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BA 762 Syllabus
This is course provides a general
introduction to research methods. It is a Ph.D. level course for students in the
social sciences (particularly management).
There are many different ways of
handling a course like this. One approach is the conceptual/mathematical --
really explaining at a deep level things like formal measurement theory,
measures of association, multivariate statistics, and so on. Another approach is
the in-depth, hands-on workshop on how to use a set of techniques for collecting
and analyzing data. The third is a survey of what techniques are out there and
when you should use them. This course is blend of the last two, focusing more on
what do you do when rather than how do you do it and how does it really work.
On finishing this
course, you should not only understand the basic concepts of social science
research methodology,
but be able to design your own study. In addition, it is hoped that you will be
able to learn more about individual techniques on a 1-to-1 basis with the
instructor.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You should probably bring a laptop to class.
Schedule of Topics and Readings
The schedule topics and readings is on the web at http://www.analytictech.com/BA762/schedule.htm.
On the last day of the course, students will present the results of their
semester-long research project. Important: this will be an all-day class
from 9 to 5.
Assignments & Grading
The course has just one formal assignment -- the final paper, worth 75% of
your grade. This paper (20-40 pages)
should report the results of an empirical study. Please
make sure that the paper answers a clear research question -- it cannot be an
aimless application of techniques learned in class. However, the project can be
inductive or deductive -- you can test hypotheses derived from grand theory, or
you can investigate the relationships among a set of variables, and tell a
formal story (i.e., construct a theory) based on the results. Empirical
consulting projects, in which you use research methods to diagnose an
organizational problem and
prescribe a solution based on the diagnosis, are also welcome. IMPORTANT: Avoid
toy projects that are too trivial to ever be published. The written paper is due
Dec 19, but a 20-25 minute presentation on the main results will be given on
Dec 12. Please hand in the paper in electronic form only!
The paper may be done collaboratively if the project is more ambitious than a single person could handle.
Also, you should consult the
University of Kentucky Office of Research Integrity to see
if your project needs IRB approval, and do what ever is necessary on this front.
Please share what you learn about this process with others in the class so that everyone learns
this key competence.
The remaining 25% of your grade will be based on class participation. This is evaluated on the frequency of relevant, constructive
contributions that reflect thoughtful
reflection on concepts and active playing with data.
Readings
The schedule gives the key readings for each week. In general, I have tried
to provide electronic copies of all key readings (though sometimes these are
links through services like JSTOR, so you will need university credentials to
reach them). A number of handouts, works in press, slide shows etc are also
provided. These should be treated as key readings (the distinction is merely
that "key readings" refers to published articles).
The schedule also gives an extensive bibliography for further reading in case
you are interested.
Books
I did not order any textbooks through the school bookstore. So you will have
to order your books via Amazon or the like. The set of required and recommended
books is here.
- UCINET. I will provide a
free registration code for each student
- SPSS. You must purchase a student version
Online Groups and Lists
You must join the following online Google group:
Miscellaneous
- Class participation is strongly encouraged. Interrupt as needed!
- I am not bothered by students' multi-tasking (e.g., checking email) as
long as they are actively participating at the same time
- Feel free to eat lunch in class
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