Research Methods 506
WINTER 2004
DEC 19 – DEC 23
Class Meetings: Location: GLS 15
Sunday 19th – Thursday 23rd
8.00am – 5.00pm
Instructor: Margaret Higgins, PhD
Email: Margaretahiggins@yahoo.com
Office Hours: By appointment
Course Content
This course is intensive. Be prepared to devote ALL of your time to
this course and this course alone. The course offers an introduction
to research techniques and their application in social research. Students
will gain an appreciation of factors involved in research and an ability
to critically evaluate research. Statistics will be addressed, with
the emphasis being on engendering a level of familiarity with statistical
concepts. This course will not create statisticians but it will provide
a platform for discussion with experts of the statistics required for
research.
Aims of the course
To provide an understanding of the nature, role and value of research,
and to demonstrate the importance of, and necessity for, research; To
familiarize students with a variety of research methods; To enable students
to interpret and evaluate research..
Objectives of the course
By the end of the course students should be able to
• identify and implement research strategies appropriate for problems
in their own working environment.
• identify well executed, reliable, and valid research
• identify research results which can be applied to their own
library or information centre.
Code of Academic Integrity
Students are required to comply with the University's expectation of
academic honesty as stated in the University of Arizona's Code of Academic
Integrity (1991 Revision).
Required Text: Patten, M.L. (any edition). Understanding Research Methods:
An Overview of the Essentials, 2nd Ed., California: Pyrczak Press. THIS
MUST BE READ IN ADVANCE OF THE COURSE.
Required Reading: Campbell, D & Stanley, J. (1963). Experimental
and Quasi-Experimental Designs for Research. Reprinted from Handbook
of Research on Teaching. Chicago, IL: Rand McNally College Publishing
Company. STUDENTS MUST BE FAMILIAR WITH THIS IN ADVANCE OF THE COURSE.
There are good online sources, such as
* Hyperstat Online
* Research Methods Knowledge Base Trochim, William M. The Research Methods
Knowledge Base, 2nd Edition. Internet WWW page, at URL: <http://trochim.human.cornell.edu/kb/index.htm>
* VassarStats
Assessment
Participation 5%
Assignment 1: 10% Due Tuesday Dec 21st
Assignment 2: 20% Due Thursday Dec 23rd
Exam 20% In class on Thursday Dec 23rd
Research Proposal 45% Due Wednesday Jan 5th 2005
i) Expectations: Students are expected to participate in class - they
are especially expected to take a leading role in discussions. My rationale
for this is that in your work you will often have to speak for a service
in which only you believe - and you may have to argue for your department's
(rightful?) budget allocation. You therefore have to speak with confidence
and knowledge, and you have to make a positive impression management.
You might as well practice now.
ii) Other than for medical (or other super-good) reason, no late assignments
will be accepted.
iii) Prepare all written work in APA format; and word process or type
all work.
Grades: A: 100-90 B: 89-80 C: 79-70 Less than 'C' is fail.
Required Work:
*Participation
As stated, I expect input. Articulation of your thoughts, and interaction
with colleagues, is valuable for learning - you learn, and so do others
listening to you. So quality input is expected. How do I define quality?
Pertinent comments; illustrative comments; leadership during discussions....and
offbeat, unusual, humorous comments are always welcome - especially
if they serve to illuminate a point. The alternative hour of each day
will more often than not be devoted to group work, revolving around
set questions, topics, and puzzles. So the process will probably be:
Lecture for an hour, group work for an hour; lecture, group work etc.
We will largely play this by ear as we proceed through the syllabus.
*Assignment One: (12 point font; max length 5 double spaced pages).
Present a thoughtful exposition of the value to society of research
in the field of information science. Do not be rhetorical or emotive:
be logical and incisive. Provide authoritative support for your views
and/or offer convincing criticism of detractors from your stance.
(Grading criteria: Clear articulation of your judgment of the value
of LIS research; Analysis of other writers' views on the subject; Clear
and concise exposition of the points you are making (including correct
grammar and spelling) and use of APA style.)
*Assignment Two: (max length: 8 double-spaced pages; 12 point font.)
Evaluate the article you will be given in class. You should be familiar
with all our standard material about internal, external, instruments,
design, sampling, control and test groups. Even if these aspects have
not yet been touched upon in class, you will have read about them in
Patten. All of those aspects provide valuable criteria. Use the following
criteria for evaluation and remember, use APA style:
I. Report of Prior Research:
* Is the literature cited relevant?
* Is the literature cited significant?
* Is the literature cited sufficiently identified so that you could
retrieve it?
II. Purpose and Justification
* Is it sufficient, logical, and convincing?
* Is there a general problem area identified?
* Is a specific problem evident?
* Are definitions given and are they clearly operationalized?
* Are assumptions stated?
* Hypotheses: Are they stated- implied, clear, precise?
* Are they directional?
* Is lack of an hypothesis accounted for?
III. Sampling (if appropriate):
* Is the population clearly described, implied?
* Is the sample clearly described?
* Is it representative, random, adequate in size?
* Are limitations on generalizability presented?
IV. Instrumentation:
* Adequately described?
* Reliable?
* Valid for the purpose?
V. Procedures:
* Are they clearly described?
* Are extraneous variables controlled?
* Is procedural bias controlled?
VI. Data Analysis:
* Are statistical methods appropriate?
* Are limitations pointed out?
VII. Results
* Clearly presented?
* Written description consistent with data?
* Are there a minimum of inferences?
* Are they debatable?
VIII. Interpretation:
* Is it consistent with the results?
* Relevant to the purpose?
* Does it place the study in a broader perspective?
* What does it signal?
*Research Proposal: (Max length: 10 double-spaced pages).
Writing a research proposal will enable a) in-depth thought on their
topic of concern, and b) supervised development of ways to address a
problem.
Research proposals are written in report format and usually contain
an introduction, the background to the problem, a broad statement of
the nature of the problem, a literature review which serves to refine
and identify the problem more precisely, a theoretical framework in
which the problem is placed, a statement of the research question (or
the hypotheses), and a methods section which includes such design details
as the variables in the research, how the hypotheses could be measured,
which statistical tests would be appropriate, and to whom the research
findings could be generalized. Good examples of research proposals can
be found online.
Note that at this stage there is no expectation that the student should
have extensive statistical knowledge. Note also that this research proposal
is not expected to be extremely detailed - all elements of a proposal
must be included, though in a shortened form. To take the literature
review, for example. Normally a review is exhaustive. However, for this
small proposal, I will expect the relevant literature to been sampled,
and seminal or major articles identified and discussed. Some time has
been reserved for discussion of research proposals.
Lecture Schedule (THIS WILL BE REFINED AS WE PROCEED)
DEC 19/20 General Introduction & Expectations
What is Research & Why do it? Ways of Knowing
Research Process
Science & Positivism
Designs & Error
Readings: Campbell & Stanley
DEC 21/22 Basic & Applied research
Introduction to Statistics
Qualitative & Quantitative research
Sampling; Survey research & User studies
Bibliometrics/ Historical / Archival
DEC 23 Different countries / different concerns
Research & Decision Making
Research Proposals, if time permits (SELECTED STUDENTS WILL BE INVITED
TO
BRIEFLY DISCUSS THEIR IDEAS FOR THEIR PROPOSAL)
Exam
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Updated: 12/7/04
