop by during office hours, most slots fill up in advance. If you are not able to keep an appointment, please cancel it on the Doodle as early as possible so that someone else may have the slot.
Course Materials
One of the objectives of this course is to assist students in building a personal library on research methods and design. The texts are classics that will assist you in your research career (and in writing your seminar paper). Other assigned readings will be available via CCLE, the course management system. Bring your texts and other readings to class with you (in print or digital form) on days they are assigned, as we will be referring to them.
As discussed in the CCLE forum prior to the start of term, the Babbie 13th ed, APA manual, and Shadish, Cook, and Campbell are available in LuValle bookstore. You are welcome to acquire these elsewhere, but be sure you get the correct editions. The Lofland book is available free online.
Required:
American Psychological Association. (2009). Manual of the APA, 5th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Babbie, E. (2012). The Practice of Social Research, 13th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. NB: This edition is required because we will be referring to it together in class.
Lofland, J.; & Lofland, L.H. (1995). Analyzing Social Settings: A Guide to Qualititative Observation and Analysis. 3rd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Available online.
Shadish, W. R., Cook, T. D. & Campbell, D. T. (2002). Experimental and Quasi-experimental Designs for Generalized Causal Inference. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 0395615569
Recommended:
Silverman, D. (2007). A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book about Qualitative Research. London: Sage.
Lofland, J., Snow, D., Anderson, L. & Lofland, L. H. (2006). Analyzing Social Settings: A Guide to Qualitative Observation and Analysis Belmont, CA, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. [I prefer the earlier edition but it is out of print. The later one dropped some important material and is expensive.]
Schedule of Course Topics and Activities
This is the revised final set of course topics and meeting times, based on January 6 discussion in class. All readings are to be completed in advance of the class meeting. Students are graded on class participation and mastery of readings (see assignments and grading). Bring your assigned reading to class (books and articles; latter can be in print or on your laptop/pad). The assignments are explained in documents separate from this syllabus.
Course Activities
Week 1 (January 6): Topic 1: Course introduction and overview; Discuss scheduling of topics
Week 2 (January 13): Topic 2: Ethics in research; human subjects protection
Make journal article topic assignments
Week 3 (January 20): Week 3 (January 20): holiday; Term project proposal due
Week 4 (January 27): Topic 3: Reliability, validity, bias; Workshop 1 or 2 student term paper topics; 1 or 2 students present journal articles; others introduce next articles
Week 5 (Feb 3): No class meeting: Prof. Borgman in Australia
Week 6 (Feb 10): Topic 4: Research designs; operationalization
Workshop 1 or 2 student term paper topics; 1 or 2 students present journal articles; others introduce next articles
Week 7 (Feb 17): Holiday
Week 8 (Feb 24): Meet 9am-noon; room TBD. Topic 5: Experimental and quasi-experimental research. Workshop 1 or 2 student term paper topics; 1 or 2 students present journal articles; others introduce next articles
Week 9 (March 3): Topic 6: Randomization and sampling; Workshop 1 or 2 student term paper topics; 1 or 2 students present journal articles; others introduce next articles
Week 9 (March 7): Friday, 1:30-5pm, room TBD. Topic 7: Survey research; Workshop 1 or 2 student term paper topics; 1 or 2 students present journal articles; others introduce next articles
Week 10 (March 10): Topic 8: Qualitative field research; Workshop 1 or 2 student term paper topics; 1 or 2 students present journal articles; others introduce next articles
Exam week (March 17): Topic 9: Data analysis; Workshop 1 or 2 student term paper topics; 1 or 2 students present journal articles; Term papers due Monday, March 17, 5pm (on paper to instructor’s mailbox and by PDF upload to CCLE site)
Jan 6, Topic 1: Course introduction, overview and review
The course will begin with a general overview of topics and a review of basic statistics.
Readings:
Babbie:
Preface, xv-xxi
Part 1, An introduction to inquiry
1: Human inquiry and science
2: Paradigms, theory, and social research
Ch 16: Statistical analyses
Jan 13, Topic 2: Ethics in research; human subjects protection
Prior to class: take CITI course on Social and Behavioral Research: (allow at least 2 hours): http://training.arc.ucla.edu/ucla/ (bring your certificate to class)
Babbie, Ch 3: The ethics and politics of social research
Shadish, Cook and Campbell, Chap. 9, Practical Problems 1: Ethics, participant recruitment, and random assignment
The Belmont Report, Office of the Secretary, Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research, The National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research, April 18, 1979.
http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/belmont.htm
Ethics Guide: Association of Internet Researchers. (2012). Retrieved from http://aoir.org/documents/ethics-guide/
Shea, C. (2000). Don't Talk to the Humans: The Crackdown on Social Science Research. Lingua Franca, 10(6). http://www.linguafranca.com/print/0009/humans.html http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~roos/Courses/grstat502/shea.pdf. The original link is dead but the second one works (or use Google Scholar to look elsewhere).
