Schedule and Announcements for Methods and Techniques of Social Research, Fall 2001.
This page will be updated frequently.  Be sure to RELOAD the file each time you check it.   GRADES HERE
For general course information, go to the Course Syllabus.   If  you have a question for Dr. Goertzel, send it here.  His office hours are 10:15 to 11 Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  Teaching Assistants for this course will be James Mark and Patricia McQuilkin.  They will generally be available after class.     Lecture Notes.  Rules for Submitting Assignments.
 
Assignments : On paper in class at: Digitally in the WEBCT Assignment Drop Box  no later than:
Ast One Not accepted on paper. Signup for WEBCT: Sept 12, 5 p.m.
Submit Assignment to WEBCT: September 17, 4 p.m.
Ast Two 11:15 a.m.Sept 14 or 17 11:00 a.m. Sept 17.
Ast 2a in the Workbook 11:15 a.m. Sept 21 11:00 a.m. Sept 21.
Ast 2b in the Workbook 11:15 a.m. Sept 28 11:00 a.m. Sept 28.
Ast 3 in the Workbook 11:15 a.m. October 5 11:00 a.m. October 5
Margins of Error 11:15 a.m. October 26 11:15 a.m. October 26
Ast 7 in the Workbook 11:15 a.m. November 2 11:15 a.m. November 2
Trend Analysis 11:15 a.m. November 9 11:15 a.m. November 9
Excel Graph 11:15 a.m. November 16 11:15 a.m. November 16
Lecture on Field Methods. 12:00 November 16, just sign the attendance sheet at the end of the lecture. 5 p.m. December 15.  Complete Ast 9  from the Workbook and submit to WEBCT.
Survey Interviews Five Interviews brought to class on November 26.  Must be coded on answer sheets for credit.
No WEBCT alternative.  Three more may be done for extra credit. 		 .
Ast 5a in the Workbook 11:15 November 30 or December 3 11:15 a.m. Monday, December 3
Alternative Assignment for those unable to complete survey interviews on time:
Ast 11 in the Workbook		 This is an alternative for anyone who was unable to complete the interviewing.  It will beccepted only through WEBCT. Credit for this assignment will be given ONLY if you did not get credit for 5 or more survey interviews:
5:00 p.m. Friday December 14

Wednesday, Sept 5: The goals and organization of the course.  Installation of the Microcase Software from the CD-ROM and disk included at the back of the workbook packaged with your text.
Friday, Sept 7:   The nature and uses of science and social science.   Discussion of Concepts and Theories, Chapter One in the textbook (Contemporary Social Research Methods). How does social science differ from other ways of thinking:  poetry, philosophy, theology, physical science?  Three approaches to knowledge.   W.H. Auden's poetry.  For a sample of a new concept, click on virtropy.  Is this a good concept?  Why or why not?  Census Document on Racial and Ethnic Categories.  Brazilian Racial Categories. Other concepts we can consider are:  poverty, power, crime, murder, race, IQ, liberalism/conservatism, homelessness. Or we could look at Personality Types as defined by Carl Jung and Measured by Isabel Meyers-Briggs. There are also techniques such as concept mapping that can be used to develop concepts.  Example: data on the Bureau of Justice Statistics WEB site.

Monday, Sept 10 -  Discussion of Chapter Two in the textbook on designing research projects.  Supplementary reading in Trochim on the structure of research.  You may prefer his "hourglass" metaphor to the circular one on page 14 of our textbook.  Some examples we will discuss include papers presented at the 2000 ASA meetings in Washington, a  Study of Tire-Crash Patterns (Word Format with Excel File Used to Reproduce Graphs.) and some controversial examples including research in criminal justice abortion and crime and on gun control and crime rates.  Another example is the role of research in the controversy over welfare reform.  Margaret Mead's classic work Coming of Age in Samoa which was extremely influential and, many people now believe, wrong.  Star Wars:  Is Astrology Sociology?  Another example is the book The Bell Curve which generated tremendous controversy and claims that it should never have been published.  The controversy over a study on the effects of sex abuse. Compstat in the  NYC and Philadelphia  Police Departments.  N.J. Crime Rate Lowest in last 3 decades.    N.J. Crime Statistics.    The origin and development of the project on South Jersey's Identity that we workied on last semester.  Results are on my home page.

