Graduate Curriculum Committee Course Proposal Form
for Courses Numbered 5000 and Higher
Note: Before completing this form, please carefully read the accompanying instructions.
Submission guidelines are posted to the GCC Web site: http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/gcc/index.cfm
1. Course prefix and number:
2. Date:
ANTH 6050
02/03/2013
3. Requested action:
x
New Course
Revision of Active Course
Revision & Unbanking of a Banked Course
Renumbering of an Existing Course from
from
to
#
Required
x
#
Elective
4. Method(s) of delivery (check all boxes that apply for both current/proposed and expected
future delivery methods within the next three years):
Current or
Proposed Delivery
Method(s):
x
On-campus (face to face)
Expected
Future Delivery
Method(s):
x
Distance Course (face to face off campus)
Online (delivery of 50% or more of the instruction is offered online)
5. Justification. Identify the committee or group (e.g., Graduate faculty of the Department of
English) that conducted the assessment of curriculum and student learning. Explain why the
unit wishes to offer or revise the course. Include specific results from the unit assessment that
led to the development or modification of the course. If applicable, cite any accrediting
agency/ies and reference the specific standard/s.
The new course addresses the specific needs of graduate students in anthropology to
acquire the comprehensive knowledge and skills to conduct both qualitative and
quantitative methods of data collection and data analysis. The Graduate faculty of the
Department of Anthropology at ECU voted to approve the need to teach a methodology
course at the 6xxx level in addition to the ethnographic methods courses the department
offers at the 3xxx level (ANTH 3050) and at the 5xxx level (ANTH 5015). This new
course, ANTH 6050, is exclusively open to graduate students and welcomes graduate
students from other departments at ECU. It teaches a wider range of research methods
than 3xxx and 5xxx level courses, going beyond the scope of ethnographic research by
including methods that are not used during fieldwork framed in participant observation.
Approved by GCC April 2012; posted summer of 2012
This course covers additional methods used as part of the mixed method research design
approach that is currently practiced by professional Cultural Anthropologists. The
objective of this course is to prepare students to conduct research for their MA thesis
projects. As part of their course work, graduate students enrolled in ANTH 6050 will
collect data during the semester as part of specifically designed exercise assignments and
learn how to use a variety of computer programs to analyze the data. These computer
programs are available online without fee and don’t require additional resources from
ITCS.
6. Course description exactly as it should appear in the next catalog:
ANTH 6050. Advanced Research Methods in Cultural Anthropology (3) Advanced
training in qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and data analysis.
7. If this is a course revision, briefly describe the requested change:
8. Course credit:
Lecture Hours
3
3
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
Lab
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Studio
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Practicum
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Internship
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Other (e.g., independent study) Please explain.
s.h.
3
Total Credit Hours
9. Anticipated annual student enrollment:
12
10. Changes in degree hours of your programs:
Degree(s)/Program(s)
Changes in Degree Hours
NA
11. Affected degrees or academic programs, other than your programs:
Degree(s)/Program(s)
Changes in Degree Hours
NA
12. Overlapping or duplication with affected units or programs:
X Not applicable
Documentation of notification to the affected academic degree programs is
attached.
Approved by GCC April 2012; posted summer of 2012
s.h.
s.h.
13. Council for Teacher Education (CTE) approval (for courses affecting teacher education):
X Not applicable
Applicable and CTE has given their approval.
14. University Service-Learning Committee (USLC) approval:
X Not applicable
Applicable and USLC has given their approval.
15. Statements of support:
a. Staff
X Current staff is adequate
Additional staff is needed (describe needs in the box below):
b. Facilities
X Current facilities are adequate
Additional facilities are needed (describe needs in the box below):
c. Library
X
Initial library resources are adequate
Initial resources are needed (in the box below, give a brief explanation and an
estimate for the cost of acquisition of required initial resources):
d. Unit computer resources
X
Unit computer resources are adequate
Additional unit computer resources are needed (in the box below, give a brief
explanation and an estimate for the cost of acquisition):
e. ITCS resources
X
ITCS resources are not needed
The following ITCS resources are needed (put a check beside each need):
Mainframe computer system
Statistical services
Network connections
Computer lab for students
Software
Approval from the Director of ITCS attached
16. Course information (see: Graduate Curriculum and Program Development Manual for
instructions):
a. Textbook(s) and/or readings: author(s), name, publication date, publisher, and
city/state/country. Include ISBN (when applicable).
Approved by GCC April 2012; posted summer of 2012
Textbooks:

Bernard, Russell H. 2011. Research Methods in Anthropology. Qualitative and
Quantitative Approaches. Walnut Creek: Alta Mira, 5th edition. ISBN 9780759112421.

Bernard, Russell H. and Gery W. Ryan. 2010. Analyzing Qualitative Data:
Systematic Approaches. Newbury Park: Sage. ISBN 978-0-7639-2490-6.
Selection of articles to be assigned in the course:

Hautzinger, Sarah. 2012. Depending on Context: Counterintuitive Uses for
Focus Groups in Mixed Methods Ethnographic Research. Human Organization
71 (1): 22-31.

