SOCL335 - Applied Research Methods

Description:
Applied Research Methods introduces students to the basic research designs and data collection techniques involved in human subjects’ research common to social research environments. After completion of this course, the student should know the basics of social research ethics, the steps of the research process, the strengths and weaknesses of selected types of qualitative and quantitative research strategies, issues of selecting or creating and refining instruments of measurement, how to properly select an appropriate sample of subjects, and how to interpret selected statistical measures utilized in hypothesis testing.

Outcomes:

• Describe the scientific method in terms of underlying philosophy, steps, vocabulary, advantages over other ways of knowing
• Articulate ethical considerations for research in the social sciences and in fields that apply these methods
• Compare and contrast data collection techniques and research designs such as surveys, experiments, observational research, and the use of unobtrusive measures
• Differentiate levels of measurement and their consequences for data analysis

Required Text(s):

• Blackstone, A. (2012). Principles of Sociological Inquiry: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods. Saylor Foundation. ISBN: 9781453328897.