Montana State University - Department of Political Science

Spring Semester, 2009

Tuesday/Thursday, 2:10pm - 3:25pm

Herrick 313

Ian C.P. Godwin, Ed.D.

Adjunct Assistant Professor

Office: 117 Sherrick Hall

Phone: 406-994-2671

E-mail: use D2L (Desire2Learn) mail tool

Office Hours:  Generally available afternoons 3:30 - 5:00 pm (call first to make sure)

                      And by appointment

Catalog Description:

Research design and measurement of political behavior at the level of the individual and the political unit. Techniques of gathering and analyzing attitudinal data, voting records, policy outputs, and other political variables. Use of nonparametric statistics.

Course Description:

The foundation of this course is an exploration of the theoretical and practical contexts of the Positivist (Quantitative) and Constructivist (Qualitative) research paradigms. From that point the course will investigate the appropriate purpose, design and tools of various research methodologies. Integral to the investigation is developing an awareness of ethical standards in the design and conduct of research. While this is not a statistics course, some descriptive, associational and regression statistics will be covered. However, the essential purpose of the course is to help students interpret research results and be conversant enough in the methodologies to participate in the design of studies.

Requirements for the course include various graded homework assignments, a mid term examination, completion and presentation of a research proposal (group project), and a final examination.

Text

Manheim, J.B., Rich, R.C., Willnat, L. & Brians, C.L. (2008). Empirical Political Analysis: Research Methods in Political Science (7^th ed.). New York: Pearson Longman. ISBN-10: 0205576400.

Moore, D.W. (2008). The Opinion Makers: An Insider Exposes the Truth Behind the Polls. Boston: Beacon Press. ISBN-10: 0807042323.

Additional Reading (available in D2L Additional Readings)

Jones, W.P. & Kottler, J.A. (2006). Understanding Research: Becoming a Competent and Critical Consumer. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson.

Others as assigned below

Recommended/Suggested Readings (This book is not required but offers some helpful examples of some of the concepts presented)

Levitt, S.D. & Dubner, S.J. (2006). Freakonomics - A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything (Revised & Expanded ed.). New York: HarperCollins. ISBN-10: 0739482696.

Course Materials

Required Software (MSU Bookstore) - All written assignments must by typed (word processed) in Microsoft Word (so I can use the Markup and Track Changes tools, not because I own stock in Microsoft - I don't) and submitted via D2L. If you are unable or unwilling to purchase Microsoft Word, the software is available for use in the MSU Student Computer Labs.

Learning Outcomes

Successful completion of this course will enable participants to:

1. Identify the fundamental differences between Positivist and Constructivist research paradigms;

2. Understand the ethical considerations of conducting research;

3. Explain the relevance of and be able to identify Problem, Purpose, and Research Questions / Hypotheses;

4. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of various sampling techniques;

5. Understand how to identify and/or ensure Validity and Reliability in research;

6. Be able to understand the appropriate application and interpretation of basic statistical measures;

7. Be able to prepare a comprehensive research proposal;

8. Be able to work effectively as part of a successful, collaborative team.

General Topics & Readings

Academic Integrity

Each student in this course is expected to be familiar with and abide by the Montana State University Conduct Guidelines (http://www2.montana.edu/policy/student_conduct/student_conductc-code.htm).  This online handbook is also a good reference regarding the institutions responsibilities to students. Students are encouraged to be familiar with the content of the guidelines.

Any work submitted by a student in this course for academic credit will be the student's own work except where collaboration for group projects is required. You are encouraged to study together and to discuss information and concepts covered in lecture and the sections with other students. You can give "consulting" help to or receive "consulting" help from other students.

However, this permissible cooperation should never involve one student having possession of a copy of all or part of work done by someone else, in the form of an e-mail, an e-mail attachment file, a diskette, or a hard copy.

Should copying occur, both the student who copied work from another student and the student who gave material to be copied will both automatically receive a zero for the assignment. Penalty for violation of this conduct can be extended to include failure of the course and University disciplinary action.

During examinations, you must do your own work. Talking or discussion is not permitted during the examinations, nor may you compare papers, copy from others, or collaborate in any way. Any collaborative behavior during the examinations will result in failure of the exam, and may lead to failure of the course and University disciplinary action.

Attendance

Students are expected to attend class and utilize the designated D2L online tools and resources. In an online course section, “attendance” is defined as consistent and frequent contact with peers, instructor, and interaction with D2L assignments, readings and other related course activities. While in-class attendance is not required (I do not want to take your time and mine formally take attendance each class), there is a consistent and high correlation between attendance and course grade. No end-of-term sympathy will be provided to students notably absent from class without legitimate, documented excuses. Another reason to attend is the fact that you can expect that I will randomly give "pop" quizzes in class.

Written work

All written work completed in this course must conform to APA guidelines as identified in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5^th ed.) UNLESS specifically exempted by the instructor. Correct spelling, grammar and punctuation are important in all work.

