Methods of Social Research II Page 1 of 21

School of Social Sciences

Department of Sociology and Psychology
P.O. Box 175, Port of Spain,
Trinidad, W.I.

Course Outline

SOUTH CAMPUS

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
 Methods of Social Research II: SSRS312
 First semester 2021/2022, 3 Credits, M & W, 7:20-8.45pm
 Course overview: This is a course on qualitative research methods, which exposes
students to a basic understanding of qualitative research, the research process, the methods
available in qualitative research and the interpretation of research findings. The issues
relating to the validity and reliability and ethical considerations are covered. The course
raises some interesting and sensitive issues for discussion. Some persons may have
personal experience with some of the issues, but students are advised to approach this
course with an open mind so that they can engage in critical and objective thinking.
 Pre-requisites – NA STAT120, SSRS212
 The course is mostly organized as a distance education class.

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

 Danielle Hernandez
 Instructor
 hernandezd@[Link]
 Office Hours: Wednesdays via zoom.
 Communication Policy – via email

PURPOSE OF THE COURSE/COURSE RATIONALE

 Methods of Research II is a core course that is part of the curriculum for Psychology,
Behavioural Sciences, and Criminology students.
 This course is designed for 3rd year university students.
 This course offers an introduction to qualitative research methods for social science.
Phenomenological inquiry, grounded theory, ethnography, and other approaches to
qualitative research will be examined. Students will gain understanding of the history of
qualitative research, the philosophies that drive the various methodologies, strategies for
data collection and analysis, ethical considerations, applications, and implications of

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using qualitative research methods in social science. Participants will learn about the
usefulness of qualitative research methods, the philosophical and theoretical
underpinnings of this type of research, various types of data collection, the various
approaches and schools of thought, ethical issues in qualitative research as well as
particular research methods.
 This course will help the participants to develop the skill in formulating a research
proposal, which entails doing a literature review, conceptualizing a problem statement,
research design, qualitative data collection, and analysis of qualitative data. Current
published qualitative research will be analysed in the context of topics covered in this
course. Upon completion of the course students will have demonstrated mastery of the
basic competencies needed to create, plan, and complete a qualitative research project.
Work outside of the classroom is key and mandatory parts of this course.

LETTER TO THE STUDENT

Dear Students,

Welcome to the course Methods of Social Research 11 – Qualitative Research. On behalf of the
Department of Sociology and Psychology and the School of Social Sciences it is a pleasure to
welcome you to the campus of the University of the Southern Caribbean and specifically to the
class; Methods of Social Research 11 – Qualitative Research. This course will expose you to the
fundamentals of qualitative research and offers opportunities for you to acquire skills to view the
social world from several perspectives. Therefore, you are encouraged to approach this course
with an open mind so that you can appreciate the diversity of its content.
The University offers a range of opportunities for self-development with many facilities
open to students. You are encouraged to take advantage of the many services that are available
so that your experience can be a fulfilling, rewarding, and an enriching one.
You are embarking on an aspect of your training at a time when global social, economic,
and political changes have exacerbated the challenges of life. At an individual level you will
experience challenging circumstances because the University presents unique dynamics and
challenges. Embrace these positively as they serve to prepare you for the real world. See them as
steppingstones to a brighter future ahead. This course will help you to confront some of the
challenges to become the shining star who will touch and transform lives to create a better social
world. Give it your best shot as success depends on your effort. But remember success is not an
event, it is a process, so you owe it to yourself and family to work hard from the inception. Once
again, welcome, and good luck as we interact during the semester.

GOALS/AIMS

This course seeks to help students:

 Understand the foundational knowledge in qualitative research, so that they can acquire
the skills to better understand why people behave the way they do.

 Understand the role and importance of qualitative research in the research spectrum.

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 Achieve skills in qualitative methods to design a qualitative research study/or element of

a study for their own purposes.

 Develop key informant/personal interview outline or guide for data collection on a

specified subject and acquire skills in NVivo.

 Acquire the skills to develop a focus group outline or guide for use in conducting a focus
group.

