Research Methods in Sociology - University of Wisconsin ...

Research Methods in Sociology Tuesdays/Thursdays, 11:00 ? 12:15 in Lapham 252

COURSE SYLLABUS Fall 2019

Instructor: Professor Noelle Chesley Department of Sociology University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Email: chesley@uwm.edu Office: 752 Bolton Hall Phone: 414-229-2398

Office Hours: Tues/Thurs 2 ? 3 PM (and by appointment)

Teaching Assistant: Megan Betts Department of Sociology University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Email: mbbetts@uwm.edu Office: Bolton Hall 729 Phone: 414-229-4388

Office Hours: Mondays, 3:30 ? 5:30 (and by appointment)

***Please feel free to reach out to us by email and in office hours***

Why Study Social Research Methods? Can we document the existence of discrimination? Are citizens in the United States happier than residents of other countries? Is income inequality among Americans increasing or decreasing? Are Black criminals more likely to receive a death sentence than White criminals? These are the sorts of questions that social scientists address every day using established research methods. Knowledge about and experience with developing and implementing research studies is a highly-valued skill that is applied in a variety of environments, including universities, non-profit organizations, government, and private-sector firms. In practical terms this course is designed to prepare you for involvement in a range of independent research projects that you may encounter in your roles as student, employee, or engaged citizen.

About Professor Chesley and Teaching Assistant Megan Betts Both my research and teaching interests are centered around social questions that intersect with contemporary work and family life. In particular, much of my research is focused on the role that technological innovation plays in shaping work and family experiences that influence health and well-being. I am also interested in the implications of shifting gender roles for work and family life and I have conducted studies to better understand the lives of couples in which women are the primary breadwinners and men are the primary caregivers. My current research

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Research Methods in Sociology Tuesdays/Thursdays, 11:00 ? 12:15 in Lapham 252

COURSE SYLLABUS Fall 2019

engages questions about digital inequalities and the social context that shapes household adoption of water filtration technology to address health concerns. Prior to working as a professor, I was employed in a private-sector consulting firm, where I applied social research methods to solve real-world problems. I also bring that consulting experience to bear in all of my teaching. My central goals as your instructor are to excite you about the possibilities for learning and growth that studying sociological topics can enhance and inspire you to do your very best work.

I am also happy to introduce and welcome Teaching Assistant Megan Betts to our course. Ms. Betts is a second year MA student in the Sociology department here at UWM. She received her BA in Sociology at Kent State University in Ohio. Her academic interests are in identity and trust in institutions as well as the intersections of race, gender, class, sexuality, and other identities. She has taken a number of Research Methods courses, including one at the graduate level just last year. She has experience in both quantitative and qualitative methodology and is excited to be helping you all with your coursework this semester. Please don't hesitate to come to her office hours for assistance in class or for anything else you might need.

Course Prerequisites Junior standing, nine credits of sociology, Sociology 261: Introduction to Statistical Thinking in Sociology. This course is required for sociology majors and minors.

Required Course Materials Carr et al. 2018. The Art and Science of Social Research. WW Norton and Company Inc, NY. ISBN: 978-0393911589.

This text is available from the UWM Bookstore.

Class Format The in-class experience will use both lecture and active learning techniques. Your participation is critical to your learning and the overall success of our class! To facilitate an active learning atmosphere, I'll be requiring you to read and prepare before our inclass meetings so that you can engage with me and others in class and deepen your knowledge about this subject.

Course Workload UWM guidelines for undergraduate courses indicate that students should expect to do two hours of outside work each week for each hour spent in the classroom, thus, this class will require an average of six hours of outside work per week in addition to the three hours you spend in class. Please expect to spend nine hours per week, on average,

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COURSE SYLLABUS Fall 2019

completing your work for this course. Of course, there may be weeks where the workload is lighter, or heavier, depending on what is going on in the course. Use the course plan at the end of this document to monitor shifts in workload and course deadlines.

Learning Management System (LMS): Canvas A Canvas website is active for this course. To access your grades, assignments, supplementary readings, and other information please log in to . You will use the same username (username@uwm.edu) and password that you use for your UWM email account. If you have any questions about your grades as they appear on Canvas, please contact the professor or teaching assistant. If you have questions about, or problems using, the Canvas website, please email help@uwm.edu, call 229-4040, or see the service staff in Bolton 225 during their office hours.

Learning Objectives for the Course

Development of Social Science Skills Completing the activities associated with this course should help you progress in your ability to understand and apply: The theoretical and philosophical perspectives that underlie different research

approaches in sociology; The range of ethical issues that one might face in designing and implementing a

research project; Key issues in sampling and measurement; The specific techniques that scientists use to gather information about social

phenomena; The analytical tools that sociologists use to analyze information from social

research studies; Research designs to demonstrate cause-effect relationships in social research.

