Introduction to Research Methods, 2006 Fall Term

J. Fletcher
Office: Sidney Smith 3005 
Phone: 978-5018
Email: josephf@chass.utoronto.ca

This term will introduce students of political science to the fundamentals of research design and analysis. Classes will consist of both conventional lectures and data labs as indicated on the class schedule. Attendance is very strongly advised at all classes. Numerous computer-based homework assignments will be completed throughout the term. These will also form the basis for an oral presentations at the end of the term. Moreover, several term tests will be held throughout the semester. Students who do exceptionally well on the homework assignments may be invited by the instructor to write a research report in lieu of the final term test. Tutorials will be available in the week immediately prior to a homework due date.

If you are having a problem, please go to the POL242y troubleshooting page.

Required Readings:

As something of an ongoing experiment, we will endeavor to make required readings available online. For the most part they will be drawn/adapted from the following sources:

Joseph F. Fletcher et al, POL242 On-line Lab Manual     http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~josephf/pol242/onlinetutorials.htm

John L. Korey, Politically-Oriented Web-Enhanced Research Methods for Undergraduates — Topics and Tools as adapted from:                 http://www.csupomona.edu/%7Ejlkorey/POWERMUTT/index.html

Wolfgang Ludwig-Mayerhofer, Internet Guide to SPSS for Windows                    http://www.lrz-muenchen.de/~wlm/wlmspss.htm

Methods for Social Researchers in Developing Countries
http://srmdc.net/
 

Please be advised that since this is an experiment, there will very likely be numerous changes and additions made to the readings, lab manual and details of the assignments as the term proceeds.

 
Recommended Texts:

Earl Babbie & Lucia Benaquisto, Fundamentals of Social Research: 1st Canadian edition, (Scarborough.: Nelson, 2002).

David de Vaus, Analyzing Social Science Data: 50 Key Problems in Data Analysis (Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage, 2002).

Phillip H. Pollock III, The Essentials of Political Analysis, second edition(Washington D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Press, 2005).

Other Recommended Texts

Class Schedule & Reading Assignments (for both Tuesday and Thursday sections): 

Sept. 12/14-Introduction 

Sept. 19/21-Studying the Social & Research Design

Required:                                                                                                                 Korey, Political Science as a Social Science & Research Design (McCall), 

Recommended:
Babbie & Benaquisto, Preface, Prologue and Part I, Chapter 4 and Appendix A

Joseph F. Fletcher, "Mass and Elite Attitudes About Wiretapping in Canada: Implications for Democratic Theory and Politics" Public Opinion Quarterly, Vol. 53, No. 2. (Summer, 1989), pp. 225-245.

Sept. 26/28- Data Lab 1 Part A & Part B & Data Description

Required:                                                                                                                  Korey , Levels of Measurement & Frequency Tables  

Ludwig-Mayerhofer, Simple Analysis (Frequency Tables), Data Transformation (Recode); Handling Data Files (Missing Values; Labeling Variables and Values; Rename Variables and Selecting Cases)

Recommended:

Babbie & Benaquisto, Chapter 5 (pp 119-122), Chapters 15 and 16 (pp 411 - 420).

de Vaus, Chapters 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 28, 29 & 30

Paul R. Brewer, "The Shifting Foundations of Public Opinion about Gay Rights" Journal of Politics, Vol. 65, No. 4. (Nov., 2003), pp 1208-1220.

Oct. 3/5- Data Lab 2 Part A & PartB ---Assignments #1&2 and Lit on the Web

Required:

Making A Presentation

Recommended:
de Vaus, Chapter 1

Oct. 10/12-Searching for Relationships: Crosstabulation

Required:                                                                                                                 Korey, Contingency Tables  & Measuring Association

Ludwig-Mayerhofer, Simple Analysis (Crosstabulation)

Recommended:
Babbie & Benaquisto, Chapter 16 (pp 421 - 426 & pp 440 - 444). 

de Vaus, Chapter 32.

Optional: de Vaus, Chapter 33.

Oct. 17/19-Data Lab 3 PartA, PartB & PartC---Assignment #3 and Measurement & Operationalization
 

Korey, Validity & Reliability

Recommended:
Babbie & Benaquisto, Chapter 5 (pp 105-119 & pp 123-131).

de Vaus, Chapter 35 & 36 (pp 274-275 only).

Oct. 24/26-Creating an Index & Remote Data Analysis

Required:   

Korey, (Computing New Variables)

Ludwig-Mayerhofer, Data Reduction (Item Analysis); Data Transformation (Compute)   

Toronto

Berkeley

Michigan

UK

Australia  

Recommended:
Babbie & Benaquisto, Chapter 6.