 Understand the guiding role of ethical principles in designing research studies.

 Conduct, code, transcribe, and report a key informant/personal interview.

 Conduct and report on a focus group.

 Explain the role, potential contribution, and limitations of the data collected in this
sequence.

 Understand the role of mixed methods designs.

LEARNING OUTCOMES (Modules/Unit Learning Outcomes)

At the end of this course students will be able to:

Cognitive
1. To learn and comprehend the basic skills in qualitative research.
2. Distinguished between different research traditions in the qualitative domain.
3. To understand and distinguish between five broad research traditions that characterize
qualitative research.

Affective
1. To appreciate the flexibility and diversity of qualitative research.
2. To foster a critical but non ethnocentric understanding of other cultures.
3. To retain the realization that societal and structural factors profoundly influence behaviour
and development.

Psychomotive
1. Evaluate the range of qualitative research.
2. To develop the ability to conduct qualitative interviews.
3. To develop the ability to design a qualitative study.

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COURSE CONTENT
Introduction to Research
Ethics in social Research
Interviewing
Narrative Research
Phenomenological Research
Grounded Theory Research
Ethnographic Research
Case Study Research
Designing qualitative research
Sampling
Data collection
Focus group
Observation
Coding
Data analysis
Validity and Reliability
Writing Qualitative Paper
Mixed Methods

TEACHING STRATEGIES

 Lectures
 Discussions
 Project

RESOURCES

Students are responsible for all reading assignments even if the information is not covered in class.
The readings which will be used for this course are below.

Required Textbook:

 Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design (3rd ed.). Sage. ISBN
978-1- 4129-9530-6 ($60.00 [Link])

 American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American

Psychological Association (7th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological
Association.

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Recommended Readings:

 Richards, M. Read me first for a user's guide to qualitative methods (3rd ed). Sage. ISBN
978-1- 4129-9806-2 ($42.00 [Link])

 Merriam, S. B., & Associates (2002). Qualitative research in practice: Examples for
discussion and analysis. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

ASSIGNMENTS

All assignments are to be submit using Turnitin. The acceptable percentage used by the
university is 25%. That mean when you submit an assignment, the similarity report
should be no more than 25%, if it is more, you will receive an F grade for the
assignment.

Assignment Description
# 1 Observation of a  Spend at least one-half hour observing groups of people
site where people engaged in an activity.
work or mingle  This does not mean that the time you spend during this
observation is limited to one half hour in duration. You
will, however, be expected to observe and write up your
work for this time duration at a minimum (note beginning
and end of observation time).
 In this exercise, you should attempt to be non-obtrusive.
 Describe what you observed. Do this in such a fashion
that someone reading the description who was not there
could feel as though they were.
 This is an academic paper, so be sure to follow APA
guidelines; have an introduction (i.e. explaining the
purpose of your assignment and why you made your
choice of observational target), followed by your main
observations and a conclusion which should be your
reflections regarding the experience—what have you
learned regarding observing and what did you learn about
the group experience? Again, your written assignment
should address the following questions:
 This paper should be 3 to 4 pages.
 Write memos as you describe your observation.
 Memos are ways to document work in progress when
engaging in a qualitative research study; they serve as
records and as a guide for follow-up inquiry.
Your write up should address the following:

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 What did you do and how?

 Why did you choose to observe what you observed?
 How did you do it?
 How did you feel while doing it?
 How did you feel having done it?
 Did you use all your senses?
 What did you learn from it? - in general and about observing
 Set the scene. Tell the reader what you were interested in
observing and why.
 Also tell the reader where you were, when you were there,
and exactly how you positioned yourself in relation to what
you observed.
 Identify what kind of observer you were. Were you a
complete participant? Were you a participant observer; an
insider to the scene; an outsider; partially, or both? How so?
Make sure you understand how each of these is defined.

 Consider your insider/outsider status as a source of data; your

unique position as such will likely affect what you observe
and how you interpret it.