Together, developing these skills should allow you to better evaluate the credibility of research you may encounter on the job or in your daily life. You will also be prepared to assist in the development of research projects in a variety of professional work environments.

Development of Transferrable Skills Completing the activities associated with this course should help you progress in your ability to:

Think Critically. Design/evaluate/analyze existing or proposed research studies;

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Research Methods in Sociology

Tuesdays/Thursdays, 11:00 ? 12:15 in Lapham 252

COURSE SYLLABUS Fall 2019

Create Knowledge. Synthesize and integrate information from a variety of sources pertaining to a complex social problem, pose questions that follow from existing research, link research questions and their potential solutions to course concepts;

Solve Problems. Think about problems and their solutions in multiple ways; seek information from a variety of sources;

Formulate and Support Arguments. Distinguish evidence-based arguments from those based on personal experience or morals. Apply these arguments in your own speaking and writing to "make a case" for a particular interpretation or conclusion. Critique conclusions from research through effective communication to classmates. Engage with other learners through active listening and sharing ideas;

Evaluate the Work of Peers. Constructively critique the arguments and conclusions of others. Offer suggestions for improvement in research design or evidence-based writing; engage with other learners through active listening and sharing ideas.

Requirements and Grades The grading system used in this class is an absolute system--in other words, it is possible for every student to obtain an "A" grade. Your grades do not depend on the performance of your fellow classmates, rather, each student earns points based on demonstrated learning via class assignments and projects.

Reading Comprehension Quizzes. In order for this to be a successful experience for you, preparation for class outside of our in-person meeting time is essential. The readings and other content (websites, podcasts, etc.) have been assigned to provide you with essential background for a particular in-class session. To assess your level of preparation for class (and provide the TA and me with more information about comprehension of key course concepts), short quizzes that assess your comprehension of assigned reading are due the day before the class period associated with that reading (by 11:59 PM). For example, if I have assigned reading for a Tuesday class, the quiz must be completed by 11:59 PM Monday of that week. Similarly, if I have assigned a reading for a Thursday class, the quiz must be completed by 11:59 PM on Wednesday. Your lowest two quizzes will be dropped. This activity will make up 20% of your final grade.

In-Class Work. In an active learning class environment, we use class time to practice and apply concepts and ideas from the reading in ways that are intended to create more significant learning. Many classes will involve some sort of active learning exercise to engage the materials you have already reviewed and to deepen your understanding of them. There is no way to "make up" missed class time or the group learning activities. However, please do be sure to come talk to me if outside factors are keeping you from class. Active participation in class activities will make up 15% of your final grade.

Research Proposal Assignments. The central "product" created in this class is the research proposal. This is completed in stages throughout the semester, and each

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Research Methods in Sociology

Tuesdays/Thursdays, 11:00 ? 12:15 in Lapham 252

COURSE SYLLABUS Fall 2019

student will get feedback from the instructor or the TA at different stages of the process. Detailed instructions for each piece of the proposal development process are provided on the D2L site. Most assignments will be submitted via Canvas.

Summary of Due Dates for Proposal Development:

9/24 10/11 11/8 12/12

Research Question and Annotated Bibliography (5%) Literature Review Outline and Draft (15%) Research Methods Draft (15%) Final Proposal and Feedback Response Statement (30%)

Summary of Course Requirements:

Assessment Reading Comprehension Quizzes In-Class Work Proposal development: Research Question and Annotated Bibliography Literature Review Draft Methods Draft Final Proposal

Percent of Grade

20% 15%

5% 15% 15% 30%

TOTAL

100%

Final Grade Breakdown

20% 30%

15%

15%

5%

15%

Quizzes LR Draft

In-Class Work Methods Draft

RQ & Bibliography Final Proposal

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Research Methods in Sociology Tuesdays/Thursdays, 11:00 ? 12:15 in Lapham 252

COURSE SYLLABUS Fall 2019

Matching Percentage to Final Letter Grade

Percent 93 ? 100% 90 ? 92% 87 ? 89% 83 ? 86% 80 ? 82% 77 ? 79%

Grade A AB+ B B-

Percent 73 ? 76% 70 ? 72% 67 ? 69% 63 ? 66% 62% and below

Grade C CD+ D F

If you require special assistance for any reason, please contact the instructor right away so that we can work together to support your success in this class.

*** IMPORTANT: You must turn in a final proposal in order to pass the course ***

Other Supports and Resources In addition to me and the TA, there are other resources here at UWM that may be helpful in supporting your learning and success in this course. Many of the resources mentioned here also have links through the D2L course site.

UWM Libraries. For research help of all kinds, I recommend contacting a librarian. I have provided links (see D2L site) to several helpful online tools developed through the library. Among these are links to online tutorials on information literacy, which include helpful tutorials aimed at student researchers. There is also a tailored online guide for conducting sociology research projects.

