Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
10:762:395:90
RESEARCH METHODS
Spring 2012 COURSE SYLLABUS
Instructor: Debbie Borie-Holtz, PhD
CSB Room 545, 848-932-2968
856.906.6554 (cell)
33 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick
Email: borieholtz@aol.com; dbholtz@rutgers.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday by appointment - Thursdays 4pm to 5:45pm
(Check Sakai Sign-up Tool for additional weekly hours)
TA: Alex Waite
CSB Room TBA
Email: alexcwaite@gmail.com
Office Hours: Wednesday 3:00 to 4:30pm
Course Description and Teaching Style
This course is designed to introduce students to research methods for public health, planning, and public policy
majors. Basically, the course is an introduction to the fundamentals of social science research. The main goal is
for you to learn to design and interpret research so you can solve problems and make informed decisions.
During this semester, you will learn how to ask questions, how to probe for answers, and how to evaluate the
answers we get as a result of research. The emphasis of the class is on gaining the ability to think logically and
critically about social science research. We will cover both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, but
more time will be spent on the former. I do not assume any previous work in methodology and there are no
prerequisites for this class. The goal of this class is NOT to make you into expert statisticians or quantitative
researchers, but into educated consumers and often critics, of the research of others. Equally important, this
class should give you a firm foundation upon which to stand as you complete your capstone class for your
major.
Our teaching assistant for this semester will be Alex Waite. Alex will hold weekly office hours and shared biweekly online discussions. Alex will also be responsible for grading the lab assignments so if you have a
question regarding grading, please forward an email to him directly as your initial course of action. Feel free to
contact either of us with questions, but I ask that you only direct your queries to one of us. We will be sure to
share our feedback with each other.
For many of you, this may be the first time you have enrolled in an online course. As such, it is important to
emphasize this course is offered in an asynchronous format. So what are the expectations? Each week, you are
expected to complete the weekly assigned readings. To help facilitate the instruction, you will also be asked to
review the lectures slides which will be posted on Tuesdays. The lecture slides are presented in both static and
video formats. You will not be able to access the lab until you review the slides and complete a short quiz.
Following the quiz, you will complete the hands-on component consisting of a homework assignment OR a lab
assignment -- which are generally due by 4pm on Mondays.
When the homework discussions are assigned, you will have to complete the assignment before the next weekly
lecture is posted. In response to the homework, global comments (no names) will be offered to provide
feedback and perhaps continue the discussion online. Homework assignments represent 5 percent of your final
PSMA 6002 Syllabus
grade. Full credit will be given for meaningful and thoughtful posts.
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When lab assignments are assigned, you will have two weeks to complete these assignments. Labs are a major
portion of your assessment – treat them as mini- papers or tests. Please be aware that you may have a lab due
on the same as a homework discussion so schedule your time accordingly. Lab assignments account for 60
percent of your final grade. As such, there is not midterm.
As the course proceeds, a biweekly online live discussion will be scheduled. This is an opportunity to meet
with me or Alex online or to ask questions about a pending assignment. If you desire a more immediate
response, please send me an email, text or come to my office hours. If you plan to schedule on-campus office
visits, please try to let me or Alex know in advance so that I can try to coordinate any student requests that I
have received for the week. You will be able to use the Sign-up Tool in Sakai to schedule office time.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You will also need to have access to SPSS to complete the final paper. SPSS is available
in all Rutgers labs; as an alternative, you may choose to purchase a student copy with the text book.
Course Objectives
The goal of this course is to provide students with
1) An understanding of the logic of scientific inquiry and how to measure concepts
2) An ability to develop a research hypothesis and a complementary research design
3) An awareness of different types of data collection and analyses – both qualitative and quantitative
4) An introduction to analyzing quantitative data to test your own ideas about relationships between
concepts
Required Text
Schutt, Russell. 2009. Investigating the Social World: The Process and Practice of Research. 6th Edition.
Available at the main Rutgers bookstore, in downtown New Brunswick and at NJ Books on Easton Avenue. You
may also order the book online --- the early chapters are posted on Sakai under Resources > Text for those who
wish to order online.
Any additional readings will be distributed in class or posted to the class website on Sakai.
Grading
The totality of your grade is 100 percent. Your progress in the course will be measured in several ways. The
assessment is intended to test your ability to apply your knowledge, rather than test your memorization skills.
Quizzes will be used to help assess your comprehension of the text and slide material each week. The
homework assignments, in part, replace the labs attended by students enrolled in a traditional class format.