 Remember to describe the less general as well as the general,

e.g. 10 of the 15 people were wearing jeans.” And the others?

 Remember to describe the usual as well as the unusual, e.g.,

“She wore a huge red floppy hat with a bowl of fruit on the
top of it.” Was there anyone else wearing a hat?

 Be careful about making “truth claims” i.e., what led you to

believe that the adult with the child was the child’s mother?
(Describe how you came to this interpretation.)

 Be careful about making “value statements” i.e., “The child

was dirty, so she was probably from a low-income group.” Be
careful with the distinction between a) description; and b)
conjecture, interpretation, analysis, conclusion, and truth
statements.

 Include yourself in the report, i.e. did you respond to the task
at hand at various times, because this no doubt affected your
“lens” and how you documented your observations.

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 Even if you have a very clear focus at the outset of your

observation, you should err on the side of “thick description”
rather than “thin description.”

 Appeal to all of your senses, i.e. not just sight, but also
sounds, smells, tastes and touch, when and where possible.
Like a good novel, try, when possible, to bring the whole
atmosphere of the setting before the reader.

 Remember that your descriptive content is the evidence upon

which all of your interpretations, conjectural statements,
and/or analysis (plus any conclusions) are based — so don’t
be economical here. Pay attention to body language,
unspoken communications, including facial expressions, and
so on. These are very often the “indispensable supplement” to
some of the most “obvious” textual evidence that you may
think to record.

 Be especially attentive when you think “nothing is

happening.” Something is always happening, i.e. something
to listen to. And besides, silence and stillness also happen.

Grading
Content 5
Presentation 2
Grammar 3

Due: September 22nd, 2021

# 2 Review of ethics  Locate a study that breached the ethics of social research.
article  Review the study and highlight the ethical breaches.
 Show how the breaches can be corrected.
 Prepare a paper three (3) to four (4) pages type written
 Must confirm to APA standards.
 Double spacing.
 One-inch margin on either side.
 Pages must a running head top left-hand corner and page
number top right-hand corner.
 Paragraphs to be indicated by indenting.
 All sources cited in the text must appear in the list of
references.
 Must have an introduction, main section (with appropriate
heading(s) and or subheading(s)), conclusion, and
references.

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 Only the following websites must be used; .org, .edu, and

.gov.

Grading
Contents 6
Citations 2
References 2
Total 10

Due September 30th, 2021

# 3 Key informant 1. State your goals and objectives at the beginning of the key
guide informant outline. They will be used to judge the
effectiveness of your outline, and of course to give you
direction in interviewing.
2. These goals and objectives are your roadmap through the
interview. They should guide your questions. All questions
should be organized in a logical flow (from an interviewing
perspective) and be clustered into themes, with probes for
each main question.
3. Your key informant guide should have at minimal the
following elements:
1. Goal and Objectives
2. Introduction/welcome, explanation or the
reason for interview, and Informed Consent—
making the respondent aware of the study purpose,
that they will be taped, and related confidentiality
procedures.
3. Why are you doing it, and how will the
information be used?
4. An Ice Breaker interchange—to allow you and
the respondents to feel on “safe” ground, and
comfortable.
5. Main Questions—Topical areas (objectives)
explored with main questions (open ended) and
potential probes (follow-up questions to potential
answers)
6. Exit Questions—helping the respondent get a
sense of mastery – assuring respondent of the
valued contribution s/he made.

Remember to begin each interview with more distant (less

personal, non-specific) questions, allowing the respondent to get

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to know you, and ask more personal questions later as rapport is

