Course Form (revised 8-2009)
I. Summary of Proposed Changes
Dept / Program
Anthropology
Course Title
Quantitative Ethnographic Methods
Prefix and Course #
ANTH402
Short Title (max. 26 characters incl. spaces)
Quant Ethnographic Methods
Summarize the change(s) proposed
New course
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Requestor:
Kimber Haddix McKay
Phone/ email :
4106
Program Chair/Director:
John Douglas
Other affected programs
None
Dean:
Date
Chris Comer
III: To Add a New Course Syllabus and assessment information is required (paste syllabus into
section V or attach). Course should have internal coherence and clear focus.
NO
Common Course Numbering Review: Does an equivalent course exist elsewhere YES
x
in the MUS? Do the proposed abbreviation, number, title and credits align with
existing course(s)? Please indicate equivalent course/campus 
http://msudw.msu.montana.edu:9030/wfez/owa/musxfer.p_CCN_MAIN
Exact entry to appear in the next catalog (Specify course abbreviation, level, number, title, credits,
repeatability (if applicable), frequency of offering, prerequisites, and a brief description.) 
UG ANTH 402 Quantitative Ethnographic Methods, 3 cr. Offered autumn odd-numbered years. This
course is designed to enhance student understanding of field methods that generate quantitative data
describing human behavior. The toolkit of a student completing this course will include knowledge
of basic methods that will get you from observing behavior to discussing your research and findings
in a professional manner in oral or written formats.
Justification: How does the course fit with the existing curriculum? Why is it needed?
This course adds to the methods offerings in our department. No other such course exists. Supplements the
qualitative methods course currently offered (Ethnographic Methods).
Are there curricular adjustments to accommodate teaching this course?
No
Complete for UG courses. (UG courses should be assigned a 400 number).
Describe graduate increment (Reference guidelines: http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/Grad/UG.htm)
Graduate students will produce the methods section of their thesis or grant proposal in this class.
Fees may be requested only for courses meeting specific conditions determined by the
Board of Regents. Please indicate whether this course will be considered for a fee.
If YES, what is the proposed amount of the fee?
Justification:
IV. To Delete or Change an Existing Course – check X all that apply
Deletion
Title
Course Number Change
From:
Level U, UG, G
YES
NO
x
From:
To:
Description Change
Change in Credits
From:
To:
Prerequisites
1. Current course information at it appears in catalog
(http://www.umt.edu/catalog) 
To:
Repeatability
Cross Listing
(primary program
initiates form)
Is there a fee associated with the course?
2. Full and exact entry (as proposed) 
3. If cross-listed course: secondary program & course
number
4. Is this a course with MUS Common Course Numbering? If yes, then will this change eliminate the
course’s common course status? Please explain below.
5. Graduate increment if level of course is changed to
UG. Reference guidelines at:
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/Grad/UG.htm
(syllabus required in section V)
6. Other programs affected by the change
7. Justification for proposed change
Have you reviewed the graduate increment
guidelines? Please check (X) space provided.
V. Syllabus/Assessment Information
Required for new courses and course change from U to UG. Paste syllabus in field below or attach and send
digital copy with form.
Quantitative Ethnographic Methods
Anthropology 448
Weds 1:00 – 4:00pm
Fall 2009
kimber.mckay@mso.umt.edu
Kimber Haddix McKay, Professor
213 Social Sciences
Office hours: T/R 1:30-3:00
Community Mapping and Ranking Exercises
Course Description:
Anthropology 448 is a course designed to enhance student understanding of field methods
that generate quantitative data describing human behavior. The toolkit of a student completing this
course will include knowledge of basic methods that will get you from observing behavior to
discussing your research and findings in a professional manner in oral or written formats. You will
learn how to derive questions from existing literature, how to aim for specific professional outcomes
such as the generation of a professional talk, poster, or paper, and the steps required along the way
to get you to those outcomes. Survey design, identification of critical variables to define, predicting
required analyses of those variables, identifying the statistical tests you will have to use, and making
sure your data are measured appropriately for those tests will be taught in this class.
The class will include components on fieldnote organization, designing and managing
databases, measuring socio-economic status in non-market settings, conducting censuses, recording
genealogies, mapping communities, anthropometric methods, basic GIS methods and applications,
standard participatory rural appraisal tools including mapping, pile sorting, ranking exercises, tools
to help recall of past events in non literate societies, organizing community meetings, and
triangulating data sources, survey of available statistical and database management software.
Texts:
Bernard, R. Social Science Research Methods, Sage Press, 2000.
Bernard, R. Handbook of Methods in Cultural Anthropology, 1998
Eres: Supplementary readings for Anthropology 447
Requirements:

