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METHODS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH
SYA 4300
Section 1F74
Fall Semester 2014
LECTURES: M-W-F Period 6, 12:50-1:40 PM, Turlington (TUR) 2306
LAB: Wednesdays Period 5, 11:45-12:35 PM, Weil 0408A
Lecture Instructor:
Office:
Office Hours:
E-mail:
Donny Weinbrenner, Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law
Turlington 3305
Wednesdays 9:30am-12:30pm
incudon@ufl.edu
Lab Instructor:
Office:
Office Hours:
E-mail:
Heather Covington, Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law
Turlington 3347
Wed 1-3 PM and Thur 2-3 PM
covingt@ufl.edu
Course Description
This course is an introduction to the tools that help you practice good social research. “Methods”
introduces the basic issues of conceptualization and measurement, research design and sampling,
quantitative and qualitative analysis, among others. You will acquire knowledge via lectures and apply it
in labs. The nitty-gritty details and the active learning required for Methods means you’ll have to spend
considerable time working on this course. However, if you give an honest effort, Methods will pay you
back many times over; for this course provides you with skills that serve as assets in the job market or
foundations for graduate school. What is more, Methods involves critical thinking practice, which is
important for exercising enlightened citizenship rights in a democracy, whatever your career goals.
Prerequisites
You MUST have taken SYG 2000, Principles of Sociology (or equivalent), and have at least 60 semester
credit hours (i.e., you’re in your junior year). It is recommended that you have already taken a statistics
course (i.e., STA 2122).
Required Readings
1. Bryman, Alan. 2008. Social Research Methods, 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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Grades
Item
Lab assignments
Proposal (& Topic Statement)
Exams
Final Exam
Total
Points Each
20 or 40
120
50
60
N/A
Number
4 or 5
1
2
1
N/A
Total Points
120
120
100
60
400
Percent
30.0
30.0
25.0
15.0
100.0
Assignments and Exams. You MUST submit a proposal and take all exams in order to pass this course. If
you do not take all of the exams or turn in a proposal it will result in an E for the course even if you have
the grade you desire without one of these components.
Lab Assignments. During the course of the semester your lab instructor will give you six (6) homework
assignments that draw on lectures and labs. Assignments 1, 2, 5, and 6 involve interpretation of
statistical output and are worth 20 points each. Assignments 3 and 4 involve your own data collection as
well as interpretation of the findings and are worth 40 points each. You need to do some combination of
assignments worth up to 120 points; either two 20-point and two 40-points assignments, or four 20point and one 40-point assignment. You are invited and encouraged to do all six assignments; I will drop
the lowest grades. The assignments are worth 30% of your grade.
Proposal and Topic Statement. As a demonstration of what you learn in this class, you will complete a
research proposal. To write such a proposal, you will have to identify a social problem for research,
review literature, conceptualize your research question, operationalize your concepts, explain your data
collection methods, state how to you intend to analyze it, and discuss why your proposed research is
significant.
In order to keep you from cramming the whole project at the last minute, there will be rolling deadlines
throughout the semester for various parts of the proposal. First you will turn in a topic statement. This
be between 600-800 words, approximately 2 pages double-spaced in 12 point font. This topic statement
should introduce your research topic and research question, as well as an overview of how you plan to
carry out the research. The purpose of this topic statement is for me to provide you feedback for your
final research proposal. I WILL GIVE THE MINIMUM POINTS FOR LATE TOPIC STATEMENTS, BUT YOU
MUST TURN THEM IN TO PROCEED TO THE NEXT STEP. You cannot complete further steps of the
research proposal without receiving feedback from me on your topic statement.
Next you will turn in your started literature review. This submission should be between 3-4 pages
double-spaced in 12 point font. This version of your literature should have citations pertinent should
have some citations and references pertinent to all the major parts of your proposal. I will then give you
feedback on directions for improvement, and where you should expand the literature review for the
final proposal. I WILL GIVE THE MINIMUM POINTS FOR LATE LITERATURE REVIEWS, BUT YOU MUST
TURN THEM IN TO PROCEED TO THE NEXT STEP. Like with the topic statements, you must receive
feedback on your literature reviews in order to submit the full research proposal.
After the topic statement and literature review, you must develop an original research proposal of
~3000-3500 words of text (i.e., ~10-12 double-spaced typed pages in 12-point Time New Roman font
with 1” margins), plus references and questionnaires and other materials as they apply. The proposal
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must introduce your topic, review pertinent literature, state your research question, outline the
methods to be used, discuss the analyses to be applied to the resulting data, and highlight the
implications of the findings. The proposal is due to me via online submission on the course website at
the beginning of class at our last class meeting as listed on the course schedule. I will reply with a
completed grade sheet that will include comments. The topic statement is worth 10 points, the
literature review is worth, 10 points, and the proposal is worth 100 points, totaling 120 points. Together
they count for 30% of your grade (Do not hesitate to ask either Heather or myself for help with this
project).
Exams. There will be two exams during the semester and a final, totaling three exams. You will be
provided a study sheet before each exam, and the class period before an exam will be spent on review.