established.
Grading
Content 3
Presentation 1
Grammar 1
th
Due: October 07 , 2021
# 4 Conducting a Each student is expected to conduct an interview using the key
Key Informant informant guide as a semi structured tool.
Interview on an
issue of your choice For this assignment you are asked to:
a) Conduct the interview using a tape recorder. (If you do not get
consent to tape take copious notes.)
b) Test the recorder for enough space and charged batteries. You
can also use your phone.
c) Make sure that you address all sections of the interview
outline, although the order of questions may naturally change due
to the flow of the interview. Remember a good interview should
feel like a comfortable conversation to the person you interview.
d) Once the interview is conducted, transcribe it verbatim as soon
as possible; if you were not able to tape the interview make sure
that you transcribe the notes within less than a couple of hours so
that you do not forget the conversation.
e) Complete your self-evaluation.
f) Write one paragraph minimum along the field note guidelines -
- about your perception of the situational assessment/context of
the interview: i.e. did it go well, did you feel odd, shy, did the
respondent open up, when did respondent open up, did you have
any disturbances, was privacy an issue, where did the interview
take place … in other words, anything that may have influenced
your ability to get “good data.”
g) Write a summary for the interview listing the purpose, setting
date and major findings of your interview (no more than 1 page).
Assignment order:

1. Cover page
2. Title page: title of study, your name, institutional affiliation,
year; date of interview
3. Verbatim transcription of interview.

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4. Field notes/situational assessment.

5. Self-evaluation.
6. Summary of interview.

Grading
Content 6
Presentation 2
Grammar 2

Due: October 21st 2021

# 5 Focus Group Developed in much the same manner as your key informant
Moderator Guide guide. State your topic and develop questions to explore the issue.
Develop no more than 1-2 broad goals for your focus group. Why
are you conducting a focus group (to validate what you have
learned and maybe also to “dig” a bit deeper)? What information
are you hoping to get?
Develop objectives for your focus group. Some will be
operational or process objectives: e.g. to conduct a group with 8-
12 similar persons to validate what was learned in the KIs. Others
will be based on the findings, which you wish to verify.
Develop a set of questions no more than 6-8 in a logical sequence
that suggests a natural flow for discussion.
1) Main question(s)
2) Follow-up question(s)/Probes for each main question.
3) Exit questions – questions that allow participants to contribute
positively
Opening statements: Welcome, explanation of FG procedures,
consent for participation and taping. An opening statement should
include an explanation of the project, its purpose, informed
consent, confidentiality, anonymity, what you plan to do with the
information, who was asked to participate and why, etc.

Develop a set of ground rules to follow during the focus group.

For example, no one should put another person down by making
personal and negative comments. Everyone’s comments are
welcomed and there are no “stupid” questions or answers;
everyone should be given the chance to talk and no one should try
to dominate the discussion. Once you decide on the ground rules
you should go over them before the discussion begins.

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In the closing statement thank the participants for coming and

sharing their knowledge and experiences, reminding them about
keeping the discussion confidential.
Grading
Content 3
Presentation 1
Grammar 1
Due: October 28th, 2021
# 6 Qualitative Each student will select one article featuring qualitative
Article Critique methodology from a peer-reviewed journal. You will review the
chosen philosophical approach of the study, the study aims, data
collection and analyses methods, and conclusions. The majority
of the paper will be spent critiquing each of these topics,
including discussions of appropriate or inappropriate choices
made by the authors, what you would have done differently, and
how this may influence the conclusions. This paper should be no
longer than three double spaced pages, APA format. Include the
.PDF of the original article when submitting this assignment.
Please address the following questions:
Problem
Is the problem appropriate for qualitative inquiry? Is the question
one of meaning, understanding, or process?

1. Is the problem clearly stated?

2. Is the problem situated in the literature? That is, is the
literature used to put the problem in context?
3. Is the relationship of the problem to previous research made
clear?
4. Is the researcher’s perspective and relationship to the problem
discussed? Are assumptions and biases revealed?
5. Is a convincing argument explicitly or implicitly made of the
importance of significance of this research? Do we know how
it will contribute to the knowledge base and practice?

Methods

1. Is the particular qualitative research design identified and

described (basic interpretive, grounded theory,
phenomenology, ethnography, and so on)?

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2. Is sample selection described including rationale for criteria

used in the selection?
3. Are data collection methods described and are they congruent
with the problem being investigated and the type of
qualitative design?
4. How were the data managed and analyzed?
5. What strategies were used to ensure for validity and
reliability?
6. What ethical considerations are discussed?