Class participation (and thus attendance) is mandatory. I expect you to have read the
assigned readings prior to the class for which they are assigned, and to be prepared to discuss
them with your peers. Making a few notes to yourself before class about points you find
interesting in the readings will help tremendously. Several times during the semester, your
participation and preparation for class will be evaluated with discussions, problem solving
activities, or data collecting or analysis. Keep in mind that if you miss a class, you may not
make up missed class work or attendance, which ultimately lowers your grade.

There will be three non-cumulative midterm exams and a cumulative final exam. These will
be take-home in format, 7+ pages in length, and will be reviewed in class by your peers.
Based on self- and peer-review in class, you will revise your essay before turning in the final
draft. Your exams will be evaluated on the following basis:
o Extent of documentation of your argument, proper citation of sources (using a
citation format consistent with a professional academic journal of your choosing).
o Quality of your thesis statement and relevance to the assigned question.
o Clarity of the argument you present supporting your thesis statement.
o Relevance of your argument to assigned readings, methodological needs in
anthropological research, and your assessment of the utility and usage of particular
methods in the readings you cite.

Your final grade will be calculated on the basis of attendance, class participation in
discussions, your presentation of at least one assignment of extra material that you find via
google scholar, jstor or another relevant academic search engine, and your grades on three
of the four exams. If you are satisfied with your grades on the three midterms, you can skip
the final exam.

Distribution of course grade:
Three exams
Attendance, participation, in-class assignments
Total

75%
25%
100%
Additional information:
o Please feel free to come to my office hours, or to catch me before or after class with
questions. You can also schedule an appointment to meet outside of office hours.
o Make up exams – only with a documented health issue or with prior permission. If
you cannot come to an exam, you must tell me before on or on the day of the exam
that you will be absent. Make ups will be scheduled at my convenience within one
week of the scheduled exam.
o Reserve readings are available online through Eres at Mansfield Library, under my
name with the access code ANTH447.
o If you’re taking this class pass/no pass, a pass > 69%.
Schedule:
Week/Date
1
Topic
Reading/Notes
Introduction
TBA
2
Posing the right questions
TBA
3
Cross sectional, longitudinal,
retrospective & prospective projects
TBA
4
Identifying independent and dependent
variables, predicting analyses and
statistical tests required, survey design
TBA
First exam due for review in class
5
Organizing your fieldnotes before they
are written, management of databases
in the field
TBA
Turn revised first exam in to KHM
6
Measuring SES
TBA
7
Anthropometry
TBA
8
Anthropometry
TBA
9
PRA – Participatory Rural Appraisal
TBA
10
PRA – Participatory Rural Appraisal
Second exam due for review in class
TBA
11
Censuses and Genealogies
Turn revised second exam in to KHM
TBA
12
Mapping villages and fields
TBA
13
GIS
TBA
14
Database management and stats
software packages
15
TBA
Third exam due for review in class
Evaluations
16
Monday: Optional in class final exam
10:10-12:10
Turn revised third exam in to KHM
VI Department Summary (Required if several forms are submitted) In a separate document list course
number, title, and proposed change for all proposals.
VII Copies and Electronic Submission. After approval, submit original, one copy, summary of
proposals and electronic file to the Faculty Senate Office, UH 221, camie.foos@mso.umt.edu.