Course Outline of Record

Item	Value
Curriculum Committee Approval Date	12/03/2019
Top Code	220800 - Sociology
Units	3 Total Units
Hours	54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54)
Total Outside of Class Hours	0
Course Credit Status	Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee	No
Basic Skills	Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable	No
Grading Policy	Standard Letter (S),  Pass/No Pass (B)
Local General Education (GE)	GWC Soc, Pol, Econ (GD)
California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)	Cal-GETC 4 Social & Behavioral Sciences (4) Cal-GETC 4J Sociology (4J)
Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)	IGETC 4 Social&Behavioral Sci (4) IGETC 4J Sociology (4J)
California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth)	CSU D0 Sociology & Criminology (D0)

Course Description

This course introduces students to research methods used in the social and behavioral sciences. Students analyze the ways in which empirical research is used to gather, evaluate and critique data. Students apply scientific investigation to social and/or behavioral subject matter. PREREQUISITE: SOC G100. ADVISORY: STAT C1000, STAT C1000E, ECON G160, PSYC G140, or SOC G125 or completion of, or concurrent enrollment in, any introductory level social or behavioral science course. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC. C-ID: SOCI 120; POLS 160.C-ID: SOCI 120; POLS 160.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

1. Course Outcomes
2. Explain fundamental elements of the scientific method.
3. Demonstrate critical thinking by evaluating research findings in terms of quality, credibility, and applicability.
4. Effectively communicate the knowledge and skills gained in this course.
5. Design, conduct, and analyze a survey, experiment, and/or research project.

Course Objectives

• 1. Explain the basic principles of the scientific method.
• 2. Identify the relationship between theory and research.
• 3. Examine various research designs.
• 4. Develop testable hypotheses and select appropriate research designs and measures to test hypotheses.
• 5. Demonstrate familiarity with a social science statistical software for conducting research.
• 6. Select, apply, and interpret appropriate statistical tests.
• 7. Analyze and interpret data from research studies.
• 8. Critically evaluate theory and research findings in terms of quality, credibility, generalizability and applicability.
• 9. Critically evaluate current research using knowledge about the elements of research design, measurement, and sampling.

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Lecture Content

Introduction to scientific inquiry  Goals of scientific inquiry Empirical versus opinion The logic and sequence of the scientific world  Basic versus applied research How to find and interpret reports  Ethical considerations in research Paradigms, theory and research.  The relationship between social theory and researchSpecifying the research question  Sources of ideas for research topics Literature review Use of research methods Scientific method:  assumptions and goals  Other ways of gaining knowledge Elements of research design  Unit of analysis  Independent vs. dependent variables  Qualitative vs. quantitative  Causation and correlation Hypothesis  Theory  Stages of social research True experiments versus ex post facto and other quasi experimental designs  Critical evaluation of research methodology and findings  Various research methodologies and concerns  Observational research  Surveys  Experimental research designs  Complex research designs Single case research  The use of existing data Sampling Population versus sample  Sampling designs  Factors affecting sampling design choice Sample size Sampling errors  Generalizability Statistical concepts in research  Statistical theory Probability and probability distributions Parametric and nonparametric distributions Descriptive versus inferential statistics  Th e rationale of statistics  Guidelines for choosing the appropriate statistical test Measurement concepts   Measurement process Devising neasurement strategies Reliability and validity types Measurement scales Approaches to establishing reliability and validity Establishing theoretical constructs; the nature and process of construct validity  Making Sense of Data  Qualitative and quantitative analysis of data The Data Matrix Descriptive statistics Statistical inference  Relationships between variables  Multivariate Analysis  Generalizing results Applying research methods Utilizing general research designs, experimental and non-experimental methods, and standard research practices Selecting and defending research designs and data collection procedures appropriate to test hypotheses Presenting findings and discussing generalizability

Lab Content

Sources of ideas for research topics Finding and reading relevant research articles Conducting a literature review Reading and writing social research Experimental Design Indentifying design Critiquing design Experiments and Studies - Group Projects Preparing the research proposal based on students interests and/or declared major within the Social and Behavioral sciences Specifying the research question Generating a hypothesis Identifying and operationalizing key variables Determinig a research method Evaluating the appropriate use of statistical calculations Conduct Experiements - Group Projects Applying student-designed experiment using current statistical software Calculating statistics Interpretating statistics Research Reports - Group Projects Structuring a research report  Writing a research report using American Psychological Association (APA) style Presenting a research report

Method(s) of Instruction

• Lecture (02)
• DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
• DE Online Lecture (02X)

Instructional Techniques

Instructors will utilize a variety of instructional techniques such as lecture, lecture presentations, video, online lessons and/or computer programs to explain and apply topics, concepts, and terms, as well to provide relevant examples to develop course content.    Learning strategies will include individual and/or small group activities, case studies, student projects, web activities, and/or discussion board activities.

Reading Assignments

Students will be required to complete readings in the assigned textbook(s), including an APA manual, and to complete readings found on various websites.

Writing Assignments

Students will write an analysis of a published social and/or behavioral science article. Students will write a scientific hypothesis for their course project. Students will write a 10-13 page APA-style research paper pertinent to his/her discipline. Students will write a properly cited APA style References section.

Out-of-class Assignments

Students will complete library assignments associated with finding and evaluating research articles. Students will examine, explain and/or analyze relevant content in order to answer teacher or textbook questions. Students will design and conduct a research project. Students will provide answers to any additional questions assigned by the instructor. Students will complete additional homework assigned by instructor.

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

Students will demonstate critical thinking skills by providing analyses of published research studies; examining ethical issues related to research studies; critiquing and deciding upon an experimental design; interpretating results of data.

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

Students will be required to determine the appropriateness of scientific methods, conduct a research project based on a topic within their discipline, write a research report, and present research findings to their classmates.

Eligible Disciplines

Anthropology: Masters degree in anthropology or archaeology OR bachelors degree in either of the above AND masters degree in sociology, biological sciences, forensic sciences, genetics or paleontology OR the equivalent. Masters degree required. Economics: Masters degree in economics OR bachelors degree in economics AND masters degree in business, business administration, business management, business education, finance, or political science OR the equivalent. Masters degree required. Political science: Masters degree in political science, government, or international relations OR bachelors degree in any of the above AND masters degree in economics, history, public administration, social science, sociology, any ethnic studies, J.D., or LL.B. OR the equivalent. Masters degree required. Sociology: Masters degree in sociology OR bachelors degree in sociology AND masters degree in anthropology, any ethnic studies, social work, or psychology OR the equivalent. Masters degree required.

Textbooks Resources

1. Required Babbie,Earl. . The Basics of Social Research, ed. Wadsworth Publishing, 2017 2. Required Cozby, Paul. Methods in Behavioral Research , ed. McGraw Hill, 2015