Programs

Courses

Textbooks by Semester

Course Web Pages - Fall 2012 - LIBR 285-10 Greensheet - Calendar

LIBR 285
Research Methods
Assignments

Dr. Geoffrey Z. Liu
E-mail


Course Links
Assignments
Course Calendar
Bibliography
LIBR 285 Resources
Online Resource
Articles for Critique
Resources
D2L
D2L Tutorial
SLIS e-Bookstore

Tentative Course Calendar

Session Topic Readings and Dues
0 Orientation
  • Administrative logistics
Elluminate Session
- Orientation

8/25 1:00-4:00pm
1 Introduction
  • Initiating concepts: basic vs. applied, academic vs. evaluative, literary vs. empirical, qualitative vs. quantitative
  • Research, theory, and science
  • Ideas for (thesis) research
  • Define your research problem
Ch. 1-3
2 Research Process, Methods & Design
  • Process of doing research
  • Overview of research methodology
  • Literature review & development of research problem
  • Overall research design
Ch. 4-6
3 Exploratory Research
  • Field observation & focus group
  • Case study vs. case report
  • Identification of factors and theorization
  • Controversy about case study: Markus (1983) [PDF] vs. Lee (1989) [PDF]
  • Sociological case studies: Alejandro Mamani & A New Guinean Swamp Tribe Culture

Ch.13

. Student presentation of case study (CS) critiques Elluminate Session
- CS Critique Presentation

9/8 1:00-4:00pm

DUE: 9/10 11:30pm
4 Measuring a Factor/Concept
  • Factors vs. variables
  • From theory to conceptual hypothesis
  • Measuring a concept
  • Likert scale, concept differentiation
  • Instrument design, development, and testing 
Ch.7
5 Research Population & Sampling Techniques
  • Research subjects and population
  • Normal distribution
  • Theoretical vs. practical population
  • Random and nonrandom sampling techniques
Ch.8
6 Survey Research
  • Questionnaire vs. interviewing
  • Questionnaire design and pretest
  • Sampling of survey population
  • Practical issues of surveying
  • Art of interviewing

Ch.10

. Student presentation of survey research critiques Elluminate Session
-SR critique presentation

9/29 1:00-4:00pm

DUE: 10/1 11:30pm
7

Historical/Archival Studies

Ch. 14

8 Grounded Theory & Content Analysis
  • A bottom-up approach to develop theory
  • Collection of research materials (field notes, interview scripts, subjects-generated texts)
  • Text categorization and coding
  • Formal coding and statistical analysis of sampled content data
Ch. 3, p.57
Ch. 6, p.174-178
Ch. 11, p. 358-361, 379
Ch. 15
.

Student presentation of qualitative research (QR) critique

Elluminate Session
-QR critique presentation

10/13 1:00-4:00pm

DUE: 10/15 11:30pm
9 Basics of Statistical Analysis
  • Descriptive vs. inferential statistics
  • Parametric vs. nonparametric statistics
  • Statistical vs. conceptual hypothesis
  • Validity and assumption of statistical analysis
  • Hypothesis testing & significance level
Ch.12
10 Data Encoding, Summary Statistics, and Charting
  • Variable definition, data types, and value coding
  • SPSS: tutorial, tables and charts
  • Scores and frequencies
  • Summary/descriptive statistics
  • Exploring data with line/scatter diagrams
Ch. 12
11 Statistical Analysis of Mean Comparison and Correlation
  • Chi-square analysis
  • Paired/one sample t-test
  • Analysis of variances (ANOVA/MANOVA)
  • Factorial and interaction analysis
  • Pearson r correlation and regression
Ch. 12
12

Experimental studies

Ch. 9

.

Student presentation of experimental study (ES) critique

Elluminate session
- ES Critique Presentation

11/10 1:00-4:00pm

DUE: 11/12 11:30pm

13

Ethics, Findings, and Report

Ch. 5 & 16
Ch. 9, p. 304; Ch. 10, p. 351; Ch. 11, p. 380; Ch. 13, p. 457; Ch. 14, p.502

. (Completion of NIH online tutorial) DUE: 11/26 11:30pm
. Student Presentation of Term Paper (Thesis Proposal) Elluminate Session
- TP Presentation (12/8)

Group A: 9:00-11:45am
Group B: 1:00-4:00pm
. Term Paper (Research Proposal) DUE: 12/10 11:30pm

BlogsCommunity Profiles   | Databases  | eBookstore  | Maps  | PhD  | Second Life |