All materials quoted exactly and/or paraphrased or used in student work MUST be properly cited in accordance with the guidelines provided in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5^th ed.). All, or portions of, submitted student documents may be screened by the instructor for verification of origin.

Various online APA compendiums are available at http://www.psywww.com/resource/apacrib.htm and in the "Links" section of the PolS 251 D2L shell.

Late Work

No late work will be accepted (except in the case of unusual circumstances beyond the student's control). Extra Credit may be available for additional points if desired by the student.  Due dates for all assignments are posted with the assignments and listed on the D2L course calendar.

Most, if not all assignments will be submitted through the D2L Assignment Drop Box. The assignments in the Assignment Drop Box are due at specific times and once that time clicks over the system will not allow assignments to be submitted (e.g. if it's due at 2:10 pm, and you try to submit it at 2:11 pm, you will be out of luck). The D2L system is the official time keeper, so either synchronize with the D2L clock or plan to submit your assignments a few minutes early.

General Breakdown of Components of Final Grade

    Homework - 25%

    Research Proposal (Group) - 12.5%

    Presentation of Proposal (Group) - 7.5%

    Midterm Exam - 25%

    Final Exam - 30%

Grading Scale and degree of achievement:

In general, the performance criteria or expectations for each letter grade can be spelled out as follows:

A    Students achieving this level will have demonstrated the following:

1. Accurate and sophisticated understanding of readings and issues with the ability to do more than repeat what the text says or what was said in class, such as the ability to infer additional important information from sources.

2. Critical stance toward opinions communicated in class or in the readings and the ability to express their own views articulately and defend them well.

3. Originality of thought in expressing the critical stance, in drawing out additional implications from the readings and class discussions, and in finding personal meaning in readings and issues discussed.

4. Clear expressions of ideas, with papers containing very few grammatical or stylistic weaknesses.

B    Students achieving this level will have demonstrated the following:

1. All the elements of "A" work, but with less accomplishment.

2. Accurate understanding of reading and issues, with the ability to do more than repeat the text.

3. A critical stance, with some effort, not always successful, to defend that stance.

4. Some attempt to find personal meaning, with at least hints of originality and creativity of thought.

5. Very clear expression of thoughts and ideas.

C    Students achieving this level will have demonstrated the following:

1. A generally accurate grasp of the readings and issues, but with some inaccuracies; a lack of sophisticated understanding, such as the ability to infer from sources.

2. Some attempt to take a critical stance, but with little effort or success in defending that stance.

3. Some attempt to find personal meaning.

4. Sufficient clarity of expression to communicate ideas, but with stylistic or grammatical weaknesses which create some difficulties.

D    Students achieving this level will have demonstrated the following:

1. Genuine efforts to understand, with some demonstrated understanding of readings and issues, but with serious deficiencies.

2. General lack in critical stance or in a defense of that stance.

3. Lack of understanding or an attempt to find personal meaning.

F    Students achieving this level will receive NO GRADE CREDIT and will have demonstrated unsatisfactory effort in key respects, especially in understanding or clarity of expression

Accommodations for students with disabilities

In compliance with the Montana State University policy and equal access laws, if you have a medical, psychiatric or learning disability and require accommodations in this class, please notify the instructor early in the trimester or as soon as you are eligible for accommodations so that your needs can be appropriately met. You will first need to provide documentation of your disability to Disabled Student Services (DSS) in the Strand Union Building, Room 155 (phone: 994-2824). The DSS will then provide a DSS certification card for the instructor.

Communication

I will check my D2L mail almost daily (except on weekends) and am happy to see students any afternoon during the week. My availability is a direct function of your effort to contact me. A corollary is that lack of planning on your part does not reflect a lack of availability on mine. In other words, unless there is an emergency, don't try to contact me hours before the midterm/final/etc. to ask if I will make other arrangements for you.

The official method for delivery of to-be-graded work to the instructor is via D2L unless directed otherwise.

Definitions & Descriptions of Course Activities

 Group Project: Research Proposal (Team)

Students will be expected to work as a part of a designated team on a research proposal. A team agreement or set of working norms will be drafted and submitted to the instructor by each team. The goals defining the agreement should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound).

Students will be in groups of three (roughly) to develop and present a complete research proposal. The proposal must be based on research topics of (broad) interest in political science. At the conclusion of the final presentation, each team will provide a copy of the final written team project report and presentation materials (PowerPoint, overheads, etc.) to the instructor. Final reports must conform to APA style (5^th ed. - resources available in the "Links" section of the D2L shell). Rubrics for the written proposal and presentation are available in the "Research Proposal Project" section of the D2L shell.

All team members will receive the same grade for their team project. Therefore, it is in the best interest of each member to be aware of the quality of the work presented by their teammates. It has happened that teams simply paste together three separate pieces prior to submitting the proposal without reviewing the team member submissions only to find out (after receiving a poor grade) that one or more of the sections was of minimal or unacceptable content and/or quality.

Disclaimer

Any and all of the above is subject to change. However, any changes will be announced in advance in class and via D2L.