General Studies (GNST) 313 - Lecture 01
Interdisciplinary Research Methodology
Winter 2007
Tuesdays 1400 - 1650  

Instructor:	Dr. Fiona Nelson
Office Location:	SS 342
Office Phone:	210-9432
E-Mail:	nelsonf@ucalgary.ca
Web Page:
Office Hours:	Thursdays 1100 - 1300

Additional Information

Course materials, grades, and a discussion board will be available on Blackboard. Go to: http://blackboard.ucalgary.ca/webapps/login

Course Description

This course will introduce you to social/cultural research and the many ways in which such research gets done. We will overview, critique and practice some of the major research methods currently in use. We will also examine ethical considerations in research and explore the question of how research is situated within broader cultural contexts.

It is essential that you come to class with the required readings completed. For the most part, lectures will not duplicate the readings although the readings will often be the focus of class discussions. In addition, completion of the in-class group assignments, success on the midterm exam, and the ability to complete the major research project will require you to have done the readings.

Objectives of the Course

The primary objectives are to help you develop your skills both in conducting research and in becoming a critical, and informed, consumer of research. To these ends, you will conduct, and write up, research of your own, while critically reflecting on your process. We will also critically examine the research of others, exploring ways of interpreting research findings and assessing their soundness.

Textbooks and Readings:

Frankfurt, Harry G. 2006. On Truth. New York: Alfred A. Knopf

Dorsten, Linda Eberst and Lawrence Hotchkiss 2005. Research Methods and Society: Foundations of Social Inquiry. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall

Law, John. 2004. After Method: Mess in Social Science Research. London: Routledge.

Assignments and Evaluation

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.

GRADE COMPONENTS:

In-class Assignment #1 – January 30 – 10%

In-class Assignment #2 – February 13 –10%

Midterm Exam – February 27 – 25%

Ethics Paper – March 20 – 20%

Final Research Paper – due April 13 – 35%



ABOUT THE IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS

Assignment #1 – This is a group assignment that will be completed in class on January 30th. In preparation for the assignment, students are asked to bring one short piece of research they have found reported in the popular press. 90 minutes of the class time will be provided for this assignment. The 10% grade for this will be a common grade shared with the group. More details will be provided in class.

Assignment #2 – This assignment will be completed in class on February 13th. Students will work with the groups they have formed for their final research projects and will start thinking through either an interview guide or a questionnaire that they could use for their research. The group should devise and defend some preliminary questions and give some thought as to who might be an appropriate sample (and how to gather them). Again, much more detail about this will be given in class. 120 minutes of the class time will be provided for this assignment. The 10% grade for this will also be a common grade shared with the group.

As you can see, it is imperative that you be in attendance on the days of the group work. If you must be absent for the first assignment, and you have supporting documentation, you will be allowed to write a paper in lieu of the assignment. If you miss the second assignment, and you have supporting documentation, you will need to make arrangements to meet with your group later and find out what they proposed for the research. You will then need to write a paper that expands on those research plans – I will provide more information about this if the need arises.

******Very Important: Time will also be given in class on February 27th for students to meet with their final project groups. This is the time to discuss the feedback I will have provided on Assignment #2 and to figure out how and when to get going with the research. It is essential that you be present. Since this will be the second half of the class in which the midterm exam will take place, I expect that everyone who is present for the exam will be present for the group meetings.



ABOUT THE MIDTERM EXAM

Tuesday, February 27th – first half of class

Worth: 25%

The exam might contain multiple choice questions and will definitely contain short and long answer questions. More details will be provided in class as the date approaches.

All class material, including readings, films, lectures, assignments and class discussions are fair game for the exam.

If you have a documented reason for missing the exam, it is imperative that you notify me BEFORE the exam. You will be allowed to write a (different) make-up exam.



ABOUT THE ETHICS PAPER

Due – March 20th

Worth – 20%

Length – 7-10 pages

This is an individual paper in which you will be asked to reflect on ethical issues as they arise in your research and/or more generally. Much more detail will be given in class.



