I575 - INFORMATICS RESEARCH DESIGN
Indiana University School of Informatics – IUPUI
Spring 2007
Course Details: 3 Credit Hours | Room: IT 077 | Thursday 6 – 8.40 pm | Section: 22278
535 W. Michigan St., Indianapolis, IN 46202 [map]
First class: Thursday, January 11, 2007
Instructor:
Karl MacDorman, Ph.D. (Cambridge), Associate Professor
macdorman.com
Office Address: Office: IT 487 | Email:
Phone: 317 222-1964
Office Hours: Thursday 4 – 6 pm and 8:40 – 9 pm
Contact Policy: Contact Dr. MacDorman by phone 8 am – 9 pm or by email.
Prerequisites:
None (Not an extension of any undergraduate course.)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Full spectrum of research concepts, designs, and methodologies used in informatics research,
from quantitative to qualitative research; from deterministic, hypothesis-driven experimental
designs to a posteriori discovery through data mining. Philosophical foundations to practical
applications. Provides the conceptual framework in which informatics graduate students may
develop their own research agenda.
EXPANED COURSE DESCRIPTION
The main focus of this course is Informatics
• research design,
• research methodologies,
• descriptive and inferential statistics, and
• tools for data analysis.
This course will examine the broad spectrum of research concepts, designs, and methodologies
used in informatics research. Course content will range from philosophical foundations to
practical applications. The intention of this course is to provide a conceptual framework in which
the informatics graduate students may develop their research agenda. Informatics research,
ranging from bioinformatics to human-computer interaction, draws on a range of disciplines,
from chemistry to cognitive psychology. Consequently, this course strives to introduce the
informatics graduate student to the gamut of research designs that can be encountered, from
quantitative to qualitative research, from deterministic, hypothesis-driven experimental designs
to a posteriori discovery.
INTENDED STUDENTS
This course is intended for all graduate students planning to undertake research in an area related
to informatics including bioinformatics, health informatics, human-computer interaction, and
new media. Depending on their majors, students will hold undergraduate degrees in a wide range
of disciplines in the arts and sciences, as well as medicine and nursing. Most of the students will
have little or no experience conducting research. This course is intended as preparatory to
undertaking research projects for Master’s theses and doctoral dissertations.
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REQUIRED MATERIALS
Textbooks
Babbie, E. (2004). The basics of social research (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. ISBN 0-53463036-7 [used]
Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method approaches
(2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN 0-7619-2442-6
Field, A. (2000). Discovering statistics using SPSS (2nd ed). London: Sage. ISBN 0-7619-4452-4
Statistical Software
•
•
SPSS version 12, 13, or 14 for Windows, SPSS, Inc. 2005. (Field’s book is written for v. 13.)
SPSS is installed in the labs on the second and third floor of the IT Building and is available
to students for purchase at the IUPUI Jags Bookstore for around $25 (v. 14 for Windows; v.
12 for Macs).
RECOMMENDED MATERIALS
Research Methods
Patten, M. L. (2005). Understanding research methods (5th ed.). Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Publishing. ISBN 18845-8564-7
Walliman, N. (2005). Your research project (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. ISBN 1-41290132-4
Statistical Analysis
Kraemer, H. C. & Thiemann, S. (1987). How many subjects? Statistical power analysis in research. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. ISBN 0-8039-2949-8
Myers, J. L. Well, A. D. Research design and statistical analysis (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates. ISBN 0-8058-4037-0
Vaughan, L. (2001). Statistical methods for the information professional. Medford, NJ: Information Today.
