Research Methods for Library & Info. Professionals...or more commonly referred to as "What are statistics and do they taste like chicken?"
Research
From Wikipedia , the free encyclopedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research )... I know, I know, I know...but work with me!
Research is an active, diligent and systematic process of inquiry in order to discover, interpret or revise facts , events, behaviours , or theories , or to make practical applications with the help of such facts, laws or theories. The term "research" is also used to describe the collection of information about a particular subject.
The word "research" derives from the Middle French (see French language ) and the literal meaning is "to investigate thoroughly".
This course will approach the term research from a scholarly perspective, giving students the opportunity to become discriminating consumers of research found in common information and library science periodicals and journals. This course will give students the necessary tools to determine the quality and accuracy of research and to the ability to critique work in a knowledgeable manner.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
By the completion of this course, you will
· know what empirical research is, and what are the general techniques used to carry out such research in social science and specifically Library and Information Sciences
· know what are the strengths and weaknesses of those techniques
· be able to say whether research you encounter is good; to say:
· what was really being examined
· what was the evidence, or support, or principled argument
· what were the conclusions
· whether the relationship between the evidence and the conclusions was adequate
· whether we should we trust the results or the conclusions
· be able to consider the applicability of published or known research to your own libraries or information centers
· have experienced, read, and discussed many examples of both good and poor research in Library and Information Science
...basically, you will learn to be an educated consumer of research.
Donnelly, R. A. [2004], The Complete Idiots Guide to Statistics, Alpha Books, ISBN 1-59257-199-9
Patten Mildred L.[2007], Understanding Research Methods; An Overview of the Essentials, Pyrczak Publishing, ISBN 1-884585-22-1 (other editions of this text are usable, but the pagination and indexing may be off)
The Lady Tasting Tea: How Statistics Revolutionized the Twentieth Century, Owl, ISBN 0-805-07134-2
Optional Text (for those with a sense of humor)
Huff, Darrell, [1993], How To Lie With Statistics, Norton, ISBN 0-393-31072-8
I will provide additional readings online within the Content section of D2L. You will need Adobe Acrobat (or something similar) to read these items.
The coursework requirements are:
study evaluations. study evaluations. A short review/critique of 6 research studies will be required for this class. These studies must come from peer-reviewed journals of research in the field of Library and Information Science or a related field (for those of you who are anticipating work in a specific sub-field and are interested in critiquing material in your discipline, please contact me). A copy of these studies must be included (or in the case of online journals, a hyperlink provided) with the evaluation. The purpose of these assignments is to develop your ability to be a consumer of research. As a result, in order to find these six papers, it is anticipated that you will cull through at least 70-80 research papers throughout the span of this course. This may seem like an overwhelming task, but given the typical bibliography in a typical literature review, this is quite reasonable. Therefore the workload for the papers is identified as:
· choosing a successful research study--don't choose the first one you come across and attempt to make it fit the assignment
· understand the topic well enough to identify a specific component of research
· provide an opportunity for you to browse a large and diverse selection of research to
isolate studies which meet specific criteria
· demonstrate scholarly ability by writing brief (2-3 page ) papers examining the
research
Paper. There will be a paper due at the end of the term, which will serve to integrate what you have learned throughout the course. In this way, it is cumulative. On the other hand, it will allow you to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the course materials and apply this information in an appropriate scenario. More on this later...
participation (group discussion)
The distribution of the grades is as follows
The expectation is that individuals will utilize the discussions as an opportunity to ensure that their understanding of an issue is accurate, but also to reinforce the understanding of others through constructive discussions. This should not be utilized as a podium for endless chatter, but inclusive and active discourse is expected.
Quiz
There will be a quiz to test your conceptual knowledge, but even more importantly your knowledge of the readings.
Academic Code of Integrity
Students are expected to abide by The University of Arizona Code of Academic Integrity. 'The guiding principle of academic integrity is that a student's submitted work must be the student's own.' If you have any questions regarding what is acceptable practice under this Code, please ask an Instructor.
Accommodating Disabilities
The University has a Disability Resource Center. If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you must register with the Disability Resource Center and request that the DRC send me, the Instructor, official notification of your accommodation needs as soon as possible. Please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office hours to discuss accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate.
Assignment Policies
Incompletes
The 1997-8 University of Arizona General Academic Manual, p.23 reads
The grade of I may be awarded only at the end of a semester, when all but a minor portion of the course work has been satisfactorily completed. The grade of I is not to be awarded when the student is expected to repeat the course; in such a case the grade of E must be assigned. Students should make arrangements with the instructor to receive an incompete grade before the end of the semester ...
While according to UA Policy, if the incomplete is not removed by the instructor within one year the I grade will revert to a failing grade, it is the policy of this instructor to allow for no more than one term to turn in all coursework associate with an incomplete.
Turnitin.com
Student work may, at the discretion of the instructor, be submitted to turnitin.com (the University-sponsored anti-plagiarism tool) to ensure academic integrity.
Grades are weighted in the following manner:
· paper 40%
· study evaluations 40%
· statistical application/quiz 10%
· participation in discussion(s) 10%
A traditional grading scheme will be used.
|
90-100 |
A |
|
80-89.999 |
B |
|
70-79.999 |
C |
|
60-69.999* |
D |
|
Below 60* |
E |
*Since this is a graduate-level course, the expectation is that no one should earn grades at this level, although it is quite possible.
General grading criteria : Grammar, style, or spelling are not emphasized-- provided the paper is understandable and the faults are not so severe as to be a distraction. Criteria include:
· Clear articulation of your views and arguments
· Soundness of your argument; ability to respond appropriately to the assignment
· Clear and concise exposition of the points you are making; don't beat a dead horse to fill up the space requirement, especially since it is minimal
· Consideration of intellectual context and relevant literature; citing the readings is useful here
The instructor reserves the right to mark late papers down one grade per day.
PLEASE NOTE: I grade somewhat liberally throughout the term. I TRUNCATE at the end of the term when assigning grades. There is NO exception to this policy under any circumstances. An 89.999 is a 'B'.
Please utilize the email system provided by D2L (atkinson@d2l.arizona.edu) to contact me . Do NOT email me assignments outside of D2L. Keeping ALL course-related materials in a similar location are integral to my being able to find them at grading time. Traditional email (esp. from AOL, MSN and HOTMAIL accounts) tends to get misfiled by my mail program and it can take considerable time for me to discover and reply to these emails.
Given the nature of the subject matter, I am available by telephone (520-626-3909) during normal working hours (approx 8am-5pm, ARIZONA time) M-F. If I don t answer, feel free to leave a voice-mail and I will return your call as soon as I can. Please include the best time to reach you. My typical routine is to check voice-mail before I leave the office in the afternoon and I attempt to return calls before I leave—although this can sometimes occur after 5pm. I encourage you to call me if you need clarification. Email doesn't always provide enough information and can lead to further confusion.
If you are in Tucson, you may also schedule a meeting. Please use the internal D2L email system to contact me for a time.
