University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
SOC 381 – Social Research
Fall 2014
Instructor: Dr. Julia Meszaros
Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 10:15-11:15 and by appointment
Email Address: meszaroj@uwosh.edu
Class Meets: MW, 1:50-3:20 PM
Room: Sage Hall, Room 3235
Text: Babbie, Earl. 2010. The Basics of Social Research, 5th edition. Belmont, CA:
Thomson Wadsworth Publishing. ISBN: 0495812242. Available at the bookstore and
online both new and used.
Course Description: Critical examination and interpretation of the research process.
Methods and theory used in the behavioral sciences in obtaining, interpreting, and
presenting data. Prerequisites: Sociology 203 and 281 (with a grade of C or better in
each), and a declared major in Sociology.
Course Objectives: This course will provide an overview of research methods used in
the social sciences, from participant observation to computer analysis. Students will learn
how to choose a research topic, write a hypothesis, and conduct a literature search as well
as develop a formal research proposal and apply for IRB (Institutional Review Board)
approval. Each student will conduct his/her IRB approved research project in SOC481
(Senior Seminar: required course for Sociology major) in the following semester.
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) Define and explain the fundamental concepts of the methods used in social science
2) Critically read and evaluate research reports and publications.
3) Apply various research design techniques to form methodologically sound research
4) Know how to apply for IRB approval.
Course Requirements: Students’ assignments will focus on developing their research
proposals, piece by piece, as well as learning the ways in which to conduct their own
sociological research. For this reason, this course will be writing and project intensive.
Also, the peer review process will be an important component of the course, as working
with peers is an essential part of conducting academic research. Students will complete: a
Problem Statement, Research Questions, Literature Review, Methods Section, an
abstract, and a completed Final Research Proposal that must gain IRB approval. All
course assignments must be uploaded through the D2L Dropbox function. Late work will
get 10 points subtracted for each day it is late.
Problem Statement, Abstract and Research Questions: Total of 100 points
Since the problem statement, abstract and research questions are shorter, they will be
worth 100 total. The problem statement and abstract will each be worth 25 points, and the
Research Questions draft will be worth 50 points. Follow the guidelines for writing an
abstract (no more than 250 words) and problem statement (why does this research
question matter?).
Literature Review: 100 points
This draft will include an argument crafted out of the scholarly (online sources are NOT
valid) literature that already exists about your research topic. You want to demonstrate in
your argument that the literature is missing an important piece about the topic you are
choosing to pursue and help to illuminate.
Methods Section: 100 points
This draft will include a detailed description of the methods you will be employing in
your research and why those methods are the most appropriate ones to utilize to answer
your research questions.
Final Research Proposal: 300 points
The outcome of the previous sections of the proposal will be put together into one
polished draft that is ready for IRB approval. You must incorporate the comments from
the professor and your peer reviewers in your final draft. You will be graded upon how
well you have incorporated feedback into your project.
IRB Approval: 100 points
Conducting the CIIT approval will be a graded, first step towards gaining IRB approval.
This will be worth 25 points. Before students submit the IRB application, they have to
receive Dr. Paul Van Auken’s approval first since he is going to supervise each student’s
research project in SOC481 (Senior Seminar) in the following semester. Therefore, it is
each student’s responsibility to contact Dr. Van Auken outside of the classroom before
the deadline to receive his approval, advice, or comments. Dr. Van Auken’s approval is
worth 25 points. Your final certificate of IRB approval will be worth 50 points.
Peer Review: 200 points
The peer review process is an extremely important component of academic work, as well
as most private sector jobs. You will be evaluated on the content of your peer reviews
and how helpful your revisions and comments actually are to your peers. Comments such
as, “That’s a perfect paper!”, are not helpful to anyone. Your comments need to critically
engage what you are learning in class and actually apply the things you have learned to
other people’s work.
Attendance and Participation: 100 points
Since this class is small and intimate, your participation as students is very important to
creating a successful and engaged learning environment. I expect you will come to class
with a wealth of comments for your peers and be prepared to present your own work to
the class during our meetings. You must also demonstrate respect towards your other
peers in your comments if they are critical.