ABOUT THE FINAL RESEARCH PAPER

Due – April 13th

Worth – 35% (10% group and 25% individual)

Length – 14-18 pages (4-6 pages group and 10-12 pages individual)

You will have worked with your group to design and conduct either interview or questionnaire research on campus. For the group portion of this paper, you will co-write (or cooperatively write) a description of your research, your methods and participants. The individual portion will include a literature review, your interpretations of your findings, your ideas for future directions for research in this area, an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses in this research design, and your critical analysis of the research process.

Each group will also be asked to present their research to the class on March 27th, April 3rd, or April 10th. Group presentations should be 20 - 30 minutes in length and will be taken into consideration when calculating the group grade for this project.

****Note: the final paper is due on Friday, April 13th, three days after class ends. Papers should be submitted to me, in my office (SS 342) between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. that day.

Note: Please return assignments directly to the instructor if possible. If it is not possible to do so, a daytime drop box is available in SS110; a date stamp is provided for your use. A night drop box is also available for after-hours submission. Assignments will be removed the following morning, stamped with the previous day's date, and placed in the instructor's mailbox.

Registrar-scheduled Final Examination: No

Please note: If your class is held in the evening, the Registrar's Office will make every attempt to schedule the final exam during the evening; however, there is NO guarantee that the exam will NOT be scheduled during the day.

Policy for Late Assignments

Assignments submitted after the deadline may be penalized with the loss of a grade (e.g.: A- to B+) for each day late.

Writing Skills Statement

Faculty policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Writing skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc) but also general clarity and organization. Research papers must be properly documented.

If you wish help with your writing at any stage, including drafts, you are invited to contact the Writing Centre, SS110, 220-7255.

Grading System

The following grading system is used in the Faculty of Communication and Culture:

A+ (96-100); A (92-95); A- (86-91); B+ (81-85); B (77-80); B- (71-76);
C+ (65-70); C (62-64); C- (59-61); D+ (55-58); D (50-54); F (0-49)

 

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.

You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they appear in your text. A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself. Readers must be able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people’s words and ideas begin. This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages or visual media, and material taken from such sources.

Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS110) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

Additional Information

Research Ethics Whenever you perform research with human participants (i.e. surveys, interviews, observation) as part of your university studies, you are responsible for following university research ethics guidelines. Your instructor must review, and approve, your research plans and supervise your research. This course may have received course-based ethics approval from the faculty research ethics committee. If this is the case, your instructor will inform you accordingly, and provide you with directions on how to conduct your research. If the course does not have course-based approval, you will have to obtain approval for your individual research/assignment. The procedure for obtaining approval is available at: http://www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/content/view/45/283/

For more information about your research ethics responsibilities, see the U of C Research Ethics “Information for Applicants,” sections 3.0 to 9.0, inclusive: http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/research/html/ethics/info_undergrad.html

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237) and discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of the course.

Students' Union

For details about the current Students' Union contacts for the Faculty of Communication and Culture see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info

"SAFEWALK" Program -- 220-5333

Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance. Use any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot booths.

Schedule of Lectures and Readings

Schedule of lectures and readings

The following are the dates by which the indicated readings should be completed:

January 9: FIRST WEEK OF CLASS – NO ASSIGNED READING

January 16: Frankfurt – whole book

January 23: Dorsten and Hotchkiss - chapters 1- 4

January 30: Dorsten and Hotchkiss - chapters 5 - 7

February 6: Dorsten and Hotchkiss - chapters 8 – 10

February 13: Dorsten and Hotchkiss – chapters 11-13

February 20: READING WEEK – NO CLASS

February 27: MIDTERM EXAM – NO ASSIGNED READINGS

March 6: Law - chapters 1 - 3

March 13: Law – chapters 4 - 6

March 20: Law – chapters 7 & 8

March 27: CLASS PRESENTATIONS – NO ASSIGNED READINGS

April 3: CLASS PRESENTATIONS – NO ASSIGNED READINGS

April 10: CLASS PRESENTATION – NO ASSIGNED READINGS