Findings

1. Are the participants of the study described? (This may be in

Methods)
2. Are the findings clearly organized and easy to follow?
3. Are the findings directly responsive to the problem of the
study? This is, do they “answer” the question(s) raised by the
study?
4. Do the data presented in support of the findings (quotations
from interviews, incidents from field notes, material from
documents, and so on) provide adequate and convincing
evidence for the findings?

Discussion

1. Are the findings “positioned” and discussed in terms of the

literature and previous research?
2. Are the study’s insights and contributions to the larger body
of knowledge clearly stated and discussed?
3. Are implications for practice discussed?
4. Do the study’s implications follow from the data?
5. Are there suggestions for future research?

Additional Considerations

1. Are study limitations addressed?

2. Is an alternative explanation(s) of the findings presented in
the “Discussion” section?

Source: Merriam, S. B., & Associates (2002). Qualitative

research in practice: Examples for discussion and analysis. San
Francisco: Jossey Bass.

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Grading
Introduction 2
Content 4
Spelling/Grammar 2
Referencing 2

Due: November 04th, 2021

# 7 Proposal Final Proposal Presentation

Presentation
Students will work in pairs/groups for this assignment. Each
group will have not more than ten minutes to present their
research design proposal project to the class. Topics to be covered
include:
a) Statement of the problem and review of the literature
b) Goals and objectives
c) Qualitative approach and rationale
d) Methodology
I) Design II) Sample Selection, site of research, ethical
considerations III) Data collection (Observations, interviews,
documents, etc.)
e) Coding and analyses methods
f) Validity and Reliability
g) Researcher Bias and Assumptions
h) Study limitations
Due: November 08th & 15th, 2021

# 8 Proposal In this assignment each group will develop a plan for a qualitative
study. You will want to look at the assignment sheet carefully, in
its entirety, before you start writing your proposal. Your research
proposal is strictly a plan; you are not expected to collect and
analyze data, present the findings, or discuss what has been
found. A minimum of five references will be required. Although
you may use your text and course readings as references, their use
must be in addition to the five references.
The minimum length for your paper, excluding the title page and
references, is 10 pages, and the maximum length is 15 pages.

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The objectives of this assignment are to help students to be able to:

 Develop skills in conceptualizing a research
problem.
 Develop a research proposal.
 Conduct a review of pertinent literature.
 Develop clear methodological procedures for a
research project.

Grading of proposal
Proposal will be assessed out of fifty (50) points as
follows:
 Introduction including background, purpose, and
objective(s) -5 points
 Statement of the problem, significance,
conceptualization, and operationalization -5 points
 Methodology – 20 points.
 Referencing in text – 7 points.
 References – 7 points.
 Grammar – 3 points.
 Presentation – 3 points.

Due: November 24th, 2021

Your paper will be assessed according to the following criteria:

 Did you follow the directions for this assignment, including correctly formatting your paper
(e.g., title page, in-text citations, reference list, headings as instructed on the assignment
sheet, etc.) per APA (6th ed.) guidelines? Is your paper well written, and did you carefully
proofread it for grammatical errors, typos, etc.?
 Did you logically and comprehensively address each of the three sections in your paper?

Introduction
This section provides a context for understanding your study; it “makes the case” for why it is
important. It also includes an abbreviated review of relevant literature. In short, the introduction
helps the reader to: (1) understand what your study is about; (2) situate your study within a
theoretical framework, and (3) appreciate the significance of your study.
Statement of the Problem
The Statement of the Problem is a succinct restatement of the Introduction. It (1) provides the
“backdrop” for the study; (2) identifies exactly what the problem is (including what we don’t
know – the “knowledge gap”): and (3) ends with the sentence, “The purpose of this study is …”.
Let “funnel” thinking guide how you write the problem statement. Include 2 or 3 research

