Research Methods Overview– Fall 2013
UNC-CH INLS 581
Brief Description
An introduction to research methods, including both qualitative and quantitative methods. The emphasis of the
course is studying ways to describe, understand, analyze, and critique existing research.
Objectives
Students will gain an understanding of the concepts and terminology used in social science research and of the
methods used to perform this research. This course introduces students to: (1) scientific inquiry and ethics; (2)
research design and various data collection techniques; and (3) basic techniques for data analysis.
Texts
Babbie, Earl, The Practice of Social Research, 13th edition, Thomson 2012. (in Bookstore). Using the 12th edition is
acceptable.
Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches (3 rd edition).
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. [unc bookstore] [SILS library reserves] [required]
Wildemuth, B. M. (2009). Application of social research methods to questions in information and library science.
Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited Press. [unc bookstore] [SILS library reserves] [required]
Additional readings also comprise a portion of the required texts for this course. These items are posted in a
password protected directory for the course. These are for course use only. If the item is available on the ‘open’
Web, a URL is provided.
Style
You are required to use APA style for all assignments in this course. The following resources can help you
understand and implement this style:

American Psychological Association. (2009). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association
(6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. [SILS library REFERENCE book]
 APA Style website: http://www.apastyle.org/
 The Basics of APA Style Online Tutorial (http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspx)
 Purdue Online Writing Lab: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
It is strongly recommended that you watch The Basics of APA Style Online Tutorial before you submit the first
assignment. Your use of APA style will be evaluated in all assignments.
Assignments
Class Participation (10%)
Journal (10%)
Literature Critiques (6% each)
Final Examination (20%)
Class Participation (10%)
GENERAL PARTICIPATION (4%). Plan to attend class and arrive on time. You will be penalized for excessive
absences and tardiness. Be courteous to your classmates and course instructor by not conversing with
others during class lectures. Turn off cell phones, pagers, and other devices that might disrupt class. Use
laptops and other devices to support current course activities only. During the 1 hour and 15 minutes
you are in class, your attention should be completely devoted to the course.
Your participation grade is based on my perception of your participation in and out of class. Class
participation consists of doing the following: attending class, arriving to class on time, being prepared
for class, making observations about the readings and exercises, asking questions, taking notes, actively
working on in-class exercises and actively listening.
If an unexpected problem arises for you during the course of the semester (serious illness, etc.), please
let me know so that we can discuss an appropriate schedule for you. If you need to miss class because of
a religious holiday, then we can make alternative arrangements for this as well.
WORKSHOPS (3%). There are two in-class workshops, which will give you an opportunity to provide and
receive feedback from your classmates about assignments related to your proposal. Workshops are
scheduled for the Problem Statement Assignment and the Final Proposal. The basic protocol for
workshops will be for you to submit both print and electronic copies of your assignments to me on the
dates they are due. I will assign workshop partner(s) based on interests, post electronic versions of
assignments online at a password protected URL, and send you an email with the names of your
partner(s). You are expected to:
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retrieve your partners’ papers
read your partners’ papers
provide feedback to your partners by annotating their papers
write a 1 page, single-spaced summary of your review
participate in group discussion of your partners’ work during class
You should prepare two copies of the summary: one for the author and one for me. I will provide you
with some general strategies for reviewing your partners’ papers before the workshop.
LABS (3%). There are three labs scheduled for the course (Qualtrics, NVivo, SPSS). Each lab lasts two
hours and will take place on Fridays from 2:00-4:00. You are required to attend at least one of these
labs, but you are encouraged to attend all of them!
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Qualtrics Lab (Online Survey Software)
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NVivo Lab (Qualitative Data Analysis Tool)
SPSS Lab (Statistics Package)
Journal (10%)
“Reflection is the path both to self-knowledge and to greater personal efficacy. Although there are
many ways to reflect, the journal is concrete evidence of one’s evolving thought processes,
documenting valuable, often fleeting glimpses of understanding. This ancient tool is central to the
pursuit of a more thoughtful life. In short, journal writing is a powerful form of reflection and a timetested, well-established method for examining our lives.”
