General Studies (GNST) 313 - Lecture 01
Interdisciplinary Research Methodologies
Winter 2008
T/Th 15:30 - 16:45, ST126

Instructor:	Janis Goldie
Office Location:	SS209
Office Phone:
E-Mail:	jlgoldie@ucalgary.ca
Web Page:
Office Hours:	Thursday 17:00 - 18:00

Additional Information

Course materials 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 interdisciplinary research and the many ways in which such research gets done. We will overview, critique and practice some of the major research methods used by social and cultural researchers. 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, successful completion of assignments and exams 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:

David, M. & C. D. Sutton (2004). Social Research: The Basics. SAGE: London.

Assignments and Evaluation

Research Proposal: Feb 14 (15%)

Mid-term exam: February 28 (25%)

Research Journal: March 13 and April 10 (10% each submission for a total of 20%)

Final research paper: April 17 (40%)

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

Research Proposal (15%) - Feb. 14

The research proposal is a group assignment and is the first assignment of two that you will submit with the same group of 4-5 people (the final research paper is the second). In this assignment, you will outline the proposed research project that you plan to conduct and report on for the final research paper due at the end of the term. A strong research proposal will include comprehensive discussion of the necessary elements, such as a research title, background/introduction, literature review, aims and objectives, methods, data analysis, ethical issues, references, and schedule. In addition, a successful research proposal must make it very clear to the reader the proposed path the research project will follow, as well as the rationale behind that path. The research proposal should be between 3-5 pages in length in standard 12 pt Times New Roman with 1 in margins. Detailed discussion about how to create a successful research proposal will be conducted in class.

This course (or assignment) has obtained course-based ethics approval from the faculty research ethics committee.  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 of your research plans and supervise your research.  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

Mid-term Exam (25%) - Feb 28

The mid-term exam will test your knowledge of the course content, including the readings as well as the class discussions and examples, to date. It will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions and will occur in class on February 28. More detailed discussion on the mid-term will be provided in class closer to the date.

Research Journal (10% each submission for a total of 20%) - March 13 and April 10

In this individual assignment, you are expected to keep a research journal that allows you to reflect on the research process, as well as the issues and topics that we discuss about research in class lectures and in the readings. Entries into your research journal can be about anything that you choose, but possible topics might be the ethical issues of research, discussions about books or articles around your research topic that you found stimulating or controversial, reflections on the actual research process such as how the act of conducting an interview went, or even brain storming about possible research topics that interest you, etc.

You are expected to write a minimum of 5 entries for each submission date and each entry should be approximately 500-800 words. Please submit the journal entries in a typed format.

The research journal will provide you will the opportunity to reflect on your involvement in the research process, and should also help to move your thinking forward in terms of your research project overall. While this is an individual assignment, entries that discuss the final research project are not only expected, but also encouraged.

In all, a research journal:

• Is a tool of reference where you can locate the information or sources that you collect during your research
• Is a tool for reflecting, thinking and articulating about the research process
• Is a place to process information and consider its relevance
• Is a place to record your perspective on different topics
• Is a place to experiment with ideas, writing and recording
• Is a place that helps you to articulate frustrations and successes so that you utilize both or either of them to your advantage

A research journal is NOT:

• Is NOT a diary of personal and intimate encounters, thoughts, fantasies, dreams
• Is NOT a minute log of daily activities
• Is NOT a rambling stream of consciousness and can not be done hastily

Your research journal is your place to articulate the issues that are important to you throughout the research process and this course and what you choose to write about is up to you. However, entries must be reflective, critical and thoughtful in order to obtain complete marks.

Final Research Paper (40%) - April 17

The final research paper is the second assignment that you will submit with your group (the first is the research proposal). To complete your research paper, your group has the option to conduct research using ONE of the following methods: participant observation, interviews or a survey. Your group should choose one of these methods in order to gather data on a research topic of your choosing. If you choose to do participant observation, your selected setting should be a public environment (i.e. coffee shop, train station, work setting) and you should conduct a minimum of 10-15 hours observing. If you choose to do interviews, you should conduct a minimum of 3-5 in-depth interviews around the topic of your choice, preferably with public figures, peers, or people that you know. If you chose to do a survey, you should get a minimum of 30-50 completed anonymous responses.

After planning and conducting your research, you are to create a research paper that describes your research, your method and your participants. In addition, your paper should 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 overall.

The research paper should be 15-20 pages double-spaced, in 12 pt Times New Roman with 1" margins.

Note: Please hand in your essays directly to your tutor or 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 need help with your writing, you may use the Writing Centre.  Visit the website for more details: www.efwr.ucalgary.ca

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. 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 (SS 106, efwr.ucalgary.ca) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

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/su

"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.

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 of your research plans and supervise your research.  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

Schedule of Lectures and Readings

Tues. Jan. 15 -- Introduction/Administration

Thurs. Jan. 17 -- What is social research? -- Chapter 5

Tues. Jan. 22 -- Research in action

Thurs. Jan. 24 -- Getting Started: RQs and Literature Review - Chapter 1

Tues. Jan. 29 -- Research Design and Proposals

Thurs. Jan. 31 -- Data and Data Collection -- Chapter 3

Tues. Feb. 5 -- Ethics in Research -- Chapter 2

Thurs. Feb. 7 -- Ethics in Research

Tues. Feb. 12 -- Philosophy of Social Research

Thurs. Feb. 14 -- Qualitative and Quantitative Perspectives - Chapters 4, 6, 11

Tues. Feb. 19 -- OFF - Reading week

Thurs. Feb. 21 -- OFF - Reading week

Tues. Feb. 26 - Interviewing -- Chapter 7

Thurs. Feb. 28 - Mid-term exam

Tues. Mar. 4 -- Focus Groups

Thurs. Mar. 6 -- Ethnography & Participant Observation - Chapter 8

Tues. Mar. 11 -- Case Studies

Thurs. Mar. 13 -- Ethnomethodology and Conversation Analysis -- Chapter 10

Tues. Mar. 18 -- Content and Discourse Analysis -- Chapter 9

Thurs. Mar. 20 -- Participatory Action Research

Tues. Mar. 25 -- Quantitative Research - Basic Issues

Thurs. Mar. 27 - Sampling -- Chapter 13

Tues. April 1 - Surveys -- Chapter 14

Thurs. April 3 -- Coding and Analyzing Qualitative Data -- Chapter 16, 17

Tues. April 8 -- Coding and Analyzing Quantitative Data -- Chapter 20

Thurs. April 10 -- Using SPSS

Tues. April 15 -- Writing Up Research -- Chapter 25

Thurs. April 17 -- Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Research