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questions immediately after the one-sentence purpose statement. You could lead into them with
something like, “Specifically, what….? How are …...?” Suggested length: 1 – 1 ½ pages (1 ½ is
max).
Methodology
Begin with an opening paragraph that includes your one-sentence purpose statement (“The
purpose of the study is….”) and that identifies the subsections (7) that will be covered in this
section. Then address each subsection. Suggested length: 8-10 pages
Design
Here, you describe the overall design of the study (e.g., survey, experimental, qualitative, etc.).
Since, in this class, you are designing a qualitative study, discuss the defining characteristics of
qualitative research. Next, address why YOUR study is suitable for qualitative design. If you are
doing an interpretive qualitative study, this is all you need to do in this section. However, if you
are using a particular approach to inquiry (e.g., phenomenology), you will also need to describe
this types of qualitative research .You will want to be explicit about why you have selected this
particular approach to address the problem of your study.
Sample selection, site of the research, and ethical considerations
Sample selection: First, identify the type of sampling you will use. In a qualitative study,
purposeful or purposive sampling (also called criterion sampling) is usually employed. Define
what this is. Second, address the criteria you have established in selecting your sample,
providing a rationale for each criterion unless it is obvious. Third, precisely describe how you
will go about recruiting your sample and approximately how many participants you will select.
If you are doing a case study or a comparative case study, you will first need to describe how you
will select the cases – what criteria, how many, and how you will secure the inclusion of the
cases in your study. Then, unless you plan to interview all the people in the case, or go to all the
activities to observe, or read all of the documents, you will also need to describe how you will
select your sample of people, activities, or documents within the case.
Site of the research: Describe the site. Where will you be collecting data? Why this site and not
another? What is your rationale for selecting this site?
Ethical consideration: Address ethical issues in general (e.g., IRB approval, confidentiality,
pseudonyms, etc.) as well as those that are unique to your study. Additionally, note ethical issues
that may emerge as you engage in your study. In short, what precautions will you take to ensure
that participants are treated in an ethical manner?
Data Collection
Begin with an introductory paragraph identifying the data collection method(s) you will use in
your study and why. (Remember that for some studies, is may be that you will use only one
method of data collection.) Then, address each method as indicated below.

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Interviews – Describe what a research interview is, the different types, and which type you plan
to use. Include here the areas of questioning you plan to cover (e.g., motivation, technology in
schools, etc.). Feel free to attach an interview guide as an Appendix, although you are not
required to do so. Address if the interviews will be tape recorded (and/or video recorded) and
transcribed verbatim, if notes will be taken during the interview in lieu of recording, etc. If there
is the possibility of doing follow-up interviews, indicate this here. You will want to include the
approximate number of participants you will be interviewing, how long the interviews will last,
(e.g., 60-90), and the length of time over which you will collect the data (e.g., 4 months).
Observations – What do you plan to observe? What will your role be (e.g., complete observer,
participant observer, etc.)? How will you record these observations? What will be the focus of
your observations? Describe the guide or protocol that you will use to focus your observations
(and feel free to attach it as an Appendix if you desire). You will also want to include the
approximate number of observations you plan to do, how long the observations will last, and the
length of time over which you will collect observations data (e.g., 2 months).
Documents/Artifacts – What kind of documents/artifacts will you be seeking (e.g., public
records)? Will you be asking participants to generate documents (e.g., keep a journal)? How will
data provided through documents and/or artifacts inform your study?
Data Analysis
Because we have only touched briefly on data analysis, you are not expected to write more than a
couple of sentences in this section. In qualitative research, there are several strategies for
analyzing data (e.g., constant comparative method, phenomenological analysis, etc.). Some
utilize very specific techniques and procedures. If you do, in fact, know how to plan to analyses
your data, feel free to elaborate here. Otherwise, it is enough to include a couple sentence
regarding what you plan to do [e.g., “I plan to use the constant comparative methods of Glaser
and Strauss (1967) to analyze the data. The constant comparative method consists of …”]. You
should be able to find enough information in your course readings to write a couple of sentences.
Validity and Reliability
First, note that trustworthiness in qualitative research that attention be paid to issues pertaining to
validity (both internal and external) and reliability. Second, define internal validity, external
validity, and reliability, and third, discuss as least to strategies that you will use to safeguard each
(i.e., two for internal validity, two for external validity, and two for reliability).
Researcher Bias and Assumptions
What are you assuming going into this study? What is you orientation/bias(es)? What should
readers of your research know about you, the researcher, to help them understand how you are
approaching this study? How you might be interpreting the data, what you are going to be
watching out for, etc.
Study Limitations

