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Kingsborough
Community College
The City University of New York
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Syllabus
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BEH 71: Behavioral Science - Conducting Research - 4 credits, 6 hours
(Fall)
Course
Coordinators: Professor Diane Bennett, Mr. David Troy (718) 368-5295
Course Overview:
This is the second and concluding semester of the Behavioral Science
Research Methods course offered at Kingsborough through the auspices of
the College Now program. In this semester students will continue the process
of developing and implementing their original research projects. Class
instruction will include the topics of research design, data collection,
descriptive and inferential statistical theory and techniques, use of
the SPSS software package, and proper presentation protocols for research
reports. Students will formally present their research in a final paper
that will conform to the formatting conventions of either the American
Sociological Society (ASA) or the American Psychological Society (APA).
*The specifics of the course content evolve in response to issues
that emerge as students develop their projects. Thus, the scheduling of
topics listed in this syllabus is subject to change as the semester progresses.
Required Texts:
Russell K. Schutt, Investigating the Social World: The Process
and Practice of Research. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press,
1996)
The course assignments and their grading weights
are summarized as follows:
| Class
Performance and Assignments |
| a) |
Attendance
& Class participation |
20% |
| b) |
Homework
assignments |
20% |
| c) |
Research
proposal |
20% |
| d) |
Completed
IRB w/Intrument |
20% |
| e) |
Literature
review & analysis |
20% |
All written assignments
must be typed and submitted in duplicate. E-mailed documents must be either
in Microsoft Word format or saved in Rich Text Format (the latter is an
option under the "File Type" drop down menu in most word processing programs).
Students must do the reading in advance of the class meeting!
Important:
Bring in a flash drive with you to class to save work done in computer
lab.
NOTE:
ALL WORK MUST BE SAVED ON YOUR HARD DRIVE, ON A DISKETTE/FLASH DRIVE,
AND IN AN E-MAIL ATTACHMENT TO YOURSELF WHICH MUST BE ACCESSIBLE FROM
THE COMPUTER LAB.
If you want feedback on the final version to be sent into Intel,
then YOU MUST BEGIN E-MAILING US BY NOV. 1st. YOU MUST E-MAIL TO ALL
ADDRESSES PROVIDED ON THE FRONT SHEET OF THIS SYLLABUS.
The final paper must conform to the standards of a formal research
paper; this will all be explained in class. The deadline for submission
to the INTEL contest is Nov. 19th by 8:00 p.m.
In order to meet this deadline we need to work together in a concentrated
and efficient way, meeting the stated sub-deadlines as detailed below.
A major theme of the semester will be the process of collecting, organizing,
and analyzing data. We will be using the SPSS statistical analysis program.
YOU MUST EMAIL ALL THE WORK TO YOURSELF AND ALSO SAVE IT ON YOUR HARD
DRIVE AT HOME! I.E., YOU MUST HAVE AT LEAST 2-3 SOURCES ON WHICH YOU SAVE
YOUR WORK AND HAVE IT BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO YOU AT ALL TIMES!!! * You
cannot afford to waste any of the classes before the paper is due.
Another
focus of this semester's work will concern stylistic and formatting issues
for the research paper. In addition, we also need to be aware of the application
process requirements for the INTEL contest. You will all receive formal
contest applications. These need to be filled out with your mentors as
soon as possible.
You are required to enter your data and do analysis at home as part of
your weekly assignments.
Course Schedule
*HW is due via e mai/blackboard every Tuesday before class that
week on Thursday!
Session
#1 - 9/18
What's in store
for this semester
Finalize and Distribute Questionnaires
The unfinished business-IRB Approval etc.
ASA and APA writing formats-Work on Litreview
Measurement Scales & Levels: Nominal, Ordinal, Ratio & Interval
Session #2 - 9/25
Literature Review
Due
Continue & Finish up discussion of Descriptive Statistics
Computer Lab: Intro to SPSS - Getting Started; Using Help
Session #3 - 10/02
Individual and Group
Instruction
Begin work on Intel application www.societyforscience.org--App
Website
Continue with Descriptive Stats.
Answering questions
Computer Lab: SPSS - Entering and defining variables
Session #4 - 10/09
Individual and Group
Instruction
Computer Lab: SPSS - descriptive analysis; creating tables, charts &
graphs
Session #5 - 10/16
Individual and Group
Instruction
ASA and APA writing formats
Basic concepts of Hypothesis Testing
Computer Lab: SPSS
Session #6 - 10/23
Individual and Group
Instruction
Computer Lab: SPSS
Session #7 - 10/30
Individual and Group
Instruction
Computer Lab: SPSS
Session #8 - 11/06
- Intel Application Complete
Introduction and
completed sections of final paper due
Individual & Group work
Answering Questions on Intel Application
Computer lab: SPSS
Individual and Group Instruction
Computer Lab: SPSS
Final Details on Intel Application
Session #10 - 11/13
Individual & Group
Instruction
Computer Lab: last minute analyses
This is the last meeting in the Lab before your projects are to be
mailed out to Intel. Due before midnight tonight!! Tying up the
Loose ends
Final version of paper due
Return of all books
Session #10 - 11/20
FINAL WRAP UP
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