Wednesday, Sept 12 -    University Classes will be Cancelled.

Friday, Sept 14 - Exploring Data Files, pages 1 to 11 in the Workbook. We will demonstrate these examples in class, and you can follow them along with your software at home if you wish.   The "Broken Windows Myth".  We will go over the first two assignments and help will be available to complete them after class.  Assignment Two can be handed in Today OR Monday on paper, or submitted electronically up until Monday at 11 a.m.

Monday, Sept 17 -  The Research Process Using Aggregate Data.  Reading, pages 29 to 38 in the Workbook.

Wednesday, Sept 19 - Chapter Six from the Textbook:  Basic Research Designs.  Distinction between Experiments, Surveys, Field Research and Aggregate or Comparative Research, e.g. "time series analysis."  .

Friday, Sept 21 - Distinguishing good research from "junk science." A list of the characteristics of "Junk Science."  Use of Junk Forensic Science in Capital Cases in Oklahoma   Discussion of my paper "Econometrics as Junk Science."  I put this paper on our WEBCT site since it is not ready for distribution on the WEB.  Click on "Papers" on the class WEBCT home page to find it.

Monday, Sept 24 -  ABC TV program on "Junk Science." Some responses. Pauling, salt, chemical sensitivity, breast implants, crack babies.

Wednesday, Sept 26 -   The Research Process Using Survey Data.  Reading, pages 47 to 53 in the Workbook.  We will demonstrate these examples in class, and you can follow them along with your software at home if you wish.  Use of row, column and total percentages.

Friday, Sept 28 -  Discussion of Levels of Measurement and Units of Analysis from  Chapter Three in the Textbook. Census Document on Racial and Ethnic Categories. Brazilian Racial Categories.  "True Colors:  The Confusion Over Who We Are."  Expected frequencies and Chi Square.   The first few pages of this Chi Square lesson by Amar Patel explain the meaning of "expected" frequencies.  It also goes on to explain the computation of chisquare.  An Example:  Alleged Racial Profiling by the San Diego Police.   Here is a one page summary of what we need to know about chisquare.   Have some data you want to test with chi square?  Use the WEB Chi Square Calculator.

Monday, Oct 1-   Introduction to Descriptive Statistics for single variables:   Mean, Mode, Median, Variance, Standard Deviation.  This is not included in our textbook, so you should read Trochim's WEB page on Descriptive Statistics instead.  There is also a WEB site called "statistics every writer should know" with discussions of the median, and the standard deviation.   More complete explanations of descriptive and inferential statistics can be found at the Rice Virtual Lab in Statistics site.  Here is an Excel File doing some of the calculations on Trochim' Web Page.  Bring a calculator for an in-class exercise.

Wednesday, Oct 3 - Discussion of reliability and validity from Chapter Three (on pages  43-48) in your text.  The concept of Construct Validity is particularly difficult.  You might think of construct validity as theoretical validity (does the measure measure what our theory says it should measure) and criterion or predictive validity as applied or empirical validity(does the measure work for our practical purposes).    As an example, we will discuss research done by this class on the construct validity of a measure of UFO Abduction.  Two most important measures of crime are the  National Crime Victimization Survey and the Uniform Crime Reports.  There are also some surveys of criminals. Reliability and Validity of Each Approach.

Friday, Oct 5 -   Review of computation of Percentages, Expected Frequencies, Means, Variances and Standard Deviations.   An Exercise will be completed in class (these will not be graded, please don't send them in or ask for the answers if you skip class).   Bring a calculator to class.

Monday, Oct 8 -  Calculation of Expected Frequencies and Standard Deviation.

