RESEARCH METHODS
PhD: 620: 557:01
Susan Feinberg
Spring 2011
OFFICE: 1WP: 1095. Email: feinberg@business.rutgers.edu
OFFICE HOURS: Tuesdays 2-4 or by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course provides an introduction to the research process in the social and behavioral sciences
as applied to research in public affairs and business administration. It is designed for doctoral
students who intend to conduct empirical research in scholarly journals. The objective of the
course is to help students gain competence in initiating and conducting empirical studies in the
different applied areas in business administration and public affairs. We will draw on applied
research that has disciplinary foundations in economics, psychology, and sociology. The course
is designed so that, in their own areas, students will learn how to proceed from having a basic
research question to a testable research design and methodology. Since the course will offer
broad exposure to research methods in diverse areas such as micro organizational behavior and
international business/ economics, students will learn how to understand and critique research in
areas outside their own.
Topics covered include the selection and framing of research questions, developing
measurements, designing appropriate methods (e.g., surveys, experiments, using available data),
and writing up a research paper. Although some basic knowledge of statistics would help
understand the above topics, this introductory course does not require advanced knowledge about
statistical techniques. In some cases, techniques will be taught, but in at an introductory level.
A key aim of the class is to have students write the first 2/3 of a journal article. This means the
intro, theory section and a DETAILED methodological plan for undertaking the proposed study.
This plan will include all of the issues we discuss in class, including sampling, measurement, and
research design using any of the methods we’ve covered in class (or qualitative research, which
we have not covered). We will focus on DEVELOPING student ideas. First, early
presentations will be given in class where students will benefit from comments provided by other
students and by myself. Students will use these comments to modify their research and will
briefly present their final projects at the end of the course.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1. Class usually consists of discussion of readings and reporting of any homework
assignments. Students are expected to complete all relevant reading and homework
assignments prior to class and to actively participate in class discussions.
2. Two students take turns leading the class discussion. The job of student leader(s)
includes (1) searching major publications cited as exemplary work; (2) distributing a
summary report of the research, (3) distributing a handout to organize the discussion, and
(4) leading the class in a discussion structured around the discussion questions listed in
the handout.
3. Projects will be assigned in class and students are expected to turn in their work on time.
4. The term paper is an original proposal or paper. Proposals written for other classes may
be turned into papers for this class. A complete proposal should consist of sections that
include introduction, literature review and hypotheses, and methods, and should be
modeled after empirical papers published in top journals in the student’s chosen field.
Specifically, the proposal should describe the research question, justify its relevance and
significance, review theory and research, and describe the proposed sample, measurement
and procedure for data collection. The proposal should be constructed as if it were the
first 2/3 of a top journal article. Proposals should be approximately 15 pages long.
GRADING
Discussion (leadership and general participation)
Assignments
Presentation
Paper or Proposal
15%
25%
10%
50%
Required Text: Approaches to Social Research, by Royce Singleton and Bruce C. Straits
Other major readings:
Maxim, Paul. Quantitative Research Methods in the Social Sciences, selected chapters
Cover and Curd. Philosophy of Science: The Essential Issues, selected chapters
Tentative Class Schedule
Week
Date Topics
1
1/19
Introduction
2
1/26
Scientific Research. What is Science?
Readings FOR THIS CLASS: Singleton, et al., Chapters 1-3. Chapter 1 in
Curd, et al.
3
2/2
Causality and Rational Choice Theory
Readings FOR THIS CLASS: Maxim, Chapter 3, Little, Chapters 2-3,
Singleton, et al., Chapter 4.
Other readings:
Feinberg, S. and M. Keane (2001). US-Canada Trade Liberalization and MNC
Production Location. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 83(1): 118-132.
Feinberg, S. and M. Keane (2006). Accounting for the Growth of MNC-based
Trade using a Structural Model of U.S. MNCs. American Economic Review,
96(5): 1515-1558.
Skim my 2 papers. They're assigned to show different ways to establish
"causality" using different research designs.
Assignment: Submit a list of major current topics in your field. Sources can be
top tier journals, dissertations, conference proceedings, etc. Identify at least 10
topics, and write a few sentences about each. For three topics that interest you
most, indicate what directions you think the research is moving in and any
questions related to the topic(s) you think have not been examined in current
research.
4
2/9
Measurement - Guest Speaker: Petra Christmann
Readings FOR THIS CLASS: Singleton, et al., Chapter 4 or 5
(“Measurement”), Maxim, Ch. 9.
Cording, Margaret, Petra Christmann, and Carmen Wiegelt, (2010) “Measuring
theoretically complex constructs: the case of acquisition performance,” Strategic
Organization, forthcoming February.
Boyd, B.K., Gove, S., & Hitt, M.A. (2005). Construct measurement in strategic.
management research: Illusion or reality? Strategic Management Journal, 26
Alcacer, J. and Gittleman, M. 2006. How do I Know what you Know? Patent
Examiners and the Generation of Patent Citations, The Review of Economics and
Statistics. 88(4): 744-779.
Coltman, T., Devinney, T., Midgley, D., and S. Venaik. 2008. Formative versus
reflective measurement models: Two applications of formative measurement.
Journal of Business Research, Vol. 61 Issue 12, p1250-1262
5
2/16
Assignment: Find two research articles in your field. One that is very well
executed from the standpoint of measurement and another article that is poorly
executed. In 1-3 pages, discuss the articles, the techniques they use and your
assessment of why the methods are or are not well executed from the standpoint
of sampling and/or measurement.
