POLS 340: Undergraduate Research Methods
Tuesday and Thursday, 11:00-12:15
Dusable 170 and Dusable 459
Fall 2007
Dr. Matt Streb
Office: Zulauf 407
E-MAIL: mstreb@niu.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30-10:30; Wednesday, 8:30-11:30
TA: Mr. Casey LaFrance
Office: DuSable 476
E-MAIL: tlafranc@niu.edu
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 12:00-1:30
“Statistical thinking will one day be as necessary a qualification
for efficient citizenship as the ability to read and write.”
--H.G. Wells
Course Description: The world of politics offers a nearly infinite array of interesting
questions. Why did George W. Bush win the 2004 presidential election? Can we predict
who will win the 2008 presidential election? Is Europe’s adoption of a common currency
a merely superficial change or an important development fundamentally affecting the
region’s political and economic institutions? Why has religious fundamentalism thrived
in Islamic countries? Do Supreme Court justices generally follow precedent when
making their rulings or their own personal beliefs? Does a cultural divide exist in the
United States? For these and literally thousands of other questions, potential answers
may be difficult to sort out, and it is even harder to demonstrate conclusively that one of
those answers is more “correct” than another. This course will help you think more
carefully and systematically about political questions, their potential answers, and the
types of evidence needed to evaluate those answers.
The first half of this course introduces students to social science research by discussing
how one develops a research question and hypotheses. The second part of the course
provides students with the tools necessary to test hypotheses systematically and
quantitatively. This does mean that you will learn some basic statistics. Many students
get ill when they find out that they are required to take a quantitative methods course to
graduate (I was one of them!), but learning data analysis can be extremely beneficial to
you in the future and even fun.
You probably won’t believe this now, but a course on quantitative methods can benefit
every student in different ways. While still in school, the course will help you in other
courses by making it easier to understand political science research and leading you to
ask important questions about that research. In addition, a basic knowledge of statistics
also makes students more attractive to potential employers in a wide-range of fields. This
course will also help those of you who are headed to a graduate program in social science
by providing you with a background in the tools necessary to excel in that program. We
don’t require the course to punish you; we require it because it is important and useful.
Who knows? You might shock yourself by deciding you want to take another statistics
class! I certainly never imagined when I walked in to my first methods class that I would
end up teaching it for a living!
Grading:
Your grade will be based on the following components:
 30% Take Home Assignments—Each assignment is worth 6% of your final grade.
I will drop your lowest score, however I will only do so if you hand in all six of
your assignments. In other words, if you do not hand in an assignment, each
assignment then counts 5% of your final grade and none can be dropped.

30% Midterm

30% Final Exam--The final will not be cumulative. It will only cover material
discussed after the Midterm.

10% Participation
The reading load for this course is light. On the other hand, you will be expected to
complete six take-home assignments during the semester. These assignments will require
a fair amount of work, so procrastination is not encouraged. Read the assignment when
you receive it and be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to complete it. An assignment
is considered to be late if it is not turned in at the beginning of class on the day it is due.
I do not accept late assignments! If the assignment is not handed in on time, you
will receive a 0 for that assignment.
Several of these assignments will require you to use the statistical program SPSS. We
will work through several SPSS exercises in class together and then you will be required
to do some assignments outside of class. When we use SPSS, we will meet in DuSable
170; otherwise we will meet in DuSable 459.
The two in-class examinations will be held on Tuesday, October 16th and Tuesday,
December 11th (10 AM).
Finally, participation will constitute 10% of your final grade. I have no formal
attendance policy, but I will take attendance in class and your participation grade will
depend on how frequently you attend and how much you participate (constructively) in
class discussion. Do not take your participation grade for granted!
Grading Scale:
93%-100%
A
83%-87.4% B
73%-77.4% C
90%-92.9%
80%-82.9%
70%-72.9%
ABC-
87.5%-89.9% B+
77.5%-79.9% C+
67.5%-69.9% D+
63%-67.4%
D
60%-62.9%
D-
Less than 60% F
In rare instances, I will raise a final grade slightly if the student regularly attends class,
participates, and shows progress.
