INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL RESEARCH
SOC 212 & CJ 3100
8:00a.m. - 9:15a.m. Monday: COB 116
8:00a.m. - 10:15a.m. Wednesday: COB 230
Spring 2010
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Instructor: Sherry Marshall smarshal@mail.uccs.edu
Learning Goals & Outcomes: This class is designed to introduce students to the formulation of the research process including: creating a research question and hypothesis, conducting a literature review, creating a survey tool, collecting data, entering and analyzing data using stocktickerSPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science), and producing a final product in the form of a research paper. This class also will cover the connection between theory and data, probability and non-probability sampling techniques, scales and indexes for research purposes, as well as various quantitative and qualitative research designs.
Text and Materials:
The Basics of Social Research, 5th Ed. by Earl Babbie. Published by Wadsworth Publishing Co., 2008. There are “renting” options for this text at the website shown below.
A calculator with basic statistical functions will be required for this class.
Visit the Wadsworth Website for many resources to accompany each chapter in this text such as practice
quizzes, tutorials, etc. Go to http://www.cengage.com/sociology/babbie" http://www.cengage.com/sociology/babbie then
click on “Research Methods,” then “Companion site” (for students) under the Basics of Social Research
Readings and Assignments: placeCityReadings, assignments, and exams are scheduled on the attached Assignment
Calendar. An updated calendar Dec. be distributed if pace or course format seems to warrant change as
the semester progresses.
Website (www.uccs.edu/~smarshal): Information to help guide you through this class and the assignments.
Grading:
Your overall course grade will be based on the individual units below.
EXAMS: Five exams worth 100 points each 500 (59%)
EXERCISES: Worth 16 pts each 96 (11%)
Three in-class group exercises (Ex. 2, 3 & 6)
Three outside class individual exercises (Ex. 1, 4, 5)
RESEARCH PROJECT 220 (26%)
CLASS ATTENDANCE/PARTICIPATION 34 (4%)
TOTAL POINTS 850
A Few Resources which may be helpful for Literature Review
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/nacjd to access the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data
http://www.norc.org/GSS+Website/ to access the General Social Survey
http://www.international-survey.org/data/index.html International Social Science Surveys
http://www.webuse.umd.edu/ Very good site for multiple data sets
See pgs. 287-288 of text for other sites and examples
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Exams: There will be a total of five exams throughout the course. Exams will cover material from your text as well as from lecture material not necessarily covered in the text. If you miss an exam, you must contact me before class in order to set up a make-up time. If you do not contact me prior to exam, you must contact me as soon as possible, and I will then determine whether or not a make-up exam will be allowed.
In-class exercises: You must be present on the day the exercise is scheduled in order to receive credit (only
1 make-up for in-class assignments will be allowed). With advance notification - the instructor has the right to
change dates as necessary.
Most outside exercises will be due one week from their assigned date (see Assignment Calendar for a few exceptions). Late exercises will be accepted under the following conditions:
Up to one class period past due will be accepted w/o penalty provided it's NOT regular occurrence.
One week past due will be accepted with a 10% penalty deducted from the assigned points.
After one week and up to two weeks past due will be accepted with a 30% penalty.
Past 2 weeks up to 3 weeks- 50% penalty.
Not Accepted after 3 weeks past due.
Research Project: The goal is to take a specific social/criminal issue and develop it throughout the semester. A separate handout will be given regarding specific details and report structure.
You may decide to do this project individually or with 1 partner. Your topic and whether you will be working as an individual or with a partner is due by Monday, February 8, 2010. If you have a partner and it comes to my attention that you are not equally participating, you will be required to do your own individual project.
Class Attendance/Participation: Class attendance is highly recommended. Not only will your exams cover material that Dec. not be found in your text, 5% of your grade will be determined through your attendance and participation in class (this can make a difference in lowering or raising your overall grade). You will be expected to have read the appropriate chapter, as outlined on the calendar, prior to coming to class so that we Dec. discuss the material. Although we will not be able to cover all material found in the text, you will be expected to have read each chapter and to ask questions when material is unclear.
Canceled Classes and Assignments: If class is canceled, any assignment originally due at the time of the cancellation will automatically be due at the next scheduled class time.
Disabilities: If you have a disability for which you are requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact Disability Services within the first week of classes. Contact information: Main Hall, Room 105, 719-255-3354, dservice@uccs.edu
Classroom Behavior and Conduct: Students and faculty both share responsibility for maintaining a positive educational environment. Faculty have a responsibility to treat students with understanding, dignity and respect. Faculty also have the right and the authority to guide classroom discussion and to set reasonable limits on the manner in which students express opinions. Disruptive students in the academic setting hinder the educational environment. Students who fail to adhere to such reasonable limits shall be subject to disciplinary action(s).
“Disruption,” as applied to the academic setting, means verbal and other behavior in the classroom that a faculty member judges as interfering with normal academic functions. Disruptive student conduct is prohibited by Regent Laws, the UCCS Student Code of Conduct and the Student Classroom/Course-Related Behavior Policy. For more information go to the Office of the Dean of Students website at http://www.uccs.edu/~dos/studentconduct/index.html.
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EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY:
Find an article in a newspaper, magazine, journal, or on the Internet that discusses “survey results”. Write a critique of the article and its findings - utilize critical thinking (1 to 1 ½ pages -discussing the strengths and weaknesses as far as issues related to research methods). Worth up to 10 points toward point accumulation for briefly discussing in-class or 7 points without in-class talk.
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