GEO 435.101 Research Methods in Geography
1:25 p.m. – 2:40 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, LSCB 018, Fall 2010
Dr. Carol Sawyer
Office: LSCB 341
Email: sawyer@usouthal.edu (preferred contact method)
Phone: (251) 460-6169
Course Webpage: http://www.southalabama.edu/geography/sawyer/geo435.html
Office Hours: 9:30-11:30 am Mondays & Wednesdays, 10:00-11:00 am Tuesdays, 4:30-5:30 pm Mondays,
or by appointment
COURSE OBJECTIVES: The objectives of GEO 435 are to help students develop an understanding of
Geography as a profession, the professional ethics associated with being a scientist, and career opportunities
open to geographers. The course will introduce students to the scientific research aspects of Geography,
including problem statements or research hypotheses, types of data and data collection methods, and the
statistical and graphic analysis of data. In completing this objectives, students with expand upon and
strengthen each student’s computer competency, particularly in working with spreadsheets and giving
presentations.
PRE-REQUISITES: Junior or Senior standing (i.e. student should be within 3 semesters of graduation),
Statistics 210 or equivalent, CIS 150 or have passed computer proficiency exam
GENERAL LIST OF TOPICS
Becoming a Professional Geographer & the Geography discipline
Problem statements and research hypotheses
Collecting background information
Measurement and data collection
Discussing your data
Nature of Scientific Research, ethics
Research Design Formulation
Study areas
Data Analysis
Presenting data, working with visual aids
TEXTBOOK: We will be using Key Methods in Geography, edited by Nicholas J. Clifford and Gill
Valentine (ISBN: 978-0761974925), in the paperback (2nd) edition. The book is not required; however,
chapters from the book will be posted on the course website and it is your responsibility to download and/or
print them. Additional readings from other textbooks and articles will be handed out in class or posted on the
course website. It is the student’s responsibility to read all assigned readings in preparation for the exams.
ATTENDANCE, ACADEMIC DISRUPTION, and CLASSROOM POLICIES: Students are expected to
be on time and stay the entire time for ALL classes. Please keep in mind that missing any class, excused or
not, will likely have a detrimental affect on your grade. Disruptive academic behavior is defined as
individual or group conduct that interrupts or interferes with any educational activity or environment,
infringes upon the rights and privileges of others, results in or threatens the destruction of property and/or is
otherwise prejudicial to the maintenance of order in an academic environment. Please no talking during the
lecture, reading the newspaper or other non-course related material, coming late, sleeping,
texting/messaging, or leaving early. Turn off all cell phones and any text messaging devices and put them
away! Texting or talking during class will result in you being asked to leave the class.
EVALUATION AND GRADING POLICIES: The course grade is determined from attendance and
participation, assignments, a term project, and two examinations.
• Thirty-two percent of the course grade will be based on two exams: a midterm and a final. The final
exam will be cumulative. Material for the exams will be taken from the lectures, activities, exercises,
readings, and other handouts.
• Forty percent of the course grade is from activities and exercises completed both inside and outside of
the classroom. These activities include using different methods to collect data, working on a computer
to collect and input data, designing a research plan, and field exercises. These exercises will be assigned
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throughout the semester. Some exercises will occur outside. THERE ARE NO MAKE UP FIELD
EXERCISES. Most field exercises will take a few days, so if you miss a day in the field you may still
have a chance to complete an exercise on your own.
• You are expected to participate in collecting data, answering questions, assisting with a design of a
research project, and helping your fellow classmates. Eight percent of the course grade is from
participation and attendance; however, other grade components are likely to also be affected if you do
not participate in the course or miss class. Attendance will be taken each time the class meets. It is your
responsibility to sign the attendance sheet when it is passed around the room.
• During the semester, you are to conduct and generate a report on a project, worth 20% of the course
grade, and is due on December 13th, at 1 pm. You will be evaluated on the research design, field
analysis, and write-up of your research. The report for this study will include a report and a brief
presentation. During the semester, you will be asked to turn in a research outline and a brief synopsis of
your planned project. More information on the project will be given later in the course.
Final grades are strictly based on the following scale: 100-90=A, 89-80= B, 79-70=C, 69-60=D, 59- F
Component
Mid-term
Final Exam
Term project
Assignments
Participation & attendance
Points
90
102
120
240
48
600
Percentage (%)
15
17
20
40
8
100%
MAKEUP EXAMS AND LATE WORK POLICY: You must contact me via email either before the exam
or within 24 hours after an exam is administered to schedule a makeup exam. All make-up exams taken
without a valid excuse will be assessed a 15 point penalty. All legitimate excuses require written validation.
Valid excuses include: illness (your’s or a dependent’s), a death in the immediate family, or participating in a
university-sponsored event. Only exceptional excuses from work-related absences are accepted. Make up
exams will be different from the original exam. Late assignments lose value at a rate of 10% per day. If you
cannot attend class to turn in your assignment on time, either give it to a classmate to turn in for you, deliver
it to the office ahead of time, or email it to me before class.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: The University of South Alabama provides reasonable
accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you have a specific disability that qualifies you
for academic accommodations, please notify me and provide certification from Disability Services (Office of
Special Student Services). OSSS is located in room 270 of the Student Center (460-7212). The Office of
Special Student Services will certify a disability and advise faculty members of reasonable accommodations.
ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY: All members of the academic community are responsible for
supporting freedom and openness through rigorous personal standards of honesty and fairness. The
University of South Alabama is committed to the fundamental values of preserving academic honesty as
defined in the Student Handbook: The Lowdown. Plagiarism is using somebody else’s ideas in your writing
without correctly identifying such sources. Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty undermine
the very purpose of the university and diminish the value of an education and must be avoided. The academic
community regards academic dishonesty as an extremely serious matter, with serious consequences that
range from receiving a zero on an exam or assignment to probation and expulsion.
CHANGES: The class schedule is tentative and may be changed if necessary. Students will receive at least
48 hours notice by university email if possible.
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A VERY Tentative Schedule*
Week of:
Topics
Activities
Aug 23rd
Being a Geographer, Into to Scientific
Research
Choosing a topic
Aug 30th
Problem statements and research hypotheses
Writing a problem statement
No class on September 6th (Labor Day)
Formulation of research design
Collecting background information: literature
reviews, reading the literature
Choosing a study area
Measurement and data collection
Field safety
Sampling
Ethics in data collection, research, & analysis
No class on October 4th (Fall Break)
Repeat photography
Repeat photography (cont’d)
Wednesday: Exam I
One paragraph narrative on
proposed project due
Oct 18th
Urban sampling
Urban sampling
Oct 25th
Vegetation and soil sampling
Vegetation and soil sampling
Nov 1st
Human-based research
Questionnaires
Nov 8th
Secondary and archival data collection
Historical records
Nov 15th
Analyzing the data
Statistics
Nov 22nd
Analyzing the data
No class on November 24th (Thanksgiving)
Analyzing the data
Presenting and discussing data; working with
visual aids
Sept 6th
Sept 13th
Sept 20th
Sept 27th
Oct 4th
Oct 11th
Nov 29th
Dec 6th
Project presentations
Dec 13th
December 13th: Final Exam 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Collecting literature
Writing a study area description
Ethics
Proposed project outline due
Repeat photography
Statistics
Graphs, maps, figures, & tables
Projects due 1:00 pm
*The exam dates and project deadlines are firm. The schedule and topics may be adjusted or rearranged as
needed. Students will be notified of any changes.
Other important dates:
Spring graduation application deadline:
Spring Semester 2011 advising
Last day to drop a course:
Friday, September 10th
September 30 - October 15
Friday, October 29th 5 pm
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