[Source: Stevens, D. D. & Cooper, J. E. (2010). Journal keeping: How to use reflective writing for learning,
teaching, professional insight and positive change. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, p. 3.]
The work that you put into this course outside of the classroom is just as important as the work that you
put into it inside the classroom. While the paper assignments capture some of this work, I know you will
do a lot of work that is not formally captured. For this class, I’d like you to keep a journal to describe and
reflect on these outside activities. The two biggest activities that you will do outside of class are (1)
reading and engaging with the assigned texts and (2) completing the paper assignments.
Reading and Engaging with the Assigned Text. All of the readings are important to your intellectual
development. I have carefully selected and organized the readings. I expect you to read all assigned
readings on the date they are due and be prepared to discuss the readings in class. I’d like you to
engage with the readings and consider their relationship to your personal and professional experiences.
I’d like to hear about how you can use the readings in your own research and how the readings might
present a different perspective from your own, how they help fill gaps in your knowledge and/or how
they address your questions. I’d like to hear about the questions you have after completing the readings
(What is left open? What is not clearly explained? What would you like to learn more about?). I’d also
like to hear about positive reactions to the readings (What surprised you? What did you find
compelling? What did you like?). You probably already do all of these things anyway ‘in your head,’ but
I’d like you to make this activity more explicit by recording these reflections in your journal.
Completing the Paper Assignments. There are three major paper assignments: Problem Statement,
Literature Review and Research Proposal. For each assignment, I assume that you will do a great deal of
preparation work (for example, searching the literature, reviewing notes from class, creating a paper
outline, brainstorming, talking with others, reading research). You should use your journal as a place to
document all of your activities, ideas and thoughts about your work (even dead-ends). Your journal
entries should document the progression of your thinking and your research ‘trail.’ I am interested in
learning about how you search for literature: what databases, collection, etc. you search, what queries
you use, what search strategies you take). I am interested in learning about how your ideas (including
topic, problem, focus, question, purpose) change over time as you engage with more and more
literature and as you learn more and more about research methods. I am interested in learning about
which of the different methods you consider for your project, which you select and which you don’t and
why. I am interested in hearing about your emotions and attitude at different points during the
semester. I am interested in hearing about the problems you encounter along with way as well as your
successes.
In addition to reflections about these two major activities, I would also like you to reflect on what we
discuss in class and what we do in class.
Your journal should be:
 Hand written. Use a standard 11X9 spiral notebook. A notebook of 100 sheets should be
sufficient.
 Dated. Each entry should be dated and numbered.
 Informal. The tone of your journal should be informal and conversational. Don’t worry about
spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence and paragraph structure. Don’t worry about
messy writing either, although your writing should be legible. Don’t worry about organization.
Include drawings, diagrams and doodles if you like (I like pictures of animals).
 Formatted. We will use the double-column method. I’ll provide hand-outs to show you how to
do this.
You should bring your journal to all classes. Occasionally, I will ask you to write in your journal during
class. Your journal will also be used to support and enrich class discussions of course readings.
Your journals will be evaluated on both the quality and quantity of entries. By quality, I do not mean
mechanics (e.g., spelling, grammar), but rather content. Your entries should demonstrate reflective and
critical thinking, integration of materials and experiences, development of your own research ideas,
progress on the course assignments, and general intellectual growth. There are no easy answers as to
length or quantity of pages. Several short entries (~1/2 page) made during a week may be just as good
as a couple of long ones (~1 page). However, as a general guideline, about 4 entries per week (for
example, one following your reading of the material, one following each class meeting, one following
any other work you do outside of class that week) would be satisfactory.
