34:833:530 Research Methods and Design
Graduate Program in Public Policy | Fall 2014
Professor Cliff Zukin zukin@rci.rutgers.edu
GA: Alana Vega av393@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
CREDOS OF QUANT CLASS
Knowledge Is Power
F. Bacon
The purpose of the social sciences is not to tell us what government should do.
Rather, it is to tell us what government is doing that is or is not working.
I. Kristol (emphasis mine)
If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?
A. Einstein
Relax. This stuff is not all that hard.
C. Zukin
Welcome to the Public Policy program’s introduction to research methods class. Our goal is to
make you more informed consumers of quantitative information. We want you to learn to
design and interpret research so that you can solve problems and make informed decisions.
While it is not possible to separate politics and public policy, we will take as axiomatic the
assertion that better information leads to better policy decisions. And, those who are more
skilled at understanding and working with quantitative (and qualitative) information will be
more successful in accomplishing their goals.
We will cover three discrete areas over the course of the semester: 1) The Research Process,
including conceptualization, measurement and experimental design; 2) Survey Research, how
to interpret polls and tell a good one from a bad one, and how they can be used in program
evaluation; 3) Introduction to Data Analysis and descriptive statistics, how to analyze data and
tell stories with numbers. The second class in the methods sequence next semester focuses on
inferential statistics and advanced data analysis.
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There are no prerequisites, and no previous work in research methodology is assumed.
Mathematical ability matters less than logical thinking and common sense. The reading load is
relatively light, but it is critical that you do the reading the week it is assigned. Given that I
think most learning comes when we are called on to apply what we have taken in, the light
reading load is offset with a relatively heavy amount of homework. There will be some
homework almost every week.
Evaluation Criteria
There is an in-class midterm exam on the course material up through experimental design and a
final that covers survey research and data analysis. In terms of weighting, the midterm will be
worth 35 percent of your grade, survey research and data analysis will be worth 35 percent.
The remaining 30 percent will be based on the weekly homework exercises. In all cases an A is
given for excellent work, a B+ for very good work, and a B for good work. If you get lower than
that it means you have missed something, and we should talk. The homeworks will vary in time
and complexity. Minor homeworks are worth 3 points, medium ones 5 points and major ones
10 points. With so many students it is possible that I’ll revise the homework schedule or points
as the semester unfolds. Please note that homework exercises are due by 12:00 noon on
Mondays so that they can be useful in the next day’s class, unless specified otherwise. Please
submit homework via the Assignment Tool in Sakai as an attachment and bring a hard copy to
class. Late homework is not accepted.
Readings
There are two required textbooks, Research Methods in Practice: Strategies for
Description and Causation by Dahlia Remler and Gregg Van Ryan, Sage Publications, 2nd ed.
2015 (yes, next year). For the data analysis part of the class we’ll be using a second book:
William Wagner III’s Using IBM SPSS Statistics for Research Methods and Social Science
Statistics, 5th ed., also published by Sage, also 2015. We will also be using a reading or two to
fill in the blanks on the survey research part of the class, all of which will be available as PDF
documents on the class Sakai site.
Contact Information
My office is at the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development (2nd floor, room 205).
The entrance is at the corner of Livingston and New, different from the Bloustein building.
Formal office hours are Mondays from 11 to 12 and Tuesday from 12 to 1. I am happy to
schedule appointments with you whenever I am in; the single best way to reach me is through
email at zukin@rci.rutgers.edu. My phone number is 732.848.1031. Alana Vega, the GA for the
class, will post here office hours and can be found in the office next door to mine, room 204.
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Course Schedule of Topics and Readings
PART 1
Week Date
1
9/5
RESEARCH DESIGN
Topic
Introduction and Overview. Goals of the Class. Housekeeping.
Homework 0 Find a Study in the Media due 9/8 at 4:00 pm
2
9/9
The Scientific Method, Vocabulary The role of Applied Social Research
Read Remler Ch 1 pp 1-16; Chapter 2
Homework 1 Deconstruct a Statistic
3
9/16
Conceptualization and Measurement
Read Remler Ch 4
Homework 2 Define and Operationalize a Concept
4
9/23
Research Design 1
Read Remler Ch 11 and Ch 15
Homework 3 Critique a research study
5
9/30
Research Design 2 & Giving Presentations
Read Remler Ch 12; Ch 14 pp 426-450; Ch 17 pp 540-543 and 549-550
Homework 4 Prepare a Research Design (Group Projects)
6
10/7
Research Design 3 Class Presentations/Observation
Read Remler Ch 12 pp 376-400; Ch 7, pp 232-235; Handout on research design
Homework 5 TBD
7
10/14 Research Design 4/ Class Presentations/Ethics/Midterm Prep
Read Remler, Ch 14 pp 455-458; Ch 1 pp 17-23; Ch 16 pp 517-527
No HW, Study for Midterm
8
10/21 Midterm
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PART 2
SURVEY RESEARCH & DATA ANALYSIS
9
10/28 Data Analysis Overview/The GSS/Computer Lab
Read Remler Ch 8 pp 242-251; Wagner Ch 1-3.
Homework 6 Prepare an Analysis Plan
10
11/4
Univariate Data Analysis/Intro to Survey Research/Sampling/Weighting
Read Remler Ch 5; Ch 8 pp 252-256; Ch 7 pp 210-14; Wagner Ch 11, Ch 12,
pp153-155
Homework 7 Run Univariate Frequencies; Make Data Transformations
11
11/11 Bivariate Data Analysis/Questionnaire Design 1
Read Remler Ch 8 pp 257-260; Ch 7 pp 224-232; Ch 17 pp 543-546;
Wagner Ch 7; Handout on Question Wording
Homework 8 Percentagizing; Critiquing Survey Questions
12
11/18 Bivariate Data Analysis/ Visual Display of Data; Questionnaire Design 2
Read Remler Ch 7 pp 215-223; Ch 12 pp 547-49; Wagner Ch 5; Handout on
Graphs
Homework 9 Making Graphs/ Revise Analysis Plan
THANKSGIVING BREAK
13
12/2 Significance Tests 1/Multivariate Analysis=Physical Controls/Survey Research
Wrap Up
Read Remler Ch 9 pp 281-291; Wagner Ch 11
Homework 10 Run and Interpret a Controlled Relationship, Chi2 Statistic
14
15
Significance Tests 2/Multivariate Analysis=Physical Controls 2/Final Prep
Read Remler Ch 16 pp 504-516; Ch 291-310
12/16 Final
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