Research Methods for Social Sciences

Research Methods for Social Sciences Kansai University Global Frontier course SYLLABUS Fall 2016 semester, course code 00860, 2 credits Tuesdays from 4:20-5:50 in 1 学舎 building E room 301 with Steve McCarty (スティーブン・A. マッカーティ) e-mail [email protected] with any questions or problems such as being unable to attend

Course Description: This course is designed for students who wish to gain an introductory overview of approaches to social science research and will cover broad topics: the foundations of social science, research design, data collection, and data analysis. It will equip students with an understanding of qualitative and quantitative research designs. Social research is a craft, and like any other craft, it takes practice to do it well. Therefore, our approach will be hands-on right from the start. The course will also provide instruction with an emphasis on methodology, including statistical analysis and computer applications. Examples will be presented of scientific research in the fields of sociology, political science, education, communication, and psychology.

We will be covering a lot of information in a short amount of time, so your participation in class is essential to your success in the course. You are expected to attend regularly and to take an active part in class meetings. There will be an out-of-class project designed to give you experience in some aspect of conducting social research. This project will focus on formulating a research problem and selecting an appropriate method to design your own approach.

Grading: Attendance and Participation (30%), Quizzes and Presentations (30%), Semester Project (40%).

Reference Works (no textbook):

Bryman, A. (2012). Social Research Methods (4th ed.). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Trochim, W. (2006). The Research Methods Knowledge Base (2nd ed.) [online book]. Retrieved from http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb {start with sections under “Foundations” on the left side menu}

Andy Boon (n.d.). Research & Write. Tokyo: Macmillan LanguageHouse. Retrieved from http://www.mlh.co.jp/catalog/product.php?i=1112

Journalism backed by social science: long article on the global cultural conflict between "racist nationalism" and "liberal cosmopolitanism": http://www.vox.com/2016/9/19/12933072/far-right-white-riot-trump-brexit

Zeynep Tufekci, The Closing of the Open Internet: https://www.academia.edu/20082751/As_the_Pirates_Become_CEOs_The_Closing_of_the_Open_Internet._Da edalus_145_1_65_78._Winter_2016._http_doi.org_10.1162_DAED_a_00366 Course Schedule

Week 1 (9/27/2016): Self-introductions. Course introduction and detailed syllabus. Discussion of social science fields and students’ interests. Social science research process: principles, strategies, and stages of research. What are some ethical issues in research?

Week 2 (10/4): Formulating research questions. Planning the semester project. Academic writing for project reports, theses and publications: necessary elements of research papers, APA style, citations and references.

Week 3 (10/11): Overview of research methods: criteria, designs, methods, statistics, and limitations. Examples of research projects and published findings. Critical evaluation.

Week 4 (10/18): Short quiz on research concepts or brief show-and-tell demonstrations. Introduction to quantitative methods for social science research. Data collection, sampling, and informed consent. Social surveys: examples such as public opinion polls.

Week 5 (10/25): Designing questionnaires. Examples. Practice making and conducting a questionnaire in class.

Week 6 (11/1): Observing behavior quantitatively. Content analysis. Statistical significance. Analyzing the quantitative data of other researchers.

Week 7 (11/8): Internet research, big data, Web and social media data. Examples online. Search and analyze in class.

Week 8 (11/15): Mid-term quiz and/or brief presentations on student-selected topics utilizing quantitative methods for social science research. Discussion with a view to planning students’ semester project and how to write up research.

Week 9 (11/22): Introduction to qualitative methods for social science research. Concepts and sampling. Similarities and differences between quantitative and qualitative research. Examples of ethnography with the observer immersed in social settings.

Week 10 (11/29): Semi-structured or unstructured interviews. Focus groups. Examples and practicing these approaches in class with other students.

Week 11 (12/6): Conversational analysis and discourse analysis. Examples. Analyzing documents and the qualitative data of other researchers.

Week 12 (12/13): Short quiz on research methods or brief show-and-tell demonstrations. Mixed methods, both quantitative and qualitative. Limitations and critical evaluation of research. Discussion of suitable approaches for students’ interests and semester research project.

Week 13 (12/20): Internet research, computer software for data analysis. Examples. What approaches are appropriate for social media and online activity such as smartphone use?

Week 14 (1/10/2017): Preparation of semester project, advice and Q&A on presenting and writing up students’ research.

Week 15 (1/17/2017): Student presentations summarizing semester project. Feedback on presentations and discussion. Submit semester research paper. Course conclusions.