Required Course Materials:
Two books are required for this course:
Pollock III, Philip H. 2005. An SPSS Companion to Political Analysis, 2nd ed.
Washington, D.C.: CQ Press.
Rochefort, David A. 2006. Quantitative Methods in Practice: Readings form PS.
Washington, D.C.: CQ Press.
These books are available at the NIU bookstore. Students are strongly encouraged to visit
sites such as www.campusi.com to find cheaper, used versions of these books (although
students should not buy earlier editions of the books as they have been updated
substantially. Also, if you buy the Pollock book online you must be sure that the CD is
included with it).
In addition to the two required books, students are encouraged to buy the following:
Johnson, Janet Buttolph, and H.T. Reynolds. 2005. Political Science Research
Methods, 5th ed. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press.
Students may find Johnson and Reynolds to be a useful resource to more fully explain
many of the concepts we discuss in class.
You may have also noticed that a fee was required to take this course. That fee allows
you access to the SOCQRL Computer Lab in DuSable 222. You will be able to do your
assignments in the SOCQRL Lab and have trained tutors available to help you. The lab
is open Monday-Thursday from 12PM-10PM, Friday from 8AM-5PM, and Sunday from
6PM-10PM. You can visit the SOCQRL webpage (ww.socqrl.niu.edu) for more
information. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Course Policies:
1. Attendance: Simply put, you are expected to be here. If you have any hope of passing
the class or doing well, you will need to be in class. I have yet to meet a person who has
regularly missed my class and passed the course.
2. Be on time: Class begins promptly at 11:00. Please be in your seats and ready to go
at 11:00. If you must be late, please enter the class quietly and quickly and sit in the
back.
3. Turn the cell phones off!: My policy is that if your cell phone goes off in class, I’m
the one who answers it. Unless you want me talking to your parents, siblings, or
boyfriend/girlfriend, turn the cell phones off. If you have an extenuating circumstance
(e.g., pregnant spouse, day care, etc.), please let me know.
4. Makeup Exams: I will only give a makeup examination under extraordinary
circumstances. If such circumstances arise, please contact me as soon as possible and
before the scheduled exam. If you fail to contact me before the scheduled exam, you will
receive a 0 for the exam. Students may be asked to support requests for makeup exams
with documentation.
5. Late Assignments: I do not accept late assignments. If you fail to hand in one of your
assignments on time, you will receive a 0 for the assignment. If an extraordinary
situation arises that will keep you from handing in your assignment on time, please
contact me as soon as possible and before the scheduled assignment is due. Being out of
town does not constitute an “extraordinary situation.”
6. Contacting me: The best way to get in touch with me is to come to my office hours.
If you can not make my office hours, please send me an email with several dates and
times that you are available to meet and I will be happy to set something up. If you send
me an email, I will respond as quickly as possible. However, I will only respond to
emails that use capitalization and punctuation and are not replete with grammatical
errors. i will not rspnd 2 u if i recve a messge that look like this lol
7. Academic Dishonesty: In preparing for your work and meeting the requirements of
this course, you are expected to adhere to all the rules, regulations, and standards set forth
by the Department of Political Science, Northern Illinois University, and the scholarly
community. This statement encompasses intentional and unintentional plagiarism;
cheating on examinations; using, purchasing, or stealing others’ work; misusing library
materials; and so forth. Failure to honor these rules, regulations, and standards could
result in a failing course grade and/or suspension or expulsion from the university. Don’t
plagiarize or cheat. I will catch you!
8. Students with Disabilities: Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, NIU
is committed to making reasonable accommodations for persons with documented
disabilities. Those students with disabilities that may have some impact on their
coursework and for which they may require accommodations should notify the Center for
Access-Ability Resources (CARR) on the fourth floor of the Health Services Building.
CAAR will assist students in making appropriate accommodations with course
instructors. It is important that CARR and instructors be informed of any disabilityrelated needs during the first two weeks of the semester.