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Limitations are related to the methodology, not to you the researcher (those are covered in the
section above, Researcher Bias and Assumptions). For example, in most qualitative research,
generalizability in the statistical sense is limited using small, purposeful samples. Remember: All
studies have limitations. Carefully consider the limitations of your proposed study (e.g.,
participants are well-educated individuals, that not representative of the population-at-large).

COURSE ASSESSMENT

Purpose of Assessment

 The purpose of assessments in this course is to determine how much of the material
covered has been learnt. This serves the need to put strategic interventions to assist where
necessary. Assessment methods are both summative and formative.
 The table blow indicates the weight of each assessment method.

Outline of Assignments Marks Due Dates

Observation of site where 10 Sept 22nd 2021
people work/mingle
Ethics Paper 15 Sept 30th 2021
Creating Key Informant Guide 5 Oct 07th 2021
Informant Interview 10 Oct 21st 2021
Creating a focus group guide 5 Oct 28th 2021
Qualitative Article Critique 10 Nov 04th 2021
Student Final Presentations 30 Nov 08th & 15th 2021
Final Research Project 50 Nov 24th 2021
Two Quizzes (each) 30
Mid-Semester 50
Online Forums 25
Total 240

COURSE CALENDAR

Day & Date Topics/Chapter Assignment/Activity/Due Date

Week #1 & 2 Overview / Introduction / Intro to Reading RM = Richards & Morse
Research

Week #3 Ethics in Research RM Ch. 1 & 2

Week #4 Five approaches Assignment #1 – Observation

Paper Due: Sept 22nd 2021
Narrative Research

Undergraduate Course Outline: Revised September 2021

Methods of Social Research II Page 18 of 21

Phenomenological Research
Week #5 Five approaches cont. Assignment # 2 – Ethics Paper
Due: September 30th 2021
Grounded Theory Research
Creswell 4
Ethnographic Research
(Johnson-Baily & Cervero, 1996)
Case Study Research
Week #6 Designing qualitative research/role RM 4
of researcher
Creswell Chapter 3
Sampling
Assignment #3 – Informant Guide
Due October 07th 2021
Week #7 MID SEMESTER BREAK October 13th- 15th 2021
(YAY!)

Week #8 Writing questions, Focus groups RM 8

(Mathison, 1988; Merriem, 1995).

Assignment #4 – Informant
Interview Due: October 21st 2021

Week #9 Coding / Data analysis RM 5 – 7

Creswell Chapter 8
Assignment #5 – Focus Group
Guide – Due: October 28th 2021
Week #10 Data analysis RM 9 & 10
Creswell Chapter 8
Assignment # 6 Qualitative Article
Critique Due: November 04th 2021

Week #11 Group Presentations Due: 08th & 15th November 2021

Week #12 Group Presentations Due: 08th & 15th November 2021

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Methods of Social Research II Page 19 of 21

Week #13 Final Research Projects Assignment # 7 Proposal Due:

November 24th 2021.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Standard)

The policies of the university are standardized.

University Policies:
 Attendance Policy/Regulations (USC Bulletin 2010-2012, pg. 15)
Students are encouraged to attend all sessions and participate in all class discussions
since it is to your own advantage.

Students would be required to acknowledge their attendance by signing the attendance

register. Students found signing in for another student will be dealt with in keeping with
the policy of the department and the university. If a student cannot attend class, it is that
student’s responsibility to advise the instructor of their absence.