Oct. 31/Nov. 2-Data Lab 4 Part A & Part B---Assignment #4 and Surveys & Sampling

Required:                                                                                                                 Korey,   Survey Research, Weighting Data & Longitudinal Analysis of Survey Data

Ludwig-Mayerhofer, Handling Data Files (Using Case Weights)

Recommended:
Babbie & Benaquisto, Chapter 7, 9 and Appendix E.

de Vaus, Chapters 3, 4, 7, 17 (pp117-122 only) & 18.

Optional : de Vaus Chapter 7, 20 & 21.

Nov. 7/9-Statistical Inference

Required:                                                                                                                 Korey,  Standard Scores and the Normal Distribution,Comparing Means & ChiSq

Ludwig-Mayerhofer, Simple Analysis (T-test; Analysis of Variance)

Recommended:
Babbie & Benaquisto, Chapter 16 (pp 450 - 459); Appx C & D.

de Vaus, Chapters  23, 24, 25 & 38.

Optional: de Vaus Chapters 26, 27, 39 (pp293-294 only) & 40 (pp 309-310 & 312-313 only). 

Nov. 14/16-Data Lab 5 Part A, Part B & Part C--Assignment #5 & Qualitative Research
 

Required:                                                                                                                 Korey,  Focus Groups, Content Analysis & Participant Observation

Recommended:
Babbie & Benaquisto, Chapters 10-14.

de Vaus, Chapters 11 and 12 

Nov. 21/23-Presenting Your Research

Presentation week 1

Recommended:                                                                                                        Babbie & Benaquisto, Part 3 (pp 201-212 only) &Appendix A. 

Nov. 28/Nov. 30- Presenting Your Research

Presentation week 2

Dec. 5/78-Term Test or Bivariate Report Due

Recommended Texts: 

Research Methods:

Alan Bryman, Social Research Methods, (Oxford University Press, 2001)H/ 62 ./B787 /2001/ROBA or TRIN

Keith Archer, et al., Explorations: A Navigator's Guide to Quantitative Research in Canadian Political Science, (Toronto: ITP Nelson, 1998).JA 71.5 .A72 1998 ROBA and STL

Bruce L. Berg, Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences 4th edition, (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2001).H 61 .B4715 2001X ROBA

James Carlson & Mark S. Hyde, Doing Empirical Political Research (Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 2003). JA86/C36/2002X

John Gerring, Social Science Methodology: A Criterial Framework, (NY: Cambridge University Press, 2001.) H61/G47/2001/ROBA

Janet Johnson et al, Political Science Research Methods 4th edition (Washington:CQ Press, 2001).JA 71 .J64 2001REF

Jarol Manheirm et al. Empirical Political Analysis 5th edition (Toronto: Longman Addison Wesley, 2002)

Tim May, Social Research: Issues, methods and process, 3rd edition (Open Univ Press, 2001). H62/M325/2001/ROBA

W. Lawrence Neuman, Social Research Methods: Qualitiative and Quantitative Approaches 5th edition, (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2003).HM 48 .N48 2000/ ROBA

Statistics:

Alan Agresti & Barbara Finlay, Statistical Methods for the Social Science, Third edition, (NJ: Prentice Hall, 1997).QA/276/.12/A34/1997X STL

Alan Bryman and Duncan Cramer, Quantitative Data Analysis with SPSS for Windows (Routledge, 2001).HA 32 .B796 2001 ROBA 1

Michael Lewis-Beck, Data Analysis: An Introduction (Thousand Oaks, California: Sage, 1995).HA 29 .L49 1995X ROBA

Jeremy J. Foster, Data Analysis using SPSS for Windows: A Beginner's Guide new edition, (Sage, 2001). HA 32 .F67 2001 ROBA Data Library 

Raymond Kent, Data Construction and Data Analysis for Survey Research (NY:Palgrave, 2001). HM 535 K45 2001 ROBA

Peter Nardi, Interpreting Data: A Guide to Understanding Research (Pearson/Allyn Bacon, 2006). HA29/N34/2006 SCAR & UTM

Marija J. Norušis,  SPSS 12.0 Statistical Procedures Companion (NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003

Rand R. Wilcox, Fundamentals of Modern Statistical Methods, (NY: Springer, 2001). QA276/W48/2001X/MSLM

University of Texas SPSS tutorial:
http://www.utexas.edu/cc/stat/tutorials/spss/SPSS1/Outline1.html

Graphics:

Edward R. Tufte, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, Chesire, Conn: Graphics Press, 1983. HA 31 .T83 1983 ROBA 5; 2nd edition QA 276.3 .T83 2001 SCAR

Edward R. Tufte, Envisioning Information, Cheshire, Conn: Graphics Press, 1990.741.6 .T914E OISE/UT 1 

Writing with Numbers and Graphics:

Jane E. Miller, The Chicago Guide to Writing about Numbers, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2004.

Edward R. Tufte,Visual explanations : images and quantities, evidence and narrative, Chesire, Conn: Graphics Press, 1997, BF 241 .T83 1997 TRIN