Wednesday, Oct 10 -  Review for midterm one.  To organize your reviewing, focus on the "Review Glossary" at the end of each chapter of the Text and the "Before You Begin" questions at the beginning of the chapters in the Workbook.  Items from exercise six from the workbook will be answered in class, bring the workbook with you. Sample Multiple Choice Questions. You may bring a copy of the Guide to Computing Descriptive Statistics to class with you for the exam.  Also please bring a pencil with an eraser and a calculator.

Friday, Oct 12 - First examination. Bring a Pencil with an Eraser, a Calculator and a copy of the Guide to Computing Descriptive Statistics.  The exam will have multiple choice questions covering Chapters One, Two, Three and Six in the Textbook and Workbook.  It will also have statistical questions which will require you to compute percentages, expected frequencies, means, medians, and standard deviations.  You may bring a copy of the Guide to Computing Descriptive Statistics to use as you answer these questions.
Monday, Oct 15-  Exams returned.  Use of regression equations.  Bring a calculator for an in-class exercise that was handed out in class on Oct 8.  Please bring the copy you received then.
Wednesday, Oct 17 - Completion of the Regression Exercise.   Chapter 4:  Censuses and Samples.   We will do examples from Exercise 4 in class.  Here is the file with some answers we did in class.
Friday, Oct 19 -  Computation of Margins of Error, using the Guide to Computing Margins of Error.
Monday, Oct 22 -  More on Chapter 4.  More practice computing Margins of Error if needed.
Wednesday, Oct 24 -    We will work through the examples in Exercise Four in the Workbook on Sampling.
Friday, Oct 26 - Chapter 7:  Survey Research.  Last Semester's Survey.   Designing our own Survey.  Draft of a Questionnaire for a Class Survey.  Gallup Poll. How Polls Are Conducted.  Harris Interactive. Harris Poll Online. Excite Poll.
Monday, Oct 29-  Graphics in Social Research. Florence Nightingale innovated in the use of charts to document trends and relationships. Portrait.  Graphics used by Nightingale and others.  Nightingale's Pie Chart.  Nightingale's Line Chart.   Anscombe's Quartet.    Excel file of Anscombe's Quartet.   A study using graphics to communicate results about imprisonment and crime rates.  (in pdf format). Some excellent graphs are available from the Bureau of Justice Statistics.  A massive example is the Trends Timeline Chart.  A common practical application is to follow stock prices.   Microcase also uses charts, including bar and pie charts and scattergrams.   The professional version of Microcase has a "Historical Trends" procedure which produces interesting time series graphs.  We will have an assignment using this software, which is available in the computer center (look in the Statistics folder on the Windows desktop).  Anyone who wants to install a copy of the professional hardware at home can get a cd-rom from Ted Goertzel or Bob Wood.  You need a password and other information to install it.   We can also make many kinds of graphs in Excel, and use linear regression to project trends.

