Syllabus, Spring 2004

RUTGERS UNIVERSITY
Department of Sociology
Spring, 2004

Soc. 920:311:03-04, Introduction to Social Research (MTh2, 3*)

Prof. Patricia Roos; T.A.: Anna Forster

Offices: Roos: Rm. A-342, Lucy Stone Hall (Livingston campus); phone: (732) 445-5848
Forster: Rm. B216, Lucy Stone Hall (Livingston campus)

Office hrs: Roos: Mondays and Thursdays, 11:30-12:30 (or by appointment)
Forster: Mondays 12:15-1:15 p.m. (or by appointment)

This course will present an overview of social scientific methods--that is, the process whereby researchers in the behavioral and social sciences investigate theoretically-informed hypotheses about the behavior of individuals and the organization of social institutions. We will address the major components of the research process, including the development of theoretically-informed hypotheses, the operationalization of theoretical concepts, the collection of data, the testing of hypotheses through data analysis, and the presentation of research results. Through class discussions, readings, and assignments, you will gain expertise in the practice of social science research. You will develop the skills necessary to read and evaluate social science research in an intelligent and critical manner, and learn statistical data analysis via SAS (a statistical package). You will use the web to collect data, and test hypotheses on a representative sample of the U.S. population (the 2002 General Social Survey).

Note: you must have a Rutgers computer account for this class. If you don't have an account, go immediately to your nearest campus hub and get one!

There is one required book for this course, available at the Livingston College bookstore:

Chambliss, Daniel F., and Russell K. Schutt
2003. Making Sense of the Social World: Methods of Investigation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.

SAS Tutorial: http://support.sas.com/training/elearn/tutorials/v8/base/main_spl.htm
[If you plan to use SAS more extensively in the future, you might want to purchase: Lora E. Delwiche and Susan J. Slaughter. 2003. The Little SAS Book: A Primer. Third Edition. This book is available online from SAS.]

Other readings as required for assignments and final paper (available online see below).

a. attendance at scheduled recitation section (either M3* or Th3*); this is a 4-credit course, and you must attend recitations to pass the course; we will take attendance;

b. first examination (20 percent; tentatively scheduled for date Thursday, February 26th);

c. second examination (20 percent; tentatively scheduled for Thursday, April 1st);

d. six assignments that require application of the techniques learned in the readings, lectures, and recitations; these assignments will be available online on a regular basis; one of the assignments will involve class presentations by groups; late assignments will be penalized (1/2 point each day they are late) and those not turned in within one week of due date will not be accepted (40 percent);

e. a final project involving hypothesis construction, data analysis, and presentation of research results that builds on the written assignments; selection of topics will be based on data available from a representative sample of the U.S. population in 2002 ( 20 percent; due Thursday, May 6th).

f. class participation will be taken into account for those who are on the borderline between grades (e.g., B to a B+; C+ to B).

The two examinations will be open book and will consist of both short essays and problems. You will need a calculator that allows for scientific notation for the two exams and for some of the assignments. There are NO makeups for the two examinations without a WRITTEN excuse from your physician. ALL course requirements must be completed to get a grade in the course.

We are tentatively scheduled to meet for three weeks of recitations in the Livingston Tillett Hall or Busch ARC Instructional Microcomputer Labs (IML). Depending on your scheduled recitation, you should meet your recitation (but not the lectures) in the IML on the following dates (PLEASE NOTE THESE DATES ON YOUR CALENDARS NOW):

Monday, February 2nd (M3*) Tillet IML
Thursday, February 5th (Th3*) Busch IML

Monday, February 9th (M3*) Tillett IML
Thursday February 12th (Th3*) Busch IML

You must attend class sessions and recitations and participate in discussions. You will not pass this course if you do not attend class and recitations regularly. Assigned readings should be completed prior to class meetings to facilitate class discussion, and you should come to class prepared to ask questions about the lectures, assignments, and/or reading material.

Because unforeseen circumstances may require changes in the assigned readings, the course outline, or examination dates, you are responsible not only for due dates specified in the syllabus, but also for any handouts or announcements made in class, or posted on the website. Please let me or the TA know if you will miss class for a religious holiday, and we will ensure that you can make up the material.

You are encouraged to consult with the instructor and/or teaching assistant about any problems you may encounter with lectures, reading material, or class assignments. Do not wait until the class is almost over before coming in for assistance. Remember: If you are a Sociology major or minor you must get at least a C in this course to have it count toward your degree.

This course will be conducted in full accordance with the university's "Policy on Academic Integrity." Academic dishonesty includes (but is not limited to) such behavior as quoting or paraphrasing without attribution; submitting work for more than one course without the instructor's permission; copying from, or assisting, other students on exams; plagiarizing major portions of assignments; using a purchased paper; presenting other's work as your own; altering a graded exam; theft of exams. [For the complete policy, click here.]

We will not accept any exams, assignments, or papers from student involved in dishonest behavior, and we are required to report such students to their college dean. Because grades in this course will be based on a curve, students engaging in dishonest behavior hurt all students in the course. As the Policy on Academic Integrity states: "Students are responsible for knowing what the standards [for academic integrity] are and for adhering to them. Students should also bring any violations of which they are aware to the attention of their instructors."

I. Introduction to Social Science Inquiry (Jan. 22-26)
A. The scientific method
B. Theory and method
C. Deduction and induction

Readings: Chs. 1-2
For a SAS tutorial, click here (see especially 1st, 2nd, and 4th set of links)

II. The Research Process (Jan. 29-Feb. 2)
A. Research design
B. Variables and variation
C. Units of analysis
D. Ecological fallacy
E. Conceptualization, operationalization, measurement
F. Reliability and validity
G. Introduction to SAS

III. Association and the Logic of Causation (Feb. 5-12)
A. Association vs. causality
B. Cause and effect
C. Determinism
D. The elaboration paradigm

Readings: Chs. 5 (pp. 102-6), 9 (pp. 239-40)
Review of elaboration paradigm: Earl Babbie, The Practice of Social Research, 10th ed. (Ch. 15)

IV. Testing Causal Hypotheses: Qualitative Analysis (Feb. 16-23)
A. Field research
B. Roles of observers
C. Sampling and data collection

V. Testing Causal Hypotheses: The Classic Experiment (March 1-11)
A. Independent and dependent variables
B. Experimental and control groups
C. Quasi-experimental designs

VI. Testing Causal Hypotheses: Survey Research (March 22-March 29)
A. The logic of sampling
1. Concepts and terminology
2. Sampling theory and sampling distribution
3. Sampling design

VII. Ethics in Social Science Research (April 5-15)
A. Ethics in the research process
B. The politics and use of social research

Readings: Reread ethics sections in Chs. 2, 6, 7, 8, 9

Rutgers Policy on Human Subjects Research (read in its entirety)
(additional readings online for class presentations; see Assignment 5)

VIII. Data Analysis: The Empirical Testing of Research Hypotheses (April 19-May 3)
A. Descriptive statistics: univariate analysis; measures of central tendency and dispersion
B. Descriptive statistics: bivariate analysis, chi square

FINAL PAPER: Thursday, May 6th, in Rm. A-342 Lucy Stone Hall (put under the door)