Additionally, the lab assignments also replicate the traditional labs but because they are individually submitted,
they also serve as a form of assessment. As mentioned above, there is no longer a midterm exam assessment for
the online course.
Detailed instructions will be provided for each assessment; however, the components and weights are
highlighted below. As in the traditional classroom setting for this course, you will also complete a Final
Analysis Paper.
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PSMA 6002 Syllabus
Here are the grading criteria:
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10 percent – Quizzes assigned with weekly lectures
5 percent - Homework Assignments (5)
60 percent - Lab Assignments (6 assignments weighted at 10 percent each)
25 percent – Final Analysis Paper
Letter grades will be assigned as follows:
A = 90 - 100; Excellent or Superior
B+ = 86 - 89; Very Good
B = 80 - 85; Good
C+ = 76 - 79; Solid Overall, but some flaws
C = 70 - 75; Average
D = 60 - 69; Significant problems in the work in terms of understanding, effort or writing
F = 59 or below; Failing
Ground Rules
Collegial and respectful conduct is expected during all online class discussions. Class members should consider
themselves colleagues who will collaborate to help each other develop a solid understanding of materials and
concepts.
To facilitate the learning, we will adhere to some basic rules:
Participation in all online sessions is expected.
All assignments must be completed on time. Submissions will be submitted in a manner to be specified.
Assignments should be typed in 12-point font. Late work for homework or quizzes will not be excepted since
timely submission is a critical component of an online course unless prior arrangements have been made or you
have what constitutes an excused absence. Lab assignments will not be accepted more than one week late; in
such cases, a full letter grade deduction will be made.
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PSMA 6002 Syllabus
Lecture, Homework Exercise and Reading Schedule
Lecture
1
Date
1/17
2
1/24
3
1/31
4
2/7
5
2/14
6
2/21
7
2/28
8
3/6
Lecture Topic
Introductions and course
overview; Case study
Problem definition;
overview of the research
process; Introduction to
Qualitative & Quantitative
Research
Conceptualization and
measurement
Research design and
causation
Experiments and
Ethics
Qualitative Methods:
(Interviews &
Observations)
Qualitative Methods:
(Focus Groups,
Ethnographies, Case
Studies)
Probability Sampling
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Lab Exercise
HW1 : Define a problem for
research; Due 1.23
LAB1: Select an indices and
examine how it is measured; Due
2.6
Readings Due
Distribute syllabus;
review course layout
Chapters 1 and 2
HW2: Tweet: From concept to
measurement; Due 2.6
HW3: Case Study: A Rush to
Judgment; Due 2.13
LAB2: Critique a Research
Design; Due 2.27
HW4: Draft Interview Guide;
Due 2.27
Chapter 4
Chapter 6
Chapter 7 & Chapter 3
Chapter 9, Chapter 10
(p. 371-384 only)
LAB3: Recruit a Focus Group;
Due 3.20
HW5: Sampling Exercise; Due
3.20
Chapter 5
Spring Break!!!
9
3/20
Survey Research: Design
10
3/27
11
4/3
12
4/10
Survey Research: Fielding
a Survey
Univariate & Bivariate
Analyses
SPSS Workshop
13
4/17
14
4/24
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LAB6: Frequencies &
Cross Tabs; Practice
Interpretation & Analysis
Due 4.16
Wrap-up Lecture
LAB4: Critique a Questionnaire;
Due 4.2
Assign Final Paper & Labs 5 & 6
LAB5: Hypotheses Formation;
Due 4.9
Interpreting SPSS
Individual Meetings
Quantitative Data Analysis Final
Paper Due 4.27 by Noon
Chapter 8 &
Supplemental Rdgs.
Chapter 8 &
Supplemental Rdgs.
Chapter 14
SPSS Paper
Workshop Appendix
F; Jing videos
SPSS Paper
Workshop Appendix
F; Jing videos
PSMA 6002 Syllabus
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Academic Integrity
Cheating, plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. For further information
about academic misconduct and a full explanation of the University’s policies,
Please see the University’s Policy on Academic Integrity for Undergraduate and Graduate Students located on
the web at http://ctaar.rutgers.edu/integrity/policy.html.
If any questions or concerns arise, please come email me or make an appointment. Any student in this course
who has a disability that may prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact me
as soon as possible so we can discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full participation and to facilitate
your educational opportunities.
Last edited 1/12/12