Schedule

Resources

Syllabus [pdf]

Discussions

Instructors: Dr. Robert Lange and Ms. Rebecca Fiedler
Schedule: Wednesdays, 6:00 to 8:50 pm
email Becky or Dr. Lange

Week 1: Jan. 7

Lecture

Presentations used in class tonight

• Overview of Research [pdf]
• ST: Scales of Measurement [pdf]
• QN: Variables [pdf]
• QL: Interviews [pdf]

Skills demonstration

• Using PsycInfo
• Retrieving full-text articles

Handouts from class

• Course Syllabus [pdf]
• Getting to Know You [pdf]

In-class activities

10 Most Important Words

Think about what you will learn in this class. What are you expecting? Based on your current knowledge of the course content, list the 10 most important words or ideas you expect to explore more fully this semester. Jot down a thought or two about why each word or idea made your list of the top 10.

Pair up with a partner. Choose someone you haven't met yet. Introduce yourselves to each other. After you dispense with the niceties, compare your list of 10 words with theirs. From the 20 words you and your partner have, whittle the list down to 10 again. Don't worry if one person has more on the list than the other. It doesn't matter.

Square up with another pair. Repeat the process, narrowing your lists back down to 10 words. Don't forget to meet two more of your classmates in the process.

We'll debrief after this is done.

Getting to Know You

Complete Getting to Know You activity in class. Focuses on different types of data. Please save this for use later in the semester.

Homework 1

Due January 14

Part 1

Be sure to read the Patten text topics listed on the course schedule.

Part 2

Questions from Patten text

• p. 12 Questions 1-10
• p. 14 Questions 1-9
• p. 18 Questions 1-6

Part 3

Find two scholarly articles that report original quantitative research. You will need to turn in the articles, but I will return them. For each of the articles, identify all dependent and independent variables. For variables with more than one level, please list those levels. In addition to identifying the variables, be sure to summarize the articles.

The articles must come from a primary source. The PsycInfo database available from the library will probably be the best source for articles appropriate for this assignment. After you identify articles to review, you can check to see if they are available online through the library's web site. I showed you how to do this in class. To complete this assignment, you will need to activate your library card and set up a proxy from your computer at home. Alternatively, you can locate articles while you're on campus.

Resources

Scholarly and Non-Scholarly Periodicals - Cornell University library offers this useful web page to help you distinguish between journals of varying levels of scholarship.

Colorado State University has posted useful and informative overviews of broad research approaches. Be sure to read the Introductions to each of the following sites. You may want to revisit these sites later in the semester.

• Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Research - Note that this is quantitative research.
• Ethnography, Observational Research, and Narrative Inquiry - These are examples of qualitative research.
• Overview of Statistics - The name sums it up.

An Introduction to Interviewing - Created for a Qualitative Research class at Northern Arizona University, part IV of this web site offers a useful matrix for thinking about possible interview questions.

More on Variables - This is one of the toughest concepts in the course. Hearing it another way might be useful.

Qualitative/Quantitative Debate - Which is better?

Adobe Reader - Many of the readings for this class will be online in PDF format. These files require Adobe Reader, a free utility, to view them. If you don't already have it, please download and install it now. You will need it at various times throughout the semester. Not sure if you need it? Click here to find out.