UWM Writing Center. For help with writing ? a key part of this course ? I strongly recommend consulting the UWM Writing Center () @ 229-4339, or by email: writing@uwm.edu.

Student Success Center. SSC provides supplemental and a range of tutoring options. Please see their website for more Information .

Norris Health Center. Maintaining your physical and mental health while a student at UWM is critical to your learning success. Your student fees pay for access to the on-site health center. For more information, see: .

UWM Food Center and Pantry. Food insecurity is a growing problem on college campuses. Need help obtaining something to eat? A former student in this class spearheaded the development of the UWM food center and pantry. See for more information.

UWM Emergency Grants. There are limited funds available to apply for an emergency grant to help cover expenses related to an unforeseen financial emergency. If something

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Research Methods in Sociology Tuesdays/Thursdays, 11:00 ? 12:15 in Lapham 252

COURSE SYLLABUS Fall 2019

like this arises, please contact the instructor or TA and we can assist you with this process.

Current and Previous Students. Finally, don't overlook the importance of help and support from other students in this class! Share your contact information with your classmates and reach out to other students with your questions or even just to complain. Your student colleagues know what you are going through and can offer up suggestions or even just some words of encouragement. In addition, you can read some advice from previous students in this class below.

What Previous Students Say. These comments come from real students who have taken this course in previous semesters:

Q. What would you do differently if you could take the course again? I would study a lot harder for the quizzes. I would definitely spend more time on the projects, and ask for help when I need it. I would not procrastinate. I would start on the projects earlier to give myself time to go over the assignments with a fresh pair of eyes before turning it in. Taking good class notes would have helped too instead of searching for the slides on D2L Reading the text more would help for the quizzes.

Q: What are the most important things you got out of the class, and what do future students have to do to get them too?

I think the most important thing I learned from this class is not to under-estimate myself. I was nervous and had predispositions that I would fail to be honest. As the semester went on I did a lot better than I expected so I worked harder on my research paper.

I was able to better apply time management.

Talk to Professor Chesley when you are confused about something...know that Professor Chesley will help you if you ask.

Don't think of this course as a college course or just credits, view this course and the entire research proposal as something physical that you can bring into the professional world with you. Don't work on the project just for a grade, use the resources the class provides you to sculpt something you could use in the real world and actually be paid for. Also go to class; Mistakes are just opportunities to learn; if you have a question in lecture, there is always someone else with the same question-ASK IT.

Class Policies and Reminders Use of Email and Other Technology. Some of our communication this semester may happen over email. I would like to ask students to follow these guidelines in relying on email or other forms of online communication in this class: ? Be professional and focused in your communication. Please format your emails like

you would a business letter. This means including a greeting, a body of the email that

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Research Methods in Sociology

Tuesdays/Thursdays, 11:00 ? 12:15 in Lapham 252

COURSE SYLLABUS Fall 2019

contains the clear purpose of your communication, and a closing. ? In addition, please use the following format in the subject line of the email: "Soc 361:

[Put the topic of your email here]". This aids those of us that try to use email filters to organize our mail. ? Use proper English and avoid texting acronyms (i.e. OMG, BTW, LOL etc.). It is critical that we are as clear as possible in our written communication. ? Please give me up to 24 hours to respond to your email Monday through Friday. In many cases, I will be able to get back to you more quickly than that. I do not typically read or answer work-related email on Saturdays or Sundays. If you email me after Friday afternoon, expect a response by the end of the day the following Monday. ? Please silence your cell phones in class and lab and refrain from texting as a courtesy to me, your TA, and your student colleagues. ? Laptops or tablets are valuable academic tools and are welcome in class. However, use that interferes with other students (or my) classroom experience (because it is distracting or not relevant to what we are doing) is not welcome. If this becomes a problem, I may ask you to stop using these items in class.

Late Assignments. Each assignment must be turned in as noted in the course calendar, by the date and time noted in order to receive full credit. ? Permission to make up academic work due to missed deadlines is at the discretion of

the instructor. Contact Professor Chesley for last-minute emergencies (where an "emergency" is a family death, serious health condition, or something similar). Issues around missed work will be handled on a case-by-case basis. ? Please take your own notes or borrow notes from a classmate should you miss class.

Grading Grievance Process, It is always possible for a test to be scored incorrectly (although rare, it does happen), for a quiz question to have two or more equally good answers, or for a grader to miss a point you are trying to make in an essay or paper. If you believe that a test or assignment was incorrectly graded, please follow this procedure:

Within one week of receiving a graded test or assignment, submit a written "appeal" describing the basis for your opinion (e.g., citing a passage from the text that supports your choice of an answer) to Professor Chesley or the TA. This appeal need not be lengthy - a short paragraph will often do. In appealing a grade, it is not sufficient to argue that your answer was reasonable given your implicit assumptions. You must convince Professor Chesley and the TA that the answer you chose was as good as or superior to the one identified as correct.

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