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Syllabus for Spring 2008This course introduces students to quantitative and qualitative approaches to research in the field of international affairs. The computer lab will enable students to develop basic skills in statistical analysis; lab exercises also reinforce and hone research and writing skills. With the guidance of the instructor, students will construct a research project that integrates the skills developed in the course and lab assignments. EVALUATION:Lab Assignments -- 15% PROCEDURES:As a point of fairness to your classmates, the honor code must be observed at all times & written work must be handed in promptly. Tests must be handed in at the end of the class period. Lab work and written work handed in late will be penalized 5 points plus an additional 5 points for every additional 24-hour period. All work is to be original work done specifically for this course. Make-up exams and late course withdrawals will be permitted only under exceptional circumstances: do not assume that you will be allowed to take a make-up test or to withdraw from the course late in the semester. Readings should be completed by class time of the date listed. The professor reserves the right to alter this syllabus as circumstances demand. For further discussion of course policies, see the appropriate portion of the course website. TEXTS:Babbie, Earl. The Practice of Social Research. 11th ed.; New York:
Wadsworth, 2007. Additional readings will be made available in online form. COURSE OUTLINE:
If your computer has Word installed, you also have the option of left-clicking on the link to load the file immediately into Word for editing and/or printing. Part I: Basic Issues in Systematic ResearchWEEK ONE: Introduction to Systematic ResearchJan. 8 – Introduction to the Scientific Method LAB: introduction to lab & software Jan. 10 – Induction & Deduction; Theories
& Hypotheses; Units of Analysis; The Role of Time WEEK TWO: MeasurementJan. 15 – Literature Reviews;
Conceptualization and Levels of Measurement LAB: exercise #1 in handout (levels of measurement) Jan. 17 -- Reliability & Validity WEEK THREE: Causality & Research DesignJan. 22 -- Causal Models & the Need for Control;
Quantitative Approaches to Control LAB: exercise #2 in handout (quantitative approach to control) Jan. 24 -- Experimental and Comparative Case Study Approaches to Control WEEK FOUR: Research Design
Jan. 29 -- WORKSHOP: pre-test review & discussion of research
projects LAB : exercise #3 in handout (research protocol & ethical treatment of subjects) Jan. 31 -- TEST #1 Part II: Data CollectionWEEK FIVE: Qualitative & Quantitative Approaches; SamplingFeb. 5 -- Qualitative Secondary Sources;
Unobtrusive Measurement LAB: exercise #4 in handout (measurement workshop I) Feb. 7 -- Cross-National Aggregate Data; Sampling WEEK SIX: Sampling & Survey ResearchFeb. 12 -- JMU ASSESSMENT DAY: no class today & no lab session Feb. 14 -- Sampling (cont.); The Basics of Survey Research; Asking
Questions in Survey Research WEEK SEVEN: Survey Research (cont.)
Feb. 19 -- Measuring Attitudinal Intensity in Surveys LAB: exercise #5 in handout (survey construction) Feb. 21 -- Interpreting Surveys: an example WEEK EIGHT: Data Collection (cont.)Feb. 26 -- TEST #2 LAB: exercise #6 in handout (measurement workshop II) Feb. 28 -- Research Workshop: discussion of research projects Mar. 3-7 -- SPRING BREAK: no class... Part III: Quantitative Research ApproachesWEEK NINE: Descriptive StatisticsMar. 11 -- Frequency Distributions; Measures of Central
Tendency; Measures of Dispersion LAB: exercise #7 in handout (descriptive statistics & charts) Mar. 13 -- Crosstabulation WEEK TEN: Inferential Statistics with Nominal & Ordinal VariablesMar. 18 -- Nominal & Ordinal Measures of
Association LAB: exercise #8 in handout (nominal & ordinal statistics) Mar. 20 -- Statistical Significance Tests: Chi-Square WEEK ELEVEN: Inferential Statistics with Interval/Ratio VariablesMar. 25 -- Correlation (r, r2) & Bivariate
Regression (scatterplots, the regression
line, outliers) LAB: preparation re: upcoming group presentations Mar. 27 -- Project Troubleshooting WEEK TWELVE: Working with Multivariate RegressionApr. 1 -- Multivariate OLS Regression & Decisions
about Multiple Regression LAB: exercise #9 in handout (multivariate regression) Apr. 3 -- Interpreting Multiple Regression: One Example WEEK THIRTEEN: Research PresentationsApr. 8 -- Groups I & II: Presentation of Research Article (done w/ PowerPoint) and
class discussion LAB: lab time may be used for group presentations; the lab exercise for this week is the presentation Apr. 10 -- RESEARCH WORKSHOP WEEK FOURTEEN: Research Presentations (cont.)Apr. 15 -- Groups III & IV: Presentation of Research Article (done w/ PowerPoint) and
class discussion LAB: lab time to work on individual research projects Apr. 17 -- Groups V & VI: Presentation of Research Article (done w/ PowerPoint)
and class discussion WEEK FIFTEEN: Applied ReviewApr. 22 -- Survey Data Analysis LAB: no new lab exercise → lab time for review Apr. 24 -- Course Wrap-Up **FINAL EXAM: Thursday, 5/1/08 8am to 10am** |
Dr. Blake's Home Page | INTA 295 Home | Syllabus | Assignments | Course Policies | Other Resources | Bulletin BoardThis page was last updated on:
01/02/08.
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REMEMBER: Many
of the dates in this syllabus are hyperlinked. Right-click on the active links to download
outlines and tables associated with the day's class session. A menu will pop up;
left-click on "save link as" to get a dialog box for downloading the
file. Specify the appropriate drive, folder, and file name and then left-click on save to
download the file. These are rich text format outline (RTF) files that are most compatible
with Word. From Word you can modify formatting and/or print the outlines.