SemesterSpring Semester, 2020
DepartmentMA Program of Ethnology, First Year PhD Program of Ethnology, First Year
Course NameResearch Methods
InstructorHOLM DAVID LEOPOLD
Credit3.0
Course TypeElective
Prerequisite
Course Objective
Course Description
Course Schedule

Week 1: Scientific Inquiry, Research Areas, Research Topics, Research Questions



Readings Babbie, chapter 1



Topics * course objectives, requirements, overview



* knowledge and science



* purposes of research (see also Babbie, pp.90-93)



* science as a social enterprise



* research areas vs. research interests vs. researchable topics



 



Week 2: Getting to Know the Journals in your Field



Topics * disciplines in Asia-Pacific Studies



* journals in Asia-Pacific Studies



* recent and past discourses in your research area



* methods in use in your research area



* posting assignment (due before class in week 4)



 



Week 3: Ethics in Research



Readings: Babbie, ch. 2



Topics: * ethics in research



* politics in research



* posting assignment (due before class in week 4)



 



Week 4: The Basic Building Blocks of Theory and Research



Readings: Babbie, chapter 3 (especially pp.71-79); Glatthorn & Joyner, chapters 2, 6, and 9



Topics: * Why theory? What is theory?



* paradigms, theories, models and hypotheses



* key concepts: variables, concepts (also, Babbie, p.164)



* inductive versus deductive inquiry (also, Babbie, 21-23)



* criteria for causality (also, Babbie, 93-95)



* what is a “contribution to knowledge?”



* analytical frameworks versus literature review



* research and dissertation topic formulation processes



 



Week 5: The Basic Building Blocks of Empirical Research II;



Understanding Research Design



Readings: Babbie, chapter 4;



Glatthorn & Joyner, chapters 12, 15 (Proposal and Dissertation outlines)



Topics: * purposes of inductive research; criteria of success



* purposes of deductive research; criteria of success



* issues in research design



* examples in Asia-Pacific Studies



 



Week 6: Conceptualization, Operationalization and Measurement



Readings: Babbie, chapter 6



Topics: * conceptualization



* operationalization



* levels of measurement



* validity, reliability



* examples in Asia-Pacific Studies and other relevant disciplines



 



Week 7: Indices; Presentation of Research Proposals



Short Presentation of Research Topics.



Readings: Babbie, chapter 7 (esp. 201-215, 217)



Topics: * indices and Likert-scales



* examples in Asia-Pacific Studies and other relevant disciplines



* presentation of sample research proposals



 



 



Week 8: Sampling



Readings: Babbie, chapter 8;



Glatthorn & Joyner, chapter 4, 11, and 18 (Methods Selection)



Topics: * samples in research



* probability and non-probability samples



* key concepts: sampling frame, sampling error, types of bias



 



Week 9: Survey Research



Readings: Babbie, chapter 11;



Glatthorn & Joyner, chapters 3, 10, and 17 (Literature review)



 



DUE: Initial Proposal.



 



Topics: * role of surveys in research



* self-administered surveys; mail and internet



* telephone and interview surveys



 



Week 10: Field Research



Readings: Babbie, chapter 10



Glatthorn & Joyner, chapters 2. 16, and 19 (Writing the Introduction)



Topics: * topics appropriate for field research



* roles of observers



* use of focus groups



* examples in Asia-Pacific Studies and other relevant disciplines



 



Week 11: Field Research (2)



Readings: H. Russell Bernard, Research Methods in Anthropology, chapters 9-11



Topics: * observing other cultures



* field notes: how to take and manage them



* unstructured and semi-structured interviewing



* direct observation



* dealing with language barriers



* audio and video recording



* use of GPS and digital cameras



 



Week 12: Evaluation Research



Readings: Babbie, chapter 12



Glatthorn & Joyner, ch. 19-20 (Writing the Results chapter)



Topics: * program evaluation from start to finish



* selection of research questions and methods



* program evaluation as a learning; presenting results



* from evaluation to optimization



 



Week 13: Secondary Data and Policy Analysis



Readings: Babbie, chapter 10




  1. & Joyner, chapters 1, 24-25 (Challenges….)



Topics: * availability of secondary data



* strengths and weaknesses of secondary data



* secondary data and policy analysis



* examples in Asia-Pacific Studies and other relevant disciplines



 



Week 14: Experiments and Quasi-Experiments



Readings: Babbie, chapter 9



Glatthorn & Joyner, chapters 14, 8 (Academic Style, Technology)



Topics: * the importance of control and research design



* threats to validity



* double-blind experiments



* strengths and limitations of the experimental design



 



Week 15: Publishing in SSCI journals



Readings: Glatthorn & Joyner, chapters 5, 13



Topics: * journal house styles



* quotation, paraphrase, and plagiarism



 



Week 16: Oral Presentations of Research Findings



Topics: * conference presentations and posters



* presentation style



* using powerpoints (PPTs) effectively



* handouts



Activities: Individual consultations with Professor upon appointment



work on final report



 



Week 17: Bringing it Together; presentations (1)



 



Week 18: Bringing it Together; presentations (2)



 


Teaching Methods
Teaching Assistant

n.a.


Requirement/Grading

Synopsis 15%



Book review 10



Initial Proposal 15



Proposal presentation 5



Ethics posting 5



Research Proposal 30



Proposal presentation 10



Attendance 10


Textbook & Reference

(1) Earl Babbie (2012). The Practice of Social Research, Wadsworth Publishing; 13th edition. (or later) . ISBN-13: 978-1133-04979-1



(2) H. Russell Bernard (1994). Research Methods in Anthropology: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches, Walnut Creek: AltaMira Press. ISBN 0-8039-5244-9



(3). Allan A. Glatthorn, Randy L. Joyner. (2005). Writing the Winning Thesis or Dissertation: A Step-by-Step Guide. Corwin Press, 2nd edition. ISBN-13: 9780761939610


Urls about Course
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