Grading System: I believe that everyone earns his or her grades. Thus my grading
system will be based upon a point earning system:
Total: 1000 points, using a typical grading scale (92-100% for an ‘A’)
This way it is also easier for you to keep track of your grades as well, since there will be
no averaging involved.
Expectations: Turn off your cell phone when you enter the classroom. No cell phone
conversations are allowed in the class room. No text messaging (facebook, etc) while you
are in the class. When you have to leave the classroom early, notify your instructor before
the class starts. Do NOT use your laptop computer to take notes in this class unless you
have a document from the Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities.
Students with disabilities who would like to request a reasonable accommodation should
contact the instructor to make arrangements. Disability information is kept confidential.
Contact the Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities (CSSD), Dean of
Students Office, 125 Dempsey Hall, 800 Algoma Blvd., Oshkosh, WI 54901 (920) 4243100. See Student Handbook for more details.
I do not give Incompletes. If you decide to remain in this course beyond the withdrawal
deadline, you will have completed the course, and therefore, you will receive a letter
grade. If you choose to stop participating in the class without officially withdrawing, you
will receive a course grade based on the number of points you earned before you ceased
to participate divided by the total number of points possible.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is a serious case of academic misconduct and will be dealt with in
a serious manner. It is the most serious crime someone can commit in academia: taking
credit for ideas and words that are not their own. According to the UW Oshkosh website,
plagiarism is: The deliberate use and appropriation of another's work without any
indication of the source and the representation of such work as the student's own. Any
student, who fails to give credit for ideas, expressions or materials taken from another
source, including internet sources, is guilty of plagiarism. Any student helping another to
plagiarize may be found guilty of academic misconduct. If you have any questions
regarding plagiarism, please reference this website
http://www.uwosh.edu/library/research/citing-sources/plagiarism-resources or feel free
to ask me. If you are not sure if something should be cited, then it would be advisable to
cite it. You will not get in trouble for citing something that shouldn’t be cited but you
will for not citing something that should be.
Note: This syllabus is subject to change if the need arises.
Date
Topic
Reading Assignment
Week One
(9/3-9/5)
Welcome/Intro
Human Inquiry
Chapter 1
Week Two
(9/8-9/12)
Social Science Theories
Chapter 2
Week Three
(9/15-9/19)
Ethics of Social Research
Chapter 3
CIIT TRAINING CERTIFICATE DUE on WED 9/17!!!!
Week 4
(9/22-9/26)
Research Design
Chapter 4
PROBLEM STATEMENT DUE WED 9/24!!!!!
Week 5
(9/29-10/3)
Conceptualization and Measurement
Chapter 5
RESEARCH QUESTIONS DUE WED 10/1!!!!!!
Week 6
(10/6-10/10)
Indexes, Scales, and Typologies
Chapter 6
PEER REVIEW OF LITERATURE REVIEW DUE WED 10/8
Week 7
(10/13-17)
The Logic of Sampling
Chapter 7
LITERATURE REVIEW DUE WED 10/8
Week 8
(10/20-10/25)
Experiments
Week 9
(10/27-10/31)
Survey Research
Chapter 9
PEER REVIEW OF METHODS DUE WED 10/29!!!!
Week 10
(11/3-11/7)
Qualitative Field Research
METHODS DUE WED 11/5!!!!
Week 11
(11/10-11/14)
Unobtrusive Methods
Chapter 11
NO CLASS (11/12!!!!!) Must also contact Dr. Van Auken by 14th
Week 12
(11/17-11/21)
Qualitative Data Analysis
Chapter 13
PEER REVIEW OF FINAL DRAFT DUE (11/21)
Week 13
(11/24-11/29)
Quantitative Data Analysis
Chapter 14
NO CLASS ON WED! HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Chapter 8
Chapter 10
Week 14
(12/1-12/5)
Writing Research
Chapter 15
Week 15
(12/8-12/12)
FINAL PROPOSALS and IRB ACCEPTANCE
DUE 12/10!!!