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Holly Hunts' Home Page
Return to Course ListingsHDCF 371
Research MethodsSummer 2008
Holly Hunts, Ph.D., CFCS 222 Herrick Hall 994-7993 voice 994-2013 fax
Dr. Hunts' Office hours: Mondays 9 - 11 a.m. and Tuesdays 9 - 11 a.m. in 222 Herrick Hall Office hours are subject to change - look for notices in advance and on this page if there are any changes. Required Texts: Babbie, Earl (2008). The Basics of Social Research (4th ed). Belmont: CA: Wadsworth/Thomas Learning Prerequisite: University math core, STAT 216 or equivalent course and junior standing, or permission of the instructor. Course Description: This course is an introduction to basic social science research principles and applications to problems in the area of health and human development. The course will focus on the student’s ability to understand, evaluate, and apply research to their various disciplines. Course Objectives: 1. Students will learn the basic terminology related to qualitative and quantitative research questions, techniques, analyses, designs and reports; 2. Students will become literate and critical consumers of research. By understanding the inherent limitations within the field of research, students can read journal articles and reports of completed qualitative and quantitative studies critically, recognizing the strengths and unanswered questions within the work; 3. Students will learn to produce research results from secondary data as well as basic techniques for developing a survey and defining a sample; 4. Students will gain an understanding of how to use core statistical concepts in social science research and employ computer aided analytical software and; 5. The basic concepts and issues in research methods will be examined in relation to the study of health and human development. Evaluation: Student performance in this course will be assessed as follows:
Class participation and preparation: 10% Notes: There will be in-class attendance and in-class assignments, which cannot be made up. Alternative assignments for absences due to documented medical illnesses will be considered. Attending class on a regular basis is highly recommended!! Students will be required to attend computer lab sessions to learn SPSS. Arrangements for the computer lab time will be announced in class and via course listserv. Letter grades will be based on: 90 – 100% A; 80% - 89% B; 70% - 79% C; 60% - 69% D; below 60% is a failing grade. Pluses and minuses will be based on the curve within the class ranges. Classroom Procedures: Behavioral Expectations: Montana State University expects all students to conduct themselves as honest, responsible and law-abiding members of the academic community and to respect the rights of other students, members of the faculty and staff and the public to use, enjoy and participate in the University programs and facilities. For additional information reference www2.montana.edu/policy/student_conduct/cg600.html Collaboration: University policy states that, unless otherwise specified, students may not collaborate on graded material. Any exceptions to this policy will be stated explicitly for individual assignments. If you have any questions about the limits of collaboration, you are expected to ask for clarification. Plagiarism: Paraphrasing or quoting another’s work without citing the source is a form of academic misconduct. Even inadvertent or unintentional misuse or appropriation of another's work (such as relying heavily on source material that is not expressly acknowledged) is considered plagiarism. If you have any questions about using and citing sources, you are expected to ask for clarification. Academic Expectations: Section 310.00 in the MSU Conduct Guidelines states that students must: A. be prompt and regular in attending classes; B. be well prepared for classes; C. submit required assignments in a timely manner; D. take exams when scheduled; E. act in a respectful manner toward other students and the instructor and in a way that does not detract from the learning experiences; and F. make and keep appointments when necessary to meet with the instructor. In addition to the above items, students are expected to meet any additional course and behavioral standards as defined by the instructor. Students with Disabilities: If you have a documented disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation(s), you are encouraged to contact your instructor and Disabled Student Services as soon as possible. Email Policy: I expect that you will check your university email at least every 2 days. An email to me is considered received when you receive a reply. Sometimes student emails are not delivered to faculty due to firewalls set up at the university so do not automatically assume that because you sent an email that I received it. Student Educational Records: All records related to this course are confidential and will not be shared with anyone, including parents, without a signed, written release. If you wish to have information from your records shared with others, you must provide written request/authorization to the office/department. Before giving such authorization, you should understand the purpose of the release and to whom and for how long the information is authorized for release. Students have the right to access their educational records by appointment. This information is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). For more information contact the Dean of Students office at 994-2826. Adding and Withdrawal Deadlines Last day to add May 22, 2008 Last day to drop without a grade May 27, 2008 Last day to drop with a "W" June 20, 2008 I will only support requests to withdraw from this course with a “W” grade where extraordinary circumstances exist as per MSU requirements. (Not having the grade that you would like and/or choosing not to be engaged in the course is not an extraordinary circumstance.) Please do not expect that I will just sign a drop form with no justification.
Additionally: 1. You may NOT leave the classroom once class has begun (unless you notify me at the beginning of the class that you have an important reason for doing so). Leaving because you are "bored" - or "you think of something else you would rather do" - is highly unprofessional and is disruptive to both me and your classmates. It will not be tolerated. Other disturbances such as talking/whispering etc. will not be tolerated for the same reason - that is, it is unprofessional and disruptive. I will do my best to make the class interesting and interactive - but it is an upper division college course with a great deal of material to cover so I can't always be entertaining. 2. All assigned work must be turned in before the last day of the course in order for the student to pass the course. Late work will be accepted but will be penalized at 10% per calendar day. An assignment is late if it is turned in any time after 5 p.m. on the day that it is due. If you are having computer problems, please call the help desk 1777. Losing work on a disk is not an excuse for a late assignment. You need to back everything up on a second disk so you do not lose information. Not completing an assignment because a server is down - is not an excuse either. This means you should not wait until the last minute to attempt the on-line portions of the assignments. 3. This course requires AT LEAST two hours of preparation out of class for each hour spent in class. Course assignments need to be read on the assigned date so you may discuss the material knowledgeably in class. Students are expected to make an effort to actively participate in the discussion in class while not dominating the conversation. 4. I will make every effort to ensure that the class is running smoothly and that students are understanding course material BEFORE the exams. However, if you are having problems, please contact me and we will set up study sessions or office hours to solve the problems. If you are concerned about the course in any way, please see me when the concern arises. Do not wait until the course is ending to bring up concerns. 5. You are always welcome to question a grade I have assigned. This questioning must take place in writing with "proof" that you are correct (for example - you might write: Dr. Hunts - I believe "A" is a correct answer to question 34 - as per the discussion of the topic on p. 23 of the text.). I will not entertain the questioning of any grade in a verbal manner.
Not all of the material covered in this course will come from the readings. Some material will come from the Montana Extension Service, some from federal agencies, guest speakers, some will be in-class activities. My approach is taken with a great deal of thought. I want students to be exposed to a variety of resources (so that you will know how to be resourceful later). Exams will cover lectures, assignments and the readings. You will receive a review sheet before each exam that will cover the main learning objectives for the exam. There will be three exams. Cheating on the exams will result in failure of the course. There will be several homework assignments. Cheating/plagiarism in any form on any assignment is strictly forbidden and will result in failure of the course. False identification for attendance points and in-class exercises will result in all participating parties failing the course. Students are required to regularly check their myportal email accounts. You should plan on checking these accounts at least every 2 days. Information on the web-site is continually updated and students should plan to regularly check the web-site.
This is a tentative plan. Depending on guest lecture availability and lab availability the specific dates of lectures may vary slightly. I will keep you informed of any changes by email and on this page.
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