ISBN 1-5738-7110-9
Literature Review
Fink, A. (2004). Conducting research literature reviews: From paper to the Internet (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks,
CA: Sage Publications. ISBN 1-4129-0904-X
Girden, E. R. (2001). Evaluating research articles: From start to finish (2nd ed.). ISBN 0-7619-2214-8
Thesis Development
Locke, L. F., Spirduso, W. W., & Silverman, S. J. (1999). Proposals that work: A guide for planning
dissertations and grant proposals (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN 0-7619-1707-1
Rudestam, K. E. & Newton, R. R. (2000). Surviving your dissertation: A comprehensive guide to content and
process (2nd ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN 0-7619-1962-7
Turabian, K. L. (1996). A manual for writers of term papers, theses, and dissertations (6th ed.). Chicago, IL:
The University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-2268-1627-3
IU Guide to the Preparation of Thesis and Dissertations
Writing
Hacker, D. & Fister, B. (2006). Writer’ reference (6th ed.) and APA quick reference card. New York: BedfordSt. Martin’s. ISBN 0-3124-6530-0
Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). (2001). Washington, DC: American
Psychological Association. ISBN 1-5579-8791-2
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OUTLINE of COURSE CONTENTS
Week
1. The Structure of Inquiry (Babbie except as noted)
a. A Framework for Design (Creswell)
2
b. Review of the Literature (Creswell)
3
c. Research Design
3
d. Conceptualization, Operationalization, and Measurement
5
e. Indexes, Scales, and Typologies
5
f. The Logic of Sampling
7
2. Statistics (Field)
a. An Overview of Statistics
1
b. The SPSS Environment
2
c. Exploring Data
4
d. Correlation
6
e. Regression (skip 5.6, 5.8, 5.10)
8
f. Comparing Two Means
10
3. Designing Research (Creswell)
a. The Introduction
9
b. The Purpose Statement
9
c. Research Questions and Hypotheses
9
d. The Use of Theory
11
4. Quantitative Observation and Data Analysis (Babbie)
a. Experiments
9
b. Quantitative Data Analysis
11
c. Survey Research
12
d. Quantitative Methods (Creswell)
13
5. Qualitative Observation and Data Analysis (Babbie)
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a. Qualitative Field Research
13
b. Qualitative Data Analysis
14
c. Qualitative Methods (Creswell)
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COURSE OUTCOMES and COURSE OBJECTIVES
The overall goal of this course is to help prepare informatics graduate students to conduct their
research. This goal will be met by
1. Providing a conceptual framework for research by introducing the basic concepts of research
that apply to all disciplines;
2. Imparting a sense of the culture of research by presenting the purposes and principles of
research generally valued by all investigators;
3. Fostering appreciation for the diversity of research by comparing the assumptions and
intentions of different research paradigms;
4. Promoting confidence in conducting research by relating general principles to practical
examples;
5. Engendering a critical perception of research by rigorously evaluating published studies;
6. Providing an understanding of statistics required to conduct quantitative data analysis;
7. Introducing SPSS as a package for statistical analysis;
8. Developing a more practical understanding of statistics by approaching statistical methods in
the context of specific applications;
9. Introducing tools for qualitative data analysis.
COURSE TEXT, READING, and CLASS DISCUSSIONS
Assessing Your Understanding of the Readings:
We will cover about two readings per week, or approximately 50 pages of material. Readings
include chapters from the course text or journal articles. Each student should not only read the
assigned material but arrive at a competent understanding of it before class. Three measures will
be used to assess learning competency from the weekly readings:
1. Weekly discussions, directed by specific questions, will be integrated into the instructor’s
lectures. During this time the instructor will challenge student comprehension, while adding
practical applications to the theoretical content.
2. Weekly in-class questions on the readings (i.e., quizzes) will be given to assess learning and
comprehension, as well as to determine whether students are doing the readings.
3. Practice exercises in SPSS will be assigned. They must be submitted on the day before the
next class.
4. Students must prepare and give in class a PowerPoint presentation on one of the course
readings or relevant software or methods.
