Research Article Review Instructions

We do two article reviews. The first review is based on a title listed on the course schedule, and each student selects one of the available articles. The second review is based on one of several articles suggested by each student and related to the area of their research proposal.  

Research article review #1 Instructions

1. Chose one of the available readings. 
2. Team up with other students who are reviewing the same article.
3. Create a google document for collecting your notes about the article.
4. Read the article and take notes. Read it again.
1. Highlight the most important parts.  Make notes.  Work to understand all parts of the research.  Do follow up reading on the methods if you don’t understand them.
5. As a preliminary step to writing, answer the following questions
1. Questions to answer while taking notes
6. After you understand your research well enough to answer those questions you can begin writing your "abstract" or summary of the research article.
7. Create a google document, and then copy paste the following template into your document and use both the formatting and the instructions embedded inside
1. Template for article review #1

Research article review #2 Instructions:

There are two key differences between assignment 1 and 2. First, in assignment #2 you need to find an article to review first. It needs to be sociological research on a topic that interests you and the reported research must include the analysis of data. Second, you will need to revise your abstract based on comments from classmates. To do this, you will need to share your document with some of your classmates.

1. Post three possible research papers including title of research and a link to the full text of the article on the article options spreadsheet. 
2. I will leave a comment that indicates which (if any) of the articles are suitable for our course. 
3. Create your google doc, set sharing to anyone with link can comment. Then share it with the two classmates in your writing team. 
4. Follow the other instructions for review article #1, and use the same template, with one addition.
5. Additional section: add a paragraph to your conclusion that explains how the reviewed article relates to you research interests and possible project topics. (this will increase the max word count by 200 words)

Homework Quizzes #3 and #4

Instructions:

How to turn it in:  Type up your answers on a word doc or on google docs. Then go to crowdgrader and copy and paste your answers into the corresponding question spaces for homeworks #3, and, about a week later, for homework #4.

How to study:   Please discuss the questions, ideas and answers in person, via google hangouts and online via a google doc class study guide.

Homework Quiz #3
The questions:

Quantitative Data Collection and Analysis
Many times people who analyze quantitative data are not the same people who collected it.   The secondary analysis of survey data is very common, and results from the fact that good data is costly and difficult to collect, and, good research projects will allow for many questions to be asked with the same overall dataset.  

1a.   Use chapters 10, 11, 12 (from Neuman) to discuss some important attributes (include both advantages and challenges/disadvantages) of the secondary use of quantitative data to construct research projects.   

1b.  Illustrate your points using examples from at least two of Derek Kreager’s research papers discussed during weeks 9 and 10.

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Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis

Qualitative data collection and analysis presents researchers with wonderful opportunities to do innovative research.  Ethnographic field research in particular has proven to be one of the primary strategies that our MA students have used for their projects.   

2a.   Describe all of the most important attributes of a successful field research study and the things that you would do to make sure that a MA thesis that you might write would be of high quality.  Be sure to reference Neuman chapters 13, 15 and work discussed in class or posted to Gooogle+.

2b.  Illustrate attributes of successful ethnographic field research by referencing concrete examples (quote sections of text, and interpret them) found in any of the ethnographic dissertations we read or published ethnographic books.

2c.  Describe the advantages and disadvantages to starting your research career with an ethnographic MA thesis. 

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Homework Quiz #4
The questions:

Crash Course in Statistics for Sociological Research
Course materials

Review chapter 5 of Agresti and Finlay.   Pay special attention to section 5.4.

3a.  Suppose that you want to use survey methods in a thesis sized research project on the role of employment and educational opportunity on the development of social capital among college students.  Use the concepts discussed on pages 135 to 141 to explain what sample size you will aim for.   Do not neglect the issues raised on page 141.   

Crash Course in Statistics for Sociological Research

Review chapter 9 of Agresti and Finlay and take a look at this plot.


4a.   Provide an accurate but non-technical explanation of what correlation and linear regression are and what they are used to estimate.

4b.   Explain how the point in the upper right influences the estimates (in a general way) and explain the type of problem that outliers present for these types of quantitative analyses.   Describe how two different strategies can be used to address this problem.  One involves the sampling frame, and the other should involve the use of multiple regression.  Explain your logic.  

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Crash Course in Statistics for Sociological Research

Review Chapter 10 from Agresti and Finlay.   Understanding Chapter 10 is really important for making sense of the multiple regression analysis, like the analysis that you read in Kreager’s research.

5a.   Identify and briefly describe the most important findings from the Kreager study that you reviewed.   

5b.  Now, use the discussion of association, causation, and statistical control to explain how Derek eliminated alternative explanations and demonstrated evidence of causal relationships.  In other words, make explicit use of the general rules and ideas from chapter 10 to explain how Kreager analysed his results and therefore demonstrated his primary findings.  

Welcome 2013 Cohort

Welcome to OU Sociology! 

I am looking forward to a great semester together.  We will meet on Thursday afternoon/evenings in Bentley Annex 102 (the conference room near the front entrance).

Here are some things to do before class starts on Thursday, August 29th.

1. Buy your textbook
1. Social Research Methods by William Lawrence Neuman
2. 7th Edition  ($114 from amazon; $83 from secondary seller)
3. [ISBN: 0205615961]
2. Download and read the pdfs for Week 1  (they are in your email)
1. They are also linked on the plan for Day 1
2. Read these before the first day of class
3. Take a look at:
1. Syllabus
2. Course schedule
3. Plan for Day 1
4. Helpful links
1. This video on digital literacy (in helpful links)
4. Create 
1. Google/gmail account  (unless you already have one for school work)
2. Dropbox account
5. Fill out this class survey
1. make your various accounts first
6. In the market for a new laptop, buckyballs, or a dyson vacuum?  
1. Woot sometimes has good deals on laptops
1. read the community discussions, not all deals are good
2. Any other good bargain suggestions for students?
1. let me know in the survey