UAPP 702: Research Methods for Urban & Public Policy
Class Notes, Meeting 1
Danilo Yanich
Center for Community Research & Service
School of Public Policy & Administration
University of Delaware
1
How do we know what we know?
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Epistemology
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the science of knowing
Methodology

the science of finding out
2
Inquiry is a natural human activity

Looking for reality is tricky business

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Reality is “up for grabs”
Reality is “nothing but a collective hunch”
Many ways to explain unknown

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Revelation
Logic
Empiricism
3
Definition or Explanation of order

Coercion

Shared values

Exchange

Each definition has fundamental
implications for “knowing” the
phenomenon
4
Methodology—science of finding out

Looking for regularity

Language of ordinary discourse vs
language of science
5
Looking for reality

Assertion must have logical and
empirical support

It must make sense and not
contradict actual observation

Dark side of moon is cold
6
Problem tree

Cause and effect

Logic vs empiricism vs revelation
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Importance of research to UA & PP

Evaluation vs non-evaluation research
7
Ubiquity of research

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Either producer or consumer of research
or both
Take a look at today’s newspaper to see
how many reports of “scientific” studies
are reported
8
“Would you want your kid to be a
journalist?”*

Give findings…
*Poll reported in Columbia Journalism Review, Sept/Oct. 1999
9
Then states the limitations in sidebar
These findings report the views of 91 editors and news
directors from print and broadcast media who responded to a
questionnaire sent by fax on July 15. Responses received
through July 28 were tabulated.
The Columbia Journalism Review drew the names from
membership lists of the American Society of Newspaper
Editors, the American Society of Magazine Editors, the RadioTelevision News Directors Association, the Associated Press
Managing Editors, and the National Association of Black
Journalists.
This survey is based upon a non-random, self-selected
sample. The results represent the views of those who chose to
respond to the survey; they are not generalizable to the
journalist population as a whole.
They failed to add: “Apart from these major flaws, it’s a cool
poll”.
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