Sampling and Sample Selection Bias
Readings FOR THIS CLASS: Singleton, et al., Chapters on “Sampling” and
“Use of Available Data”
1) Maxim: chapters 6-7
2) Singleton: Chapter on Sampling, AND, Chapter on Using available data. In
my old edition these are chapters 6 and 12. I think, in your edition, these are
chapters 5 and 11.
3) Heckman, et al., 2000. “Understanding black-white wage differentials, 19601990,” American Economic Association Papers and Proceedings, 344-349.
4) Please read Heckman's Nobel Prize Lecture up to page 29. Skip the technical
parts.
5) Roy, A.D. 1951. “Some thoughts on the distribution of Earnings,” Oxford
Economic Papers (3)2: 135-146.
6) James, et al., 2001. "Prejudice Matters: Understanding the reactions of
whites to affirmative action programs targeted to benefit blacks," Journal of
Applied Psychology, 86(6): 1120-1128.
7) Chaney, et al., 2004. Self-Selection of Auditors and Audit Pricing in Private
Firms. The Accounting Review. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(6): 11201128.
Experimental Research Design. – Guest Speaker: Oliver Sheldon
Readings FOR THIS CLASS: Singleton, et al., Chapters 7-8.
6 2/23
Wilson, Aronson and Carlsmith, "The Art of Laboratory Experimentation,"
Handbook of Social Psychology, Susan T. Fiske, Daniel T. Gilbert, Gardner
Lindzey (eds.)
Sheldon and Fishbach, 2011. "Resisting the temptation to compete: Self-control
promotes cooperation in mixed-motive interactions," Journal of Experimental
Psychology
Sheldon, Thomas-Hunt and Proell, 2009. "When Timeliness Matters: The Effect
of Status on Reactions to Perceived Time Delay within Distributed
Collaboration," Journal of Applied Psychology
7
3/2
Survey Research Design Speaker: Daniel Levin
Readings FOR THIS CLASS: Singleton, et al., Chapters 9-10
Telling More Than We Can Know: Verbal Reports on Mental Processes
Richard E. Nisbett and Timothy DeCamp Wilson, Psychological Review, 1977
Knowledge Gathering, Team Capabilities, and Project
Performance in Challenging Work Environments, Martine Haas. Management
Science. 2006
The Strength of Weak Ties You Can Trust: The Mediating Role of Trust in
Effective Knowledge Transfer, Daniel Levin and Rob Cross. Management
Science, 2004
Conflict Management in Construction Projects: The Role of Project Managers'
Educational Background, Training, and Experience, Working paper
8
3/10
Research Using Economic Data
***I will be assigning two categories of reading. First, I'm assigning
introductory readings from econometrics books. Second, I'm assigning "cool"
articles that use econometric methods really well to demonstrate something neat
and interesting.***
Readings for Class:
Introductory Readings:
1) Baltagi, Econometric Analysis of Panel Data, chapter 1
2) Freese, Longitudinal and panel data analysis and applications in the social
sciences, chapter 1
3) Wooldridge, Jeffrey. “The Nature of Econometrics and Economic Data”
Introductory Econometrics: A Modern Approach
4) Kennedy, Peter. Guide to Econometrics, Chapters 1-2.
5) Kennedy, Peter. Sinning in the Basement: What are the Rules? The Ten
Commandments of Applied Econometrics, Journal of Economic Surveys.
Cool Articles
1) Fisman, R. Corruption, Norms and Legal Enforcement: Evidence from
Diplomatic Parking Tickets, Journal of Political Economy
2) Li, Morck, Yang and Yeung. Firm-Specific Variation and Openness in
Emerging Markets, The Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol. 86, No.
3 (Aug., 2004), pp. 658-669
3) Keane and Prasad: The Employment and Wage Effects of Oil Price
Changes: A Sectoral Analysis, The Review of Economics and Statistics
9
3/23
Student research early discussion and presentation of **ideas**.
10
3/30
Student research early discussion and presentation of **ideas**.
11
4/6
Student research early discussion and presentation of **ideas**.
12
4/13
State Dependence and Heterogeneity
Readings for Class:
Keith Head”, John Ries*, Deborah Swenson Agglomeration benefits and location
choice: Evidence from Japanese manufacturing investments in the United States,
Canadian Journal of Economics, 1995.
James J. Heckman; George J. Borjas, Does Unemployment Cause Future
Unemployment? Definitions, Questions and Answers from a Continuous Time
Model of Heterogeneity and State Dependence, Economica, New Series, Vol. 47,
No. 187, (Aug., 1980), pp. 247-283.
Shane M. Greenstein, Did Installed Base Give an Incumbent any (Measureable)
Advantages in Federal Computer Procurement?. RAND Journal of Economics,
Vol. 24, No. 1. (Spring, 1993), pp. 19-39.
Andrew B. Bernard and J. Bradford Jensen. Why Some Firms Export. The
Review of Economics and Statistics, May 2004, 86(2): 561–569
13
4/20
Panel Data Hands-On
Readings for Class:
My notes:
1) Getting Started with Panel Data
2) Panel Data, Part 2: Summarizing Data and some basic commands
3) Panel Data Part 3: FE and RE regression analysis
4) Panel Data part 4: Some estimation issues
14
4/27
Wrap-up