Rules for DuSable 170:
1. No food or drink.
2. Turn off your computer before leaving for the day.
3. Please clean up around your workstation before leaving for the day.
How Can I Do Well in this Course?:
This class will be different from previous political science courses you have had.
Because it is different, students sometimes struggle with the material. Therefore, it is
imperative that you attend class and keep up with the readings. If you get behind, you
will find that it is extremely difficult to catch up. Also, students are strongly
encouraged to ask questions during lectures or visit me or Casey during our office hours.
Don’t be shy. If you don’t understand something, I guarantee someone else in the class
doesn’t understand it as well.
Department of Political Science Web Site:
Undergraduates are strongly encouraged to consult the Department of Political
Science web site on a regular basis. This up-to-date, central source of information will
assist students in contacting faculty and staff, reviewing course requirements and syllabi,
exploring graduate study, researching career options, tracking department events, and
accessing important details related to undergraduate programs and activities. To reach the
site, go to http://polisci.niu.edu. Also, if you would like to receive the department’s eannouncements that feature information on internships, scholarships, lectures, POLS club
activities, and other important information via email, please send me an email asking to
be added to the list.
Course Outline:
NOTE: Readings should be finished by class time on the day they are assigned.
NOTE: P is the abbreviation for the Pollock book. R is the abbreviation for the
Rochefort book. JR is the abbreviation for the Johnson/Reynolds book.
NOTE: All readings in Johnson and Reynolds are strongly recommended, but not
required.
NOTE: I reserve the right to change the syllabus.
T
R
T
R
August 28th
August 30th
September 4th
September 6th
T
R
T
R
T
September 11th
September 13th
September 18th
September 20th
September 25th
R September 27th
T October 2nd
Introduction to the Course
NO CLASS. APSA Conference
Studying Politics Scientifically (JR, chps 1-2)
Creating a Research Question and Developing Your Hypotheses
(J-stor reading; JR, chps 4-5)
Measuring Variables (R, chp 9; JR, chp 6)
Measuring Variables, cont.
Implementing the Research Design (R, chp 8; JR, chp 3)
Implementing the Research Design, cont.
Collecting Data: Making Empirical Observations and Elite
Interviewing (R, chp 5; JR, chp 7 and pp. 270-275)
ASSIGNMENT #1 DUE
Collecting Data: Document Analysis (JR, chp 8)
Collecting Data: Survey Research (R, chp 1; JR, pp. 275-304)
R
T
R
T
R
October 4th
October 9th
October 11th
October 16th
October 18th
T October 23rd
R October 25th
T October 30th
R November 1st
T November 6th
R November 8th
T November 13th
R November 15th
T November 20th
R
T
R
T
November 22nd
November 27th
November 29th
December 4th
R December 6th
T December 11th
Collecting Data: Survey Research, cont.
Sampling (R, chp 19; JR, chp 9)
Midterm Review
MIDTERM EXAM
Introduction to SPSS/Making Comparisons (P, “Getting Started,”
chps 1, 3; R, 13; JR, pp. 305-321, 339-350)
Transforming Variables in SPSS (P, chp 4)
Making Controlled Comparisons (P, chp 5; R, chp 12)
ASSIGNMENT #2 DUE
Univariate Statistics/Descriptive Statistics (P, chp 2; R, chp
18; JR, pp. 321-371)
Making Inferences about Sample Means (P, chp 6)
ASSIGNMENT #3 DUE
Chi-Square and Measures of Association (P, chp 7)
Chi-Square and Measures of Association, cont.
Bivariate Regression (P, chp 8; JR, pp 372-402)
ASSIGNMENT #4 DUE
Bivariate Regression, cont.
Multiple Regression (R, chp 15; JR, pp. 403-428)
ASSIGNMENT #5 DUE
NO CLASS. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Multiple Regression, cont.
Dummy Variables and Interaction Effects (P, chp 9; R, chp 16)
Practice Final Exam
ASSIGNMENT #6 DUE
Review for Final Exam
FINAL EXAM (10 AM)