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COURSE GRADE BREAKDOWN
1. Audiovisual presentation
25%
2. Constructive critic
10%
3. Practical exercises (Smart Alex’s tasks)
15%
4. Questions on weekly readings (i.e., in-class quizzes)
40%
5. Class participation
10%
Explanation:
1. Each student is assigned a topic to prepare and present as a PowerPoint presentation. Topics
include Chapter 3, 4, or 7 from Field, one or more of the assigned chapters from Creswell,
data analysis software, or a data analysis method. Presentations are due the day before the
third class.
2. Each student is assigned a constructive critic, who will check the student’s work and receive
part of the student’s grade for the checked assignment. The constructive critic must provide
feedback within 72 hours of receiving the presentation.
3. Practical exercises are due the day before the next class.
4. There will be in-class questions on weekly readings to assess learning outcomes. The
questions come after a reading assignment is due and after that assignment has been reviewed
in class.
5. Participation and engagement during class discussions:
•
Responsive and knowledgeable of text material in discussions and presentations
•
Evidence of preparation for class discussions
•
Class attendance and promptness
•
Deportment, consideration, and respect
GRADING SCALE
Grade
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
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Percentage
97-100
93-96.99
90-92.99
87-89.99
83-86.99
80-82.99
77-79.99
73-76.99
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POLICIES FOR ATTENDANCE AND ASSIGNMENT/PROJECT DEADLINES
1. Missing class will affect your grade. Students are allowed two (excused or unexcused)
absences before their grade will be affected. In other words, whether you are sick or have
personal problems or issues for missing class, it will amount to the same. Missing class
means you do not show for the entire evening of class. The grade reduction policy works in
this way.
a. On the third missed class your final grade will drop 5 points (regardless of the reason).
b. On the fourth missed class your final grade will drop 10 points (regardless of the reason).
c. On the fifth missed class a grade of F will be issued for the course.
2. Responsible for all materials or content: All material covered in class or any assignments
made during class are the students’ responsibility. In other words, if class is missed, the
student is responsible to find out what was covered, whether course content, an assignment,
quiz, or a revision to a due date, time, or place of an assignment.
3. Class Tardiness and Incompletes: Because evening classes are so lengthy, coming late to
class can also affect your grade. 15 to 60 minutes late will result in a note being recorded. An
accumulation of regular tardiness could reduce your grade at the end of the class under the
category of class participation, which is a percent of your final grade. Two 60 minutes (or
more) late will count as one missed class and will then follow the same policy as above.
Incompletes will not be issued except under extreme personal conditions that have been
reviewed by the instructor and in some cases in consultation with the Dean’s Office.
4. Deadlines: All assignment deadlines are outlined in this syllabus. The instructor will give
reminders of these dates, but in the end each student is responsible for the deadline. Course
assignment deadlines should be adhered to in order to insure fairness to all students. For the
purpose of maintaining an equal and fair evaluation of each student’s work, no student will
receive special treatment. As a result, the following rules will apply to this course:
a. All assignments must be ready to hand in at the designated time and place as stated on
the assignment sheet, as discussed in class or communicated via email, or on the
syllabus.
b. All assignments handed in late will be reduced 10 points for every day late (24 hrs.
from the due date and time).
c. Not coming to class to hand in an assignment or forgetting to bring the assignment
does not constitute a valid excuse for being late. In other words, if a student has not
finished an assignment and decides to not come to class, both the absence will be
recorded and a zero grade will be assigned to the project without exception.
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UNIVERSITY POLICIES
1. University Attendance Policy: Attendance is required. The University regulations state,
“Students are expected to be present for every meeting of the classes in which they are
enrolled.” IUPUI faculty are required to submit to the office of the Register a record of
student attendance through the semester, on which they will take action if the record conveys
a trend of absenteeism. As a result, attendance will be taken in all classes. If you do not sign
your name while in class you will be marked absent. The instructor is not expected to
remember who attended when, so signing the sheet while in class is important.