I will collect your journals twice during the semester. The first time will be on October 14. This is an
opportunity for me to see what you’ve been doing and comment on your entries. You will not be
formally graded at this point, although I will attach one of the following labels to your journal based on
all entries: Satisfactory++ (Outstanding)(H), Satisfactory+ (Very Good)(P), Satisfactory (P) and
Unsatisfactory (L, F). I will also mark a few individual entries with these labels and provide a modicum of
comments if I see obvious ways you can improve the entries. The second time I will collect your journals
will be at the end of the semester on December 02. At this point, your journals will be assessed and
assigned a formal grade.
Literature Critiques (6% Each)
For each critique article in the schedule of classes, you should write a summary of the research article, with an
emphasis on how the appropriate methodology or technique was used. You should also discuss ways that you
think the article might be improved
Grading Scale
[H] High Pass (95% - 100%)
[P] Pass (80% - 94%)
Truly outstanding work that goes well-beyond the requirements
specified in the assignment description. This is a mark of
distinction. Very few papers will receive this grade.
Papers that receive this grade will meet all or most of the
[L] Low Pass (70% - 79%)
[F] Fail (0% - 69%)
requirements specified in the assignment description. Work that is
quite good will receive this grade because of the large range. Most
papers will receive a score in this grade range. All scores in this
range are completely acceptable, although if you are towards the
low end, you might want to speak with me about how to improve
your work in the future.
Papers that receive this grade are barely acceptable. I usually do
not assign this grade. If your paper is a disorganized mess or if you
have clearly missed the mark, then I will assign you a temporary
grade and ask you to do it over. A ‘do-over’ at this level will not
receive a grade higher than the lowest grade received by someone
who did not have the do-over option. There are no do-overs for
the Final Proposal or Journals (obviously).
Papers that receive this grade are unacceptable and meet very few
(if any) of the requirements specified in the assignment
description. This is another grade that I usually do not assign.
Instead, I will assign you a temporary grade and ask you to re-do
the assignment. A ‘do-over’ at this level will not receive a grade
higher than the lowest grade received by someone who did not
have the do-over option. There are no do-overs for the Final
Proposal or Journals (obviously).
UNC Honor Code
It is your responsibility to read the Honor Code, which can be found online at:
http://instrument.unc.edu/instrument.text.html. Here are a few pieces that are relevant to your course
work and conduct:
A. General Responsibilities
It shall be the responsibility of every student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to:
1. Obey and support the enforcement of the Honor Code;
2. Refrain from lying, cheating, or stealing;
3. Conduct themselves so as not to impair significantly the welfare or the educational opportunities
of others in the University community; and
4. Refrain from conduct that impairs or may impair the capacity of University and associated
personnel to perform their duties, manage resources, protect the safety and welfare of members of
the University community, and maintain the integrity of the University.
B. Academic Dishonesty
It shall be the responsibility of every student enrolled at the University of North Carolina to support
the principles of academic integrity and to refrain from all forms of academic dishonesty including,
but not limited to, the following:
1. Plagiarism in the form of deliberate or reckless representation of another’s words, thoughts, or
ideas as one’s own without attribution in connection with submission of academic work, whether
graded or otherwise.
2. Falsification, fabrication, or misrepresentation of data, other information, or citations in
connection with an academic assignment, whether graded or otherwise.
3. Unauthorized assistance or unauthorized collaboration in connection with academic work,
whether graded or otherwise.
4. Cheating on examinations or other academic assignments, whether graded or otherwise,
including but not limited to the following: (a) Using unauthorized materials and methods (notes,
books, electronic information, telephonic or other forms of electronic communication, or other
sources or methods), or (b) Representing another’s work as one’s own.
5. Violating procedures pertaining to the academic process, including but not limited to the
following: (a) Violating or subverting requirements governing administration of examinations or
other academic assignments; (b) Compromising the security of examinations or academic
assignments; or (c) Engaging in other actions that compromise the integrity of the grading or
evaluation process.
