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FS07-ACR-802-001 Research Methods
 
Instructor: Phil Howard
Office Phone: 355-8431
Office Address: 316 Natural Resources
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 2 to 4PM and by appointment
E-mail: howardp@msu.edu
Location: Natural Resources, Room 223
Times: Wednesdays, 5:10 to 8:00 PM

Required Texts
Hart, Christopher. 1998. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. 

Kuhn, Thomas. 1996. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. 3rd edition (or earlier editions). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

Course Description
This course will provide an overview of the nature of interdisciplinary research. It will also assist in the development of skills in critiquing, evaluating and interpreting published research, as well as conducting research. It is built on the idea that interdisciplinary research presents numerous challenges, including the integration of multiple literatures derived from various research paradigms and disciplines. Various methodological approaches and research techniques that are used in interdisciplinary studies in the social sciences and in the Department of Community, Agricultural, Recreation and Resource Studies will be explored. This course provides students with the necessary skills to become competent consumers of published research. In addition, it forms a foundation from which students may begin to conceptualize their own research projects, including a thesis or dissertation, and to choose which methods courses best suit their purposes.

Course Objectives
1. To introduce the basic nature, logic and processes of research. 
2. To introduce the vast heterogeneity in methodologies that are used in the social sciences and in interdisciplinary CARRS research.
3. To  improve competence in consuming published research. 
4. To improve skills in thinking critically, and with reconciling disparate or conflicting information. 
5. To improve skills in sifting through large amounts of information,
6. To understand the social construction of research methods and findings.

Schedule
Aug. 29    Introduction                   
Sep. 5      Observation studies, Concept mapping
Sep. 12    Library and article databases, Social construction of research
Sep. 19    Research design/logic of inquiry, Reviewing critically
Sep. 26    Qualitative research paradigms, Interviews
Oct. 3      Focus groups, Synthesizing information
Oct. 10    Nominal group technique, Annotated bibliographies 
Oct. 17    Surveys
Oct. 24    Participatory research, Classifying research methods
Oct. 31     Research ethics, Critical literature reviews               
Nov. 7     Correlation and regression
Nov. 14   Evaluation, Effective presentations
Nov. 21    No class
Nov. 28    Lit review/research proposal presentations
Dec. 5      Lit review/research proposal presentations continued

Final Exam - December 13, 5:45PM.

Course Requirements
               Assignments due                            Readings due
Week 1                    
Week 2    Observation study                        First half of Kuhn, concept maps
Week 3    Concept map for Kuhn                Finish Kuhn, social constructionism
Week 4    Research question                        Hart pp. 1-109, critical reviews
Week 5    Critical review of 1 article           Hart pp. 110-219, qualitative research
Week 6    Interview                                       Focus groups, synthesizing information
Week 7    Synthesis of 3-5 articles                Nominal group technique, annotated bibliographies
Week 8    Annotated bib. of 10-12 articles  Surveys
Week 9    Descriptions of 3 methods            Participatory research
Week 10   Proposal using 2 methods           Research ethics, literature reviews
Week 11    Data for SPSS lab                       Statistics
Week 12    Lit review outline                        Evaluation, effective presentations     
Week 13    No class                
Week 14    Open Space Technology
Week 15    Presentations
 
Final Exam: Final literature review/proposal, self-evaluation


Grading Policy
100 points – Class participation (in-class discussion, exercises, peer workshops)
200 points – Weekly assignments
25 points – Final presentation
75 points – Final literature review/proposal

Total – 400 points

Grading scale for the course (by percentage of the 400 points obtained):
90 to 100% - 4.0 
85 to 89% - 3.5 
80 to 84% - 3.0 
75 to 79% - 2.5 
70 to 74% - 2.0 
65 to 69% - 1.5 
60 to 64% - 1.0 
<60% - no credit