Course Lecturer Name(s): Wendy Crawford-Daniel
Course Director Name: Wendy Crawford-Daniel
Course Lecturer(s) Contact Information: wcrawford@sgu.edu; ext.3152 Cell:457-4856
Course Director Contact Information: Same
Course Lecturer(s) Office Hours: Mondays 10:11:20 A.M. and By Appointment
Course Director Office Hours: Same
Course Lecturer(s) Office Location: Ballsier Building - Upstairs
Course Director Office Location: N/A
Course Support: Nicole Philip; nphilip2@sgu.edu;
Course Management tool: To learn to use Sakai, the Course management tool, access the link https://apps.sgu.edu/members.nsf/mycoursesintro.pdf
Course Description:
This course is for students in their final year. Students will carry out a field research project using the proposal designed at the Introduction to Empirical Research course. The course will allow students to revise and improve upon their proposal, carry out an extensive literature review, select the sampled population; improve their data-collection instrument and conduct data collection. They will be required to conduct data analysis and write up a complete research report. Students will also be required to conduct the IRB training and undertake the online training in Ethic in research to atain the ethical certificate. Students will use SPSS or other online analysis tools for the analysis of their data.
Course Objectives:
- Complete a comprehensive research proposal
- Update/Conduct an extensive Literature Review on topic of interest
- Collect data and analyse data
- Write up research report
- Present research findings
Student Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the course students must be able to:
- Prepare a research proposal and submit for IRB approval
- Complete the ethical training and certification
- Conduct a comprehensive literature review
- Collect data in the field
- Enter and analyse data collected
- Write up a research report
- Present research findings
Program Outcomes Met By This Course:
PO.1. Apply research methodologies to investigate social problems/issues
PO.2. Demonstrate their critical thinking skills to sociological analysis of social problem/issues. PO.3. Employ sociological research methods to investigate and explain social issues
SAS Grading Scale: Grades will be assigned as follows:
A = 89.5% or better
B+ = 84.5 - 89.4%
B = 79.5 - 84.4%
C+ = 74.5 - 79.4%
C = 69.5 - 74.4%
D = 64.5 - 69.4%
F = 64.4% or less
Course Materials:
Text: • Neuman, Lawrence W. (2006). Social Research Methods Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches,
6th Edition. Pearson Education, Inc. USA d
Course Grading Requirement:
- Revised Project Proposal: 10%
- Enhanced Literature Review: 20 %
- Review and Piloting of Instrument: 20 %
- Completed Final Project: 50 %
Course Requirements:
- Students must have completed Introduction to Empirical Research
- Students must have an approved research proposal
- Students must have access to analytic tool (SPSS) for Quantitative Method
Course Schedule:
Monday, Wednesday, Fridays :
Wk 1
Course Description
- General Ethical Issues in Empirical Research Project:
- Discussion of individual Research Proposals
Wk 2
- Review of Research Proposals
- Ethical Issues in Research/IRB Requirements
- Assignment due - Research Proposal
Wk 3
- Expand Review of Literature/ Using Literature in Qualitative Research Ethical Issues in using Literature/
Wk 4
- Key Issues in Research Designs – Quantitative:
- Individual design consultations
Wk 5
- Key Issues in Research Designs – Qualitative
- Ethical Issues in Design
- Individual Design consultations
Wk. 6:
- Pilot and finalize Research Instrument
- (Survey and Interviews)
Week 7 - 9
- Data Collection/ Field Work
- (Individual consultations)
Wk 10-12
- Analyzing Data
- SPSS – quantitative analysis
- Thematic – qualitative analysis
- (Individual Consultations)
Wk 13-15
- Writing up Results
- (Project Consultation)
Week 16: Project Due
School of Arts and Sciences Master Syllabi — Info for All Sections
Academic Integrity
The St. George’s University Student Manual (2019/2020) states as follows:
“Plagiarism is regarded as a cardinal offense in academia because it constitutes theft of the work of someone else, which is then purported as the original work of the plagiarist. Plagiarism draws into disrepute the credibility of the Institution, its faculty, and students; therefore, it is not tolerated” (p. 48).
Plagiarism also includes the unintentional copying or false accreditation of work, so double check your assignments BEFORE you hand them in.
Be sure to do good, honest work, credit your sources and reference accordingly and adhere to the University’s Honor Code. Plagiarism and cheating will be dealt with very seriously following the university’s policies on Plagiarism as outlined in the Student Manual.
Your work may be subject to submission to plagiarism detection software, submission to this system means that your work automatically becomes part of that database and can be compared with the work of your classmates.
The St. George’s University Student Manual (2019/2020) states as follows:
“Students are expected to attend all classes and or clinical rotations for which they have registered. Although attendance may not be recorded at every academic activity, attendance may be taken randomly. Students’ absence may adversely affect their academic status as specified in the grading policy. If absence from individual classes, examinations, and activities, or from the University itself is anticipated, or occurs spontaneously due to illness or other extenuating circumstances, proper notification procedures must be followed. A particular course may define additional policies regarding specific attendance or participation” (p. 9).
The St. George’s University Student Manual (2019/2020) states as follows:
“All matriculated students are expected to attend all assigned academic activities for each course currently registered. Medical excuses will be based on self-reporting by students. Students who feel they are too sick to take an examination or other required activity on a specific day must submit the online SAS medical excuse, which is available on Carenage. Students are only allowed two such excuses a year. Upon consultation with the Director of University Health Service, the third excuse will result in a mandatory medical leave of absence. The policies regarding make-up examinations are at the option of the Course Director” (p.46).
For additional specific examination policies and procedures, refer to the St. George’s University Student Manual (2019/2020), pages 31 