The final exam will not be cumulative; it will cover material between the second exam and the third
exam, with the exception of one short essay question. These exams will have multiple choice, short
answer, and short essay questions. The first two exams are worth 50 points, and the final is worth 60
points. Together they account for 40% of your grade.
Extra Credit. This course offers three extra credit options.
The first option is related to class attendance. Attendance is not mandatory for lecture. However, for
every ten lectures you attend, you will receive one extra credit point. You can earn a total of three extra
credit points this way by attending 30 lecture periods throughout the semester.
The second option is to present your proposal in front of the class. For up to 10 points, you can give a 57 minute presentation of your proposal. The extra credit is entirely voluntary, but it is well worth your
while. This exercise will help you develop skills in public speaking, giving presentations, and accepting
constructive criticism. Feedback from presentation audiences is one of the most valuable ways to
improve a research project. You have until the last lecture day to inform me of your intent to present
your research. You will present on one of the three meeting days before the review session for the final.
The third option is to attend student proposal presentations. For each session of student presentations
you attend, you earn 2 extra credit points. You can earn a maximum of 6 extra credit points this way. I
encourage everyone to attend all sessions with proposal presentations; you will learn substantially from
your colleagues.
If you complete all three extra credit opportunities for a total of 19 points, you will be awarded an extra
point, rounding up your total extra credit for the course to 20 points.
Assignment of Grades. Based on your performance on the items just described, I will assign letter grades
as shown in the table below. I do not round up; 279.5 points is still a D+. I do not assign extra work
beyond the extra credit options listed above; it is up to you to achieve the grade you seek. Note that I do
not use “minus” grades.
Points
360+
350-359.5
320-349.5
310-319.5
Percentage
90.0+
87.5-<90.0
80.0-<87.5
77.5-<80.0
Letter
A
B+
B
C+
Points
280-309.5
270-279.5
240-269.5
<240
Percentage
70.0-<77.5
67.5-<70.0
60.0-<67.5
<60.0
Letter
C
D+
D
E
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Policies
Attendance. Attendance is not mandatory for lecture or lab attendance. However, lectures will cover
material not in the text, and this material is fair game for the exams. Outlines for notes will be provided
online for you to print and bring to class. The information on these will be incomplete without lecture
material. Lectures will also help solidify the material you have read, as well as afford you the
opportunity to ask clarifying questions in class (which your classmates may really appreciate). Labs
provide information crucial to doing the assignments. There is no make-up for missed labs. If you miss a
class, it is your responsibility to get notes from your colleagues.
Late Work. Nothing in this class will be accepted late. If you know you will be absent for a deadline, it is
your responsibility to hand in the submission early. Only submit things to me online through the course
website, or directly hand it to me in person. No other method will be accepted.
Exams. If you miss an exam you must contact me within 24 hours and provide me written
documentation justifying your absence in order to take a makeup exam. You must make up the exam as
soon after as possible. If you know you are going to miss an exam, talk to me before the exam date to
take the exam early.
University Policies and Services
Honesty:
As a result of completing the registration form at the University of Florida, every student has signed the
following statement: "I understand that the University of Florida expects its students to be honest in all
their academic work. I agree to adhere to this commitment to academic honesty and understand that
my failure to comply with this commitment may result in disciplinary action up to and including
expulsion from the University."
This course will use the Turnitin software to san your work for unoriginal content and detect plagiarism.
No form of plagiarism or academic dishonesty will be tolerated, and the maximum punishment will be
pursued!
Accommodation for students with disabilities:
Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. The
Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this
documentation to the Instructor when requesting accommodation.
UF Counseling Services:
Resources are available on-campus for students having personal problems or lacking clear career and
academic goals which interfere with their academic performance. These resources include:
1. University Counseling Center, 301 Peabody Hall, 392-1575, personal and career counseling;
2. Student Mental Health, Student Health Care Center, 392-1171, personal counseling;
3. Sexual Assault Recovery Services (SARS), Student Health Care Center, 392-1161, sexual counseling;
4. Career Resource Center, Reitz Union, 392-1601, career development assistance and counseling.
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TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE
METHODS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH
Meeting Date Topic(s)
Readings, Assignments, Due Dates, etc.
Mon, 25 Aug
Introduction, Syllabus
NO READINGS
Wed, 27 Aug
pp. 3-17
Fri, 29 Aug
Theory and research/Epistemological
NO LAB
Ontological/Research Strategies
Mon, 1 Sept
NO CLASSES – LABOR DAY
NO READINGS
Wed, 3 Sept
Research designs/criteria
pp. 29-43
Fri, 5 Sept
Criteria/Strategy and design
pp. 44-63
Mon, 8 Sept
Ethical principles
pp. 112-124
Wed, 10 Sept
Ethics and quality
Labs 1-2: Intro, GSS
pp. 125-135
Fri, 12 Sept
Concepts and measurement
pp. 139-158
Mon, 15 Sept
Critique of Quant
pp. 159-163
Wed, 17 Sept
Nature of qualitative research
Lab 3: Intro to SPSS, part 1
pp. 365-383
Fri, 19 Sept
Reliability and validity (qualitative)
pp. 376-390
Mon, 22 Sept
Critique of qualitative research
pp. 391-398
Wed, 24 Sept
Review for Exam #1
Lab 4: Intro to SPSS, part 2
NO READINGS
Fri, 26 Sept
EXAM #1
NO READINGS
Mon, 29 Sept
Types of probability sampling
pp. 164-177
Wed, 1 Oct
Qualities of probability sample
Lab 5: Distributions
pp. 177-189
Assignment #1 Assigned
Fri, 3 Oct
Structured Interviewing
pp. 191-213
Mon, 6 Oct
Interviewing in qualitative research
pp. 435-463
pp. 18-28
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Meeting Date Topic(s)
Readings, Assignments, Due Dates, etc.