Johnson, Jeffrey C. and Weller, Susan C. 2002. 'Elicitation Techniques for
Interviewing', in Gubrium, Jaber F. and James A. Holstein (ed.), Handbook of
interview research: context and method. Thousand Oaks: Sage, pp. 491-514.

McAllister, Lynne and Claude Fischer. 1983. A Procedure for Surveying
Personal Networks. In Applied Network Analysis. A Methodological
Introduction. R. Burt and M. Minor, eds., pp. 75-88. Beverly Hills: Sage
Publications.

Weller, Susan C. 2007. 'Cultural Consensus Theory: Applications and
Frequently Asked Questions', Field Methods 19: 339-368.
b. Course objectives for the course (student – centered, behavioral focus)
If this is a 5000-level course that is populated by undergraduate and graduate students,
there must be differentiation in the learning objectives expected.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Assess the suitability of different mixed method research designs to generate
knowledge about a specific social phenomenon.
2. Identify, compare and contrast the capabilities of specific qualitative and
quantitative methods of data collection and specific qualitative and quantitative
data analysis methods.
3. Evaluate both the benefits and challenges of participant observation as an
overall framework for data collection and data analysis.
4. Plan and calculate the suitable sampling strategy and sample size needed to use
a selected qualitative or quantitative data collection method.
5. Use different types of interview instruments, including the administration of
tasks (e.g. triad test) during interviews, and understand what level of data
comparability each type of instrument can generate.
6. Identify and code reoccurring patterns in data using different methods of
qualitative data analysis including the use of free computer software.
7. Quantify reoccurring patterns in data using different methods of quantitative
analysis, including the use of computer software.
8. Explain patterns in data and synthesize and discuss research finding in research
papers and presentations.
Approved by GCC April 2012; posted summer of 2012
c. Course topic outline
The list of topics should reflect the stated objectives.
1.
Introduction to Research Design
• Epistemology
• Exploratory Research
• Explanatory Research
• Mixed Method Research design (combining qualitative and quantitative data
collection and analysis methods)
o Sequential mixed methods research design
o Concurrent mixed methods research design
• Experiments and Experimental Thinking
2.
Participant Observation
•
Framework for Data collection
•
Direct Observation
•
Indirect Observation
•
Taking and Managing Fieldnotes
3.
Sampling Strategies
• Sampling Theory
• Probability Sampling
• Non-probability Sampling
4.
Data Collection Methods
•
Unstructured Interview instruments
•
Semi-structured Interviews instruments
•
Structured Interview instruments: questionnaires, surveys, use of scales
•
Focus group interview instruments
•
Interviews instruments including tasks:
•
Fee listing tasks
•
Pile sort tasks
•
Triad tests
•
Photo voice
5.
Data Analysis Methods
• Codebooks and comparisons
• Word count and semantic network analysis
• Grounded Theory Analysis
• Content analysis
• Discourse and Narrative Analysis
• Social Network Analysis
• Qualitative Comparative Analysis and Analytic Induction
• Consensus Analysis
• Decision Tree Modeling
• Use of text analysis programs (Atlas TI, NVivo, Deboose)
• Use of Anthropac, UCInet, Netdraw to analyze pile sorts, triads and network
data
• Use of SPSS and Excel to analyze frequencies and correlations for
univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis
6.
Data Interpretation and Presentation
•
Linking literature review with findings from data analysis
Approved by GCC April 2012; posted summer of 2012
•
•
•
•
Using models and figures to illustrate findings
Implementing vignettes and direct quotes to illustrate findings
Writing a research paper
Crafting oral presentations
d. List of course assignments, weighting of each assignment, and grading/evaluation system
for determining a grade
Grades will be based on student performance in the following categories:
Participation (10%): Students will be evaluated on the frequency and quality of their
participation in class discussions about assigned reading material.
Observation exercise (10%): Students will be evaluated on the completion and quality
of a written report about data collection and subsequent analysis and comparison of two
10 minute observations conducted in public locations.
Key informant interview exercise (10%): Students will be evaluated on the
completion and quality of a written report about their findings from interviewing a
person about the layout and functions of a 1950s kitchen (recruiting senior citizens).
Purpose of this exercise is to practice elicitation techniques.
Piles sort exercise (15%): Students will be evaluated on the completion and quality of
a written report that is based on the conduct of a pile sort exercise with 10 people and
the subsequent use of Anthropac software (free) to analyze the data.
Text analysis exercise (15%): Students will be evaluated on the completion and
quality of a written report about findings generated by both grounded theory analysis
and content analysis of an interview transcript generated by students interviewing each
other during class sessions about a topic of interest (topic will be chosen during class
sessions).
Independent research project and paper (30%) : Students will be evaluated on the
completion and quality of a research paper that presents and discusses findings from a
research project they conducted over the course of the semester. Project will involve
participant observation and interviewing approximately 10 informants. The above listed
exercises and assignments can be incorporated into the independent project if they are
based on the same research question.
Presentation of research project (10%): Students will give a 15 minute presentation
in class to summarize and discuss the findings of their research project.
Grade Scale:
The total number of points possible is 100.
Point Range
90 to 100
80 to 89
70 to 79
Below 70
Grade Percent Range
90 to 100%
80 to 89%
70 to 79%
below 70%
Approved by GCC April 2012; posted summer of 2012
Letter Grade
A
B
C
F