Wednesday, Oct 31 -  October 25-28, 2001, New York Times Survey:  Story. Complete Poll Results.  How Poll Was Conducted.  Antiterrorism Legislation.    Draft of a Questionnaire for a Class Survey.
Friday, Nov 2 -  Review of Assignment 7, discussion of Trend Analysis.
Monday, Nov 5- Data sources for quantitative analysis.  Putting data into EXCEL.   Online Instructions for using Excel.
Wednesday, Nov 7 -  More on graphing using Microcase and Excel.  An Excel File with a Histogram.   An Excel File doing some of the calculations on Tronchim' Web Page.  heightweight.xls
Friday, Nov 9 -  Trend analysis with Excel.
Monday, Nov 12 -   Survey Interviewing. Survey Questionnaire.  Interviewing Guidelines. -  Interviewing Techniques.  Interview Reporting Sheets.
Wednesday, Nov 14 - Excel assignment lab session in computer center.  I was not able to reserve a computer lab for us.  You should just sit down at one of the computers in the big lab, room 108/109 I believe, and Jim and Patricia will be available to help you.
Friday, Nov 16 -  Visiting Lecturer, Myra Bluebond-Langner on Field Methods. *Attendance Counts As One Assignment *  Field Methods, Chapter 9 in the text.
Monday, Nov 19 -  - review for second exam.  Review Questions.   Answers to items answered in class.
  *  A Review Session, focusing on Sampling Multiple Regression Computations, will be scheduled for the free period after class. *
Wednesday, Nov 21 - Friday Classes - Second Midterm Examination.  Multiple choice question covering Chapter 4:  Censuses and Samples.  Computation of Margins of Error.  .   Bring a calculator and a copy of the Guide to Computing Margins of Error    --   GRADES HERE
Friday, Nov 23 - Thanksgiving Holiday
Monday, Nov 26 -  Interviews Due - to be coded in class today.
Wednesday, Nov 28 -  Discussion of Midterm, Intro to Causal Modeling.  News Story on Last Semester's Survey.
Friday, Nov 30 -  Use of Cross Tabulation for Causal Analysis, Exercise 5a. - Philadelphia Business Journal Story on Rutgers Poll.
Monday, Dec  3 -  Survey Frequencies.   Comparison of our results with the NY Times survey.
Wednesday, Dec 5 -     Review of Regression Equations from Second Midterm:  Answers Here.  Use of Regression Modeling to test causal assumptions (Asst 5b to be discussed in class). Principles of Path Analysis.  Reading:  Ted Goertzel, Myths of Murder and Multiple Regression," distributed in class or in the "Papers" folder on our WEBCT site. Story about John Lott's study of gun control. "Diminishing Returns:  Crime and Incarceration in the 1990s"  Graphs from study of Murder and Multiple Regression    Sample Path Analysis Diagram:  Determinants of Adult Homosexuality in White Males.
Friday, Dec 7 -  Experimental Research, Chapter 10 in the Textbook.
Monday, Dec  10 -  Content Analysis, Chapter 11 in the Textbook.    A Content Analysis Study of Editorial Cartoons.   A Content Analysis of Internet-Accessible Written Pornographic Depications.  Links to Content Analysis studies.
Wednesday, Dec 12 -  Last Day of Class - Review for Final.  Latest NY Times Poll.  The Final will be comprehensive, and will cover much of the same material as the second exam.
 
Review Questions for Final Answers

Anyone doing better on the final than on the second exam will have their grade on the second exam raised.

Thursday, Dec 20, 9 to 12 - final examination.
Friday, December 21, 9 to 12, Room 124 Armitage, make-up exam for anyone who misses the final on December 21.
 
 


Rules for Submitting Assignments

1) Follow the instructions for each assignment.  Some must be submitted digitally,  some on paper, and some may be submitted either way.
2) Unless Otherwise Specified, all digital assignments must be in html or ASCII text file format.  Half credit will be given for files submitted in Microsoft Word or other formats since these are more difficult to read in WEBCT.
3)  Paper assignments must be brought to class at 11:15 a.m. on the day due.  Paper assignments will not be accepted in the instructor's mailbox or at his office or by mail or fax.  They will not be accepted early or late.
4) Digital assignments must be submitted to the WEBCT assignment dropbox by the hour and day due.  The Assignment Dropbox will automatically close after the assignment is due.
5) Late Assignments must be submitted to the Late Assignment Dropbox. You may use this alternative twice during the semester, once for 100% credit and once for 90% credit.  Special arrangements must be made with the instructor for exceptions, which will be granted only in cases of hospitalization or other extreme circumstances. If this becomes necessary, you should contact the instructor immediately by email or, if that is impossible, by telephone.
6) No assignments may be submitted by email;  all electronic submissions must be to WEBCT.
 

To install the Professional Microcase at home, get a CD from me or Bob Wood.  Use the following information
Institution:  Rutgers University - Camden Campus
Support Person:  Robert E. Wood
Password 0390-1860-5934