The purpose of this course is to guide students through their own quantitative data collection project. Initial course content will include a review of basic quantitative social science research methods, and content on the development of feasible research questions and sampling choices. Students will submit an institutional review board application, and we will discuss ethical issues related to student projects (e.g., consent and privacy protection). We will discuss measurement tools and survey construction. Subsequent lecture content will be responsive to students’ needs, but will likely focus on troubleshooting participant recruitment, ethical data storage, and data management. Although the course will focus primarily on collecting survey data, students who are interested in collecting experimental or administrative data can find a space here; all students will discuss their project with the instructor before admittance into the course.
Learning Outcomes:
1. By the end of this course, students will understand basic research design, sampling procedures, and survey and measurement construction.
2. By the end of this course, students will have knowledge of research ethics and the institutional review board application process.
3. By the end of this course, students will apply this knowledge to their own project design.
4. By the end of this course, students will gain the flexibility to adapt to barriers that arise during data collection projects.
Delivery Method: Fully in-person
Prerequisites:
Interview with instructor (contact: emilywaterman@bennington.edu). You will be required to name your topic of interest and initial hypotheses before registering, and with the help of the instructor, determine that the project is ethical and feasible. Although there are no specific prerequisite courses, students should demonstrate sufficient knowledge of research methods and statistical analysis, depending on their proposed project.
Course Level: 4000-level
Credits: 4
W 8:30AM - 12:10PM (Full-term)
Maximum Enrollment: 15
Course Frequency: One time only
Categories: 4000 , All courses , Four Credit , Fully In-Person , SCT
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