Professional Conduct
In addition to the UNC Honor Code, I expect that you will demonstrate integrity and professionalism in
your participation in this course, and in the fulfillment of all of your course assignments. This includes
completing the assigned readings on the dates they are due, dedicating adequate time for your
participation (both in-class and out-of-class), and putting forth effort, care and thought in preparing your
written assignments. I also expect you to show respect for all members of this course and all comments
and questions posed by them.
Email Expectations
Email is a great way to communicate with me outside of class. It is particularly well suited for shortanswer and clarification questions. However, if you need assistance understanding a concept or an
assignment, or have another potentially complicated question, then I ask that you visit me during office
hours or email to schedule an in-person meeting. If you ask a question via email that I believe is better
suited for in-person discussion, then I will ask you to come in and speak with me.
It is also important to set appropriate expectations about how quickly I can respond to your email. I will
try my best to respond to your email within a 24-hour period, but in some cases it may take 2-3 days.
Please keep this in mind when you are scheduling your own activities, especially those related to
assignments. Keep in mind that I am available during set office hours, so stopping by during these hours
might get your question resolved faster.
Outline and Readings
Introduction: Research and its Applications.
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Babbie, Chapter 1
Creswell, Ch. 1
Wildemuth, Ch. 1
Research Design and Topics
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Babbie, Chapter 4
Creswell, Chs. 3, 7
Wildemuth, Chs. 2-6
Conceptualization, Measurement, Operationalization, and Variables
Babbie, Chapters 4-5
Questions and Surveys
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Babbie, Chapters 6 (Indexes and Scales) & 9 (Surveys)
Colton, D., & Covert, R. W. (2007). Designing and constructing instruments for social research
and evaluation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishing, [Chs. 1, 3-4]. [available in course
directory]
Wildemuth, Chs. 26- 28
Assignment: Critique of Research Article(s) in Questions and Surveys
Sampling
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Babbie, Chapter 7
Patten, M.L. (2005). Understanding research methods: An overview of the essentials (5th edition).
CA: Pyrczak Publishing (pp. 45-56). [available in course directory]
Wildemuth, Chs. 13-15
Assignment: Critique of Research Article(s) in Sampling
Experiments
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Babbie, Chapter 8 (Experiments) & 12 (Evaluation Research)
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Creswell, Ch. 8
Wildemuth, Chs. 11,12
Assignment: Critique of Research Article(s) in Experiments
Qualitative Research
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Babbie, Chapters 10 (Qualitative Research) & 13 (Qual. Data Analysis)
Wildemuth, Ch. 30
Rubin, H. J., & Rubin, I. S. (2005). Qualitative interviewing: The art of hearing data. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage Publications (Chs. 10, 11). [available in course directory]
Assignment: Critique of Research Article(s) in Qualitative Research
Unobtrusive Research
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Babbie, Chapter 11
Rimland, E. L., “Do We Do It (Good) Well? A Bibliographic Essay on the Evaluation of Reference
Effectiveness,” The Reference Librarian 2007. 47(2) pp 41-55.
Webb, E. et al. Unobtrusive Measures, Revised Edition, Sage, 2000.
Assignment: Critique of Research Article(s) in Unobstrusive Research
Content Analysis
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Wildemuth, Chs. 17, 29
Assignment: Critique of Research Article(s) in Content Analysis
Ethics
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Creswell, pgs. 87-93
Ryan, K. J., Brady, J. V., Cooke, R. E., Height, D. I., Jonsen, A. R., King, P., Lebacqz, K., Louisell, D.
W., Seldin, D., Stellar, E., & Turtle, R. H. (1979). The Belmont Report. [available online at:
http://ohsr.od.nih.gov/guidelines/belmont.html]
General Analysis of Data
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Babbie, Chapters 14, 16.
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Wildemuth, Chs. 33-37
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Hubbard, D. How to Measure Anything, 2nd Edition, Wiley, 2010.
JMP website http://JMP.com
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Assignment: Critique of Research Article(s) in Statistics