University of Colorado Denver
School of Public Affairs
Accelerated MPA – Spring 2008
Final Course Syllabus: PAD 5003 Research and Data Analysis Methods
Professor:
Class Meets:
Office:
Office Hours:
e-mail:
Phone:
Peggy Cuciti, Ph.D.
M and H, 1-3:30 (or slightly later if the class agrees!)
525 e
M and H 3:30-5, or by appointment
peggy.cuciti@cudenver.edu
303-315-2488
Texts:
Babbie, E., Halley, F., Zaino, J., (2007) Adventures in Social Research: Data Analysis
Using SPSS 14 and 15 for Windows, (6th edition); Pine Forge Press
ISBN-13: 978-1-4129-4083-2 (pbk., includes student resources CD but not SPSS)
ISBN-13-978-1-4129-4082-5 (pbk., includes student SPSS as well as student resources).
Note student SPSS is somewhat limited in its capacity in terms of number of variables
and number of cases, but having it will allow you to do homework assignments from
home. The full version of SPSS is available in the computer lab, so you can purchase the
version that doesn’t come with SPSS.
O’Sullivan, Elizabeth Ann, Rassel, Gary; and Berner, Maureen. Research Methods for
Public Administrators (5th edition). ISBN 978-0-321-43137-0 Note: I did not tell the
bookstore to order this book (I decided to use it after I placed the order but it is
easily available from Amazon, Abebooks or the publisher).
Note Additional Required Readings will be available at: http://docuserv.auraria.edu
Password is “banjo”
Recommended:
Creswell, J.W. (2003). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods
Approaches (2nd edition) Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications ISBN 0761924426
The goal of this class is not to teach you to be academic researchers on the cutting edge
of their disciplines but rather to give you the skills needed by public and non profit
managers to make decisions regarding their organizations and their programs. In other
words, the emphasis is on applied research rather than basic research.
Learning Objectives:
1. Better understand how to take problems/questions and define them in ways that
research can prove useful
2. Learn how to find, better understand and critique research literature
3. Understand the strengths and weaknesses of alternative research designs
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Understand the capabilities of different software in doing research
Know how to find and use secondary data
Understand the basics of primary data collection
Understand basics of documenting data and storing it in a data base
Know basic techniques for analyzing and presenting data.
The primary emphasis of the class is on quantitative data and analysis techniques, but we
will at least touch on research designs using qualitative measures and analysis.
This is NOT a course in statistics. We will, however, discuss which statistics to look at
with different types of measures and data analysis techniques.
Grading
Grading will be based on a norm of expectations for graduate student performance. A
grade of “B” means the students has met basic expectations for graduate performance and
demonstrates competence in the subject matter studied. A grade of “A” will be assigned
if a student has exceeded expectations and demonstrated superior competencies. A grade
of “C” indicates that the students has completed relevant assignments, a shows some
basic understanding of the material but needs additional work to achieve competence in
the study area.
Your Final Grade will be based on the following:
Participation in classroom discussion – 10
Exam— 32
4 Homework Assignments 48
1 small group assignment – mostly inclass survey design 10
I. Introduction and Course Overview: Defining Research types and purposes 1/24
Readings:
O’Sullivan et.al., Chapter 1 Beginning a Research Project: The Preliminary Steps
Bechhofer and Paterson, Principles of Research Design in the Social Sciences, ch 1
Fundamentals: Comparison and Control (on reserve)
Neuman, Basics of Social Research, Ch.1 Doing Social Research (on reserve)
Creswell, Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches, Ch. 1, A
framework for design (on reserve)
II. Overview of Research Designs 1/28
Readings:
O’Sullivan et. al, Ch. 2 Designs for Description, Ch. 3 Designs for Explanation (on
reserve, just in case books haven’t arrived).
III. Formulating the Research Problem: Asking the right question, reviewing the
literature, developing measures. 1/31
Readings:
O’Sullivan et. al., Ch. 4 Measuring Variables
Babbie, Ch 1. Theory and Practice of Social Research; ch 2 The Logic of measurement
IV. The selection of the study population: Sampling 2/4
Readings:
O’Sullivan et.al., Ch 5 Sampling
V. Secondary Data Analysis: Using Aggregate Data from Census and other Sources;
Questions of Measurement; Using Excel for analysis 2/7
Readings:
O’Sullivan et.al., Ch 9. Secondary Data Analysis; also Ch 11 Univariate Analysis (focus
on those aspects that deal with interval data)
Maier, The Data Game; Ch.8, Wealth, Income and Poverty pp122-140
First homework assignment will be given and due the following week
VI. Secondary Data Analysis: Using Survey Data and Introducing SPSS 2/11
Readings:
Babbie, Ch. 3 Description of Data Sets; The General Social Survey
Ch 4, Using SPSS, Some Basics
Ch. 6, Describing your data
O’Sullivan Review Ch 11 Univariate Analysis (focus on aspects dealing with nominal
and ordinal data).
VII. More on Measures: Creating Indices, Computing and Recoding Variables 2/14
Readings
O’Sullivan, Ch. 10 Combining Indicators: Index Construction.
Babbie, Ch. 7 Recoding your data; Ch 8 Creating Composite Measues
VIII. Bivariate Analysis: Contingency Tables and Comparison of Means 2/18
O’Sullivan, Ch 12 Examining Relationships Among Variables: Statistical significance
Ch 13 Examining Relationships Among Variables: Measures of Association
Babbie, Part III Bivariate Analysis ch 10-12, ch 13 pp223-240, ch. 14
IX. Multivariate Analysis: The Logic of Elaboration 2/21
Readings:
Babbie, The Practice of Social Research, Ch. 16 The Elaboration Model (on reserve)
Babbie, Ch. 16 and Ch. 17
Second homework assignment will be due following the completion of this unit
X. Regression and Correlation 2/29 with spillover to next class
Readings;
O’Sullivan, ch. 14
Babbie, ch 13, p. 240 – 259
Article in Public Administration review, September/October 2006: John Gilmour and David Lewis:
Does Performance Budgeting Work?
Homework Assignment due 3/10
XI. Primary Data Collection: Ethical (and Bureaucratic) Issues (no designated class discussion)
Readings:
O’Sullivan, Ch. 8 Protection of Human Subjects and Other Ethical Issues (optional)
Online instruction recommended by University Institutional Review Board
Homework assignment based on CITI training course
XII. Survey Research: Methods and Questionnaire Design 3/3
Readings:
O’Sullivan et.al, Ch 6 Contacting and Talking to Subject
Ch 7 Data Collection: Questions and Questionnaires
Babbie, ch 20 (read this first will help with regression homework assignment), and
appendix F
Meier, The DataGame, C.12, Public Opinion Polling 205-226 (on reserve) (recommended)
Look at Public Agenda website http://www.publicagenda.org/polling/polling.cfm -- excellent
resources especially the article on questions journalist should ask about polls
Group Assignment: Survey design (mostly to be completed in class) to be handed in 3/10
XIII. Survey Research continued, plus some discussion of unstructured Interviews and
Focus groups; also some discussion of additional capabilities in full SPSS re file
manipulation and aggregation
No additional reading
XIV Communicating Findings and Review 3/10
O’Sullivan, Ch 15 Communicating Findings and Completing the Project
XV Exam 3/13