2. Bringing your children to class: University Policy states that: “Children are not permitted
to attend class with parents, guardians, or childcare providers. This conduct has the effect of
unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance creating an
offensive learning environment.… A student must not violate course rules as contained in a
course syllabus, which are rationally related to the content of the course or to the
enhancement of the learning process in the course.” [Code of Student Rights,
Responsibilities, and Conduct, page 29]
3. Academic Dishonesty, Lack of Integrity, and Plagiarism: Using another student’s work
on a project or assignment, cheating on a test, or any other form of dishonesty or plagiarism
will result in a grade of zero on that assignment and possibly an F in the course, and will be
referred to the Dean of Students. All students should aspire to high standards of academic
honesty. This class encourages cooperation and the exchange of ideas. For further reference,
students may see:
a. http://www.iupui.edu/~resgrad/grad/academic_misconduct_curriculum_subcommittee.rtf.
b. http://life.iupui.edu/dos/code.htm.
4. Values and ethics: Profanity or derogatory comments about or towards the instructor or any
member of the class will not be tolerated. Violating this rule will result in a warning and if
the offense continues, administrative action will be taken.
5. Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct: All students are responsible for
reading, understanding, and applying the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and
Conduct of IUPUI. Students may access http://life.iupui.edu/dos/code.htm for further
information regarding the above points.
6. Disabilities Policy: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all
qualified students enrolled in this course are entitled to “reasonable accommodations.” Please
notify the instructor during the first week of class of any accommodations needed for the
course.
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COURSE SCHEDULE
All weekly readings, online study questions, and web quizzes must be completed by the next
class. All other assignments are due on the day before the next class and must be submitted
through OnCourse CL. This includes Smart Alex’s tasks and PowerPoint presentations.
Week
1
Discovering Statistics Using SPSS
Reading:
• Chapter 1: An Overview of Statistics
Homework:
• Chapter 1: Smart Alex’s Stats Quiz
• Chapter 1: Online Study Questions
• Prepare a presentation on assigned topic
2
Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches
Reading:
• Chapter 1: A Framework for Design
Discovering Statistics Using SPSS
Reading:
• Chapter 2: The SPSS Environment
Homework:
• Chapter 2: Smart Alex’s Task
3
Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches
Reading:
• Chapter 2: Review of the Literature
The Basics of Social Research
Reading:
• Chapter 4: Research Design
Homework:
• Chapter 4: Web Quiz
4
Discovering Statistics Using SPSS
Reading:
• Chapter 3: Exploring Data
Homework:
• Chapter 3: Smart Alex’s Task
• Chapter 3: Online Study Questions
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5
The Basics of Social Research
Reading:
• Chapter 5: Conceptualization, Operationalization, and Measurement
• Chapter 6: Indexes, Scales, and Typologies
Homework:
• Chapter 5: Web Quiz
• Chapter 6: Web Quiz
6
Discovering Statistics Using SPSS
Reading:
• Chapter 4: Correlation
Homework:
• Chapter 4: Smart Alex’s Tasks
• Chapter 4: Online Study Questions
7
The Basics of Social Research
Reading:
• Chapter 7: The Logic of Sampling
Homework:
• Chapter 7: Web Quiz
8
Discovering Statistics Using SPSS
Reading:
• Chapter 5: Regression (skip 5.6, 5.8, 5.10)
Homework:
• Chapter 5: Smart Alex’s Tasks
• Chapter 5: Online Study Questions
9
Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches
Reading:
• Chapter 4: The Introduction
• Chapter 5: The Purpose Statement
• Chapter 6: Research Questions and Hypotheses
The Basics of Social Research
Reading:
• Chapter 8: Experiments
Homework:
• Chapter 8: Web Quiz
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10
Discovering Statistics Using SPSS
Reading:
• Chapter 7: Comparing Two Means
Homework:
• Chapter 7: Smart Alex’s Tasks
• Chapter 7: Online Study Questions
11
Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches
Reading:
• Chapter 7: The Use of Theory
The Basics of Social Research
Reading:
• Chapter 14: Quantitative Data Analysis
Homework:
• Chapter 14: Web Quiz
12
The Basics of Social Research
Reading:
• Chapter 9: Survey Research
Homework:
• Chapter 9: Web Quiz
13
Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches
Reading:
• Chapter 9: Quantitative Methods
The Basics of Social Research
Reading:
• Chapter 10: Qualitative Field Research
• Chapter 10: Web Quiz
14
The Basics of Social Research
Reading:
• Chapter 13: Qualitative Data Analysis
Homework:
• Chapter 13: Web Quiz
Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches
Reading:
• Chapter 10: Qualitative Methods
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AUDIOVISUAL PRESENTATION ASSIGNMENTS
The Basics of Social Research
Presenter
Constructive critic
4. Research Design
MacDorman
5. Conceptualization, Operationalization, Measurement MacDorman
6. Indexes, Scales, and Typologies
MacDorman
7. The Logic of Sampling
MacDorman
8. Experiments
MacDorman
9. Survey Research
MacDorman
10. Qualitative Field Research
MacDorman
13. Qualitative Data Analysis
MacDorman
14. Quantitative Data Analysis
MacDorman
Discovering Statistics Using SPSS
Note: PowerPoint figures are provided for chapters in this book: Field.zip
1. An Overview of Statistics
MacDorman
2. The SPSS Environment
____________ ____________
3. Exploring Data
MacDorman
4. Correlation
____________ ____________
5. Regression
MacDorman
7. Comparing Two Means
____________ ____________
Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Method Approaches
Note: For this book, three matching or multiple choice questions are also required.
1. A Framework for Design
____________ ____________
2. Review of the Literature
____________ ____________
3. Writing Strategies and Ethical Considerations
____________ ____________
4. The Introduction
____________ ____________
5. The Purpose Statement
(same as above)
6. Research Questions and Hypotheses
____________ ____________
7. The Use of Theory
____________ ____________
8. Quantitative Methods
____________ ____________
9. Qualitative Methods
____________ ____________
Data Analysis Software (for example…)
1. Praat (for sound)
____________ ____________
____________ ____________
2. Prosogram for Praat (for voice)
3. BLAST (bioinformatics)
____________ ____________
4. Bioconductor (bioinformatics)
____________ ____________
5. Transana (audio video QDA)
____________ ____________
____________ ____________
6. Weft QDA (for text)
A Data Analysis Method (for example…)
1. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
____________ ____________
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
GUIDELINES FOR MAKING A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
If you are presenting on one of the readings, including a few questions distributed throughout
the presentation would be helpful, because this enhances learning by prompting fellow
students to recall information and by encouraging class discussion. A good strategy is to put
the question at the bottom of a slide or on a slide by itself and to provide the answer at the
top of the next slide.
A presentation should not have more than 30 slides in general, not counting slides that
contain a single question.
If you are presenting on one of the readings and want to include supplementary material that
was not mentioned by the author you are summarizing, change the background color.
The main body of a slide should appear in 28 to 32 point, so that the slide is still readable
when it is printed in handout format. Text in figures should be no smaller than 24 point.
Animating slides is not an effective use of your time. It also makes it slower for you to jump
back and forth in your presentation to answer questions on a slide that is out of view. It
should especially not be used to load up a slide with overlapping material that cannot be
viewed on a printout. Animate a slide if it makes it easier to explain its content only.
Do not fiddle with the margins of the textbox in a slide so that you can fit in more material.
This gives an unprofessional appearance and can make it harder to make global style
changes.
Make sure that there is a sufficient contrast between text and background so that text is
clearly legible. There are some advantages of using black text on a white background: (1)
People are used to reading it; (2) if the presentation is printed to PDF, the background will
appear white when printed and thus will not waste ink; and (3) colors and grays are often half
toned by printers and thus appear fuzzy.
An sample PowerPoint presentation designed to adhere to the above criteria is available here:
BabbieCh4.ppt.
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