 Grading Policy (USC Bulletin 2010-2012, pg. 16)

 Late Assignment
All assignments and/or projects are to be submitted on the due date. Late assignments
will be penalized appropriately. The only excuse for a late assignment is illness. In such
a case the student must have a copy of a doctor’s note for the instructor on the class day
that the student was ill.

 Plagiarism (USC Student Handbook, pg. 47)

Academic dishonesty, including but not limited to:
a. plagiarism, that is, the knowledge or negligent use by paraphrase or direct
quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full
and clear acknowledgement, or
b. any other act designed to give a student an unfair advantage (see USC Student
Handbook, pg. 47). Students are therefore encouraged to cite careful references in
their written/type written work.

 Dress Code (USC Student Handbook, p. 29)

The USC has a dress code and students are required to conform to the requirements of the
dress code. The dress code is in effect for all class sessions.

GRADING SYSTEM (Standard)

The grading system of the university is standardized.

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Methods of Social Research II Page 20 of 21

Letter % Grade Definition Description

Grade Value Pt. per
Credit
A 100- 4.0 1. Excellent mastery of course content,
90 evidence of extensive background reading. 2.
Excellent performance in analysis, synthesis,
A- 85-89 3.67 Excellent and critical expression, oral or written. 3.
Excellent performance in analysis, synthesis,
and critical expression, oral or written. 4.
Student works independently or in groups as
is required with unusual effectiveness
B+ 80-84 3.3 Very 1. Very good mastery of course content,
Good evidence of substantial background reading.
B 75-79 3.0 2. Student performance indicates a high
degree of originality, creativity, and
problem-solving skills. 3. Very good
B- 70-74 2.67 performance in analysis, synthesis, and
critical expression, oral or written. 4. Student
works very well independently or in groups
as is required.
C+ 65-69 2.33 1. Acceptable mastery of course content,
evidence of some background reading. 2.
Students demonstrate some degree of
C 60-64 2.0 Satisfactory originality, creativity, and problem-solving
skills. 3. Acceptable performance in
analysis, synthesis, and critical expression,
oral or written. 4. Student works
independently or in groups at an
acceptable level
C- 55-59 1.67 1. Unacceptable mastery of course content,
very little evidence of background reading. 2.
Students demonstrate little degree of
Unsatisfactory originality, creativity, and problem-solving
skills. 3. Unacceptable performance in
analysis, synthesis, and critical expression,
oral or written. 4. Students display
unacceptable level of proficiency in working
independently or in groups.
D 50-54 1.33 1. Deficient in mastery of course content, no
evidence of background reading. 2.
Originality, creativity and problem-solving
Deficient skills absent from performance. 3. Deficient
performance in analysis, synthesis, and
critical expression, oral or written. 4.

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Deficient in ability to work independently

and in groups.
F 0-59 0.0 1. No comprehension or grasp of course
content, no evidence of background reading.
Unacceptable 2. Originality, creativity and problem-solving
skills totally absent from performance. 3.
Unacceptable performance in analysis,
synthesis, and critical expression, oral or
written. 4. Displays neither aptitude nor
ability to work independently or in groups.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN THIS COURSE

The following suggestions are effective to help you succeed in this course:

 Be present and punctual at every class!

 Remember to pace yourself as the semester goes by quickly.
 A large portion of your grade comes from group projects, it is advisable that students learn
to appreciate the differences in others and work with shortcomings.
 Learn to focus on the project and not personality flaws.
 Try to get along with people that are different from you. USC is training you to work and
live in the real world, where you will have to deal with situations and people that are not
pleasant. This is a good place to practice.
 Make an effort to do your best at the projects because the class seeks to prepare students
for more service endeavors in the future.
 Make use of the Professor’s availability. If you do not understand anything that is in the
outline or that was said in class as for clarification.
 Pray and talk to someone when you feel overwhelmed.
 Be positive, smile!
 DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!!!

Note: This outline is subject to revision should circumstances beyond control dictate. Should
revision be required, changes will be communicated during class or via email.

END OF COURSE OUTLINE

Undergraduate Course Outline: Revised September 2021