UCLA OHRPP (Office of Human Subjects Research Protection Program) Guidance, Procedures, and Policies (Read intro, skim through rest) http://ohrpp.research.ucla.edu/pages/policies-guidance
Recommended:
Proposed Revisions to the Common Rule: Perspectives of Social and Behavioral Scientists: Workshop Summary. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18383
Jan 27, Topic 3: Reliability, Validity, and Bias
Babbie, Part 2: The structuring of inquiry, overview
4: Research design (discussions of causality)
5: Conceptualization, operationalization, and measurement
Shadish, Cook and Campbell,
Chap 1, Experiments and generalized causal inference
Chap 2, Statistical conclusion validity and internal validity
Chap 3, Construct validity and internal validity
Chap. 9, Practical Problems 1: Ethics, participant recruitment, and random assignment
Gould, Stephen Jay. 1996, 1981. The Mismeasure of Man. Norton. Introduction (pp. 51-61). http://books.wwnorton.com/books/detail-inside.aspx?ID=13131&CTYPE=G
Kuhn, Thomas. 1987. “The Function of Dogma in Science.” In Scientific Knowledge: Basic Issues in the Philosophy of Science, ed. By J. Kourany.
http://strangebeautiful.com/other-texts/kuhn-function-dogma.pdf
Recommended:
Popper, Karl. 1989. “Conjectural Knowledge.” In Objective Knowledge: An Evolutionary Approach. Norton. (pp. 1-31). (Download available on CCLE)
Feb 10, Topic 4: Research design and operationalization of concepts
Babbie (continuing discussion from topic 3)
Part 2, The structuring of inquiry, overview
4: Research design
5: Conceptualization, operationalization, and measurement
Shadish, Cook and Campbell
Chap 2, Statistical conclusion validity and internal validity
Chap 3, Construct validity and internal validity
Feb 24, 9-12, Topic 5: Experimental and quasi-experimental research
Babbie
Part 3, Modes of observation, overview
8: Experiments
Shadish, Cook and Campbell,
Chap. 4, Quasi-experimental designs that either lack a control group or lack pretest observations on the outcome
Chap 5, Quasi-experimental designs that use both control groups and pretests
Chap 6, Quasi-experiments: interrupted time-series designs
Campbell, Donald T. and H. Laurence Ross. 1968. "The Connecticut Crackdown on Speeding: Time-Series Data in Quasi-Experimental Analysis." Law & Society Review 3: 33-54. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3052794
Mar 3, Topic 6: Randomization and sampling
Note: Be prepared to explain the differences among indexes, scales, and typologies, and to outline a sampling plan for your research project.
Babbie
Part 2, The structuring of inquiry
6: Indexes, scales, and typologies
7: The logic of sampling
Shadish, Cook and Campbell, Chap. 8, Randomized experiments: Rationale, designs, and conditions conducive to doing them
Rosenthal, Robert. 1963. “On the Social Psychology of the Psychological Experiment: The Experimenter's Hypothesis As Unintended Determinant of Experimental Results.” American Scientist 51: 268-283. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27838693
Recommended:
Bookstein, Abraham. 1983. "Sampling From Card Files." Library Quarterly: 53: 307-312. (Download available on CCLE)
Orne, Martin T. “On the Social Psychology of the Psychological Experiment: With Particular Reference to Demand Characteristics and Their Implications.” American Psychologist 17 (1962): 776-783. http://www.psych.upenn.edu/history/orne/orne1962amerpsychol776783.html
Mar 7, Friday, Topic 7: Survey research
Babbie
Part 2, The structure of inquiry
6: Indexes, scales, and typologies (continued)
Part 3, Modes of observation, overview
9: Survey research
Mar 10, Topic 8: Qualitative field research
Lofland & Lofland, Introduction, Part I, Part II (p1-178)
Geertz Clifford. 1973. "Thick description: toward an interpretive theory of culture" (pp. 3-30) and “Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight" (pp. 412-453). Interpretation of Cultures: Selected Essays. New York: Basic Books. [chap. 1] [chap. 15]
Recommended
Babbie
Part 3, Modes of observation
10: Qualitative field research
Heider, Karl G. “The Rashomon Effect: When Ethnographers Disagree.” American Anthropologist 90, no. 1 (March, 1988): 73-82.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/678455
Mar 17, Topic 9: Data analysis
Babbie
Part 3, Modes of observation
11: Unobtrusive research
15: The elaboration model
Shadish, Cook and Campbell, Chap. 11, Generalized Causal Inference: A Grounded Theory
Lofland & Lofland, Part II (p179-230)
Recommended:
Babbie: Ch 13: Qualitative data analysis
Ericsson, K. Anders and Herbert Simon. 1980. “Verbal Reports as Data.” Psychological Review 87: 215- 251.
http://duncker.cogdevelopment.com/lib/simon,%20ericsson.pdf