Wed, 8 Oct
Asking questions
Lab 6: Sampling
pp. 230-247
Assignment #2 Assigned
ASSIGNMENT #1 DUE
Fri, 10 Oct
Structured Observation
pp. 253-266
Mon, 13 Oct
Ethnography and participant obs
pp. 400-417
TOPIC STATEMENT DUE
Wed, 15 Oct
Field Notes & Visual Ethnography
Lab 7: Field Research
pp. 417-422 & 424-433
ASSIGNMENT #2 DUE
Assignment #3 Assigned
Fri, 17 Oct
HOMECOMING NO CLASS
GO GATORS!!!
Mon, 20 Oct
Conversation analysis
pp. 492-499
Wed, 22 Oct
Discourse analysis
pp. 499-510
Fri, 24 Oct
Documents as sources of data
pp. 514-532
Mon, 27 Oct
Focus groups
pp. 472-489
Wed, 29 Oct
Content analysis
Lab 8: Content Analysis
pp. 273-283
Assignment #4 Assigned
ASSIGNMENT #3 DUE
Fri, 31 Oct
Coding in content analysis
pp. 283-292
Mon, 3 Nov
Secondary data analysis
pp. 294-311
Wed, 5 Nov
Secondary data analysis
NO LAB
same as above
Literature Review Due
Fri, 7 Nov
Review for Exam #2
NO READINGS
Mon, 10 Nov
EXAM #2
NO READINGS
Wed, 12 Nov
Quantitative data analysis
pp. 313-325
Lab 9: Bivariate Analysis
ASSIGNMENT #4 DUE
Assignment #5 Assigned
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Meeting Date Topic(s)
Readings, Assignments, Due Dates, etc.
Fri, 14 Nov
Bivariate/multivariate analysis
pp. 325-336
PRESENTATION SIGN-UP DUE (Optional)
Mon, 17 Nov
Qualitative data analysis
pp. 537-550
Wed, 19 Nov
Qualitative Analysis
pp. 550-562
ASSIGNMENT #5 DUE
Assignment #6 Assigned
PROPOSAL DRAFTS DUE (Optional)
Lab 10: Multivariate analysis
Fri, 21 Nov
Mixed Methods
pp. 602-624
Mon, 24 Nov
NO CLASS – WORK ON PROPOSAL
NO READINGS
Wed, 26 Nov
NO CLASSES – THANKSGIVING
NO READINGS
Fri, 28 Nov
NO CLASSES – THANKSGIVING
NO READINGS
Mon, 1 Dec
Proposal Presentations (Optional)
NO READINGS
Wed, 3 Dec
Proposal Presentations (Optional)
NO LAB
NO READINGS
ASSIGNMENT #6 DUE
Fri, 5 Dec
Proposal Presentations (Optional)
NO READINGS
Mon, 8 Dec
Review for Final Exam
NO READINGS
Wed, 10 Dec
FINAL EXAM TAKEN IN CLASS
NO LAB
Fri, 19 Dec
SCHEDULED FINAL EXAM DAY
FINAL PROPOSAL DUE VIA E-LEARNING
The instructor can amend the schedule and syllabus at any time, but she will tell you if she does.
Readings may change, guest lecturers may be scheduled, or classes may be cancelled. Deadlines will
always be extended, never moved up.
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Grade Tracker*
LAB ASSIGNMENTS
Assignment 1
Assignment 2
Assignment 3
Assignment 4
Assignment 5
Assignment 6
Totals
EXAMS
Exam 1
Exam 2
Final
Date Due
Wed 10/8
Wed 10/15
Wed 10/29
Wed 11/12
Wed 11/19
Wed 12/3
Extra Credit
Attendance
Presentation
Pres. Attendance
Points Possible
20
20
40
40
20
20
Completed*
*Total must= 120
Fri 9/26
Mon 11/10
Wed 12/10
Total
Topic Statement
Lit Review
Proposal
Points Earned
50
50
60
160
Mon 10/13
Wed 11/05
Fri 12/19
Fri, 11/21
Mon 12/1,
Wed 12/3
Fri 12/5
10
10
100
120
Max 3
Max 10
Max 6
Max 20
Course total
400
*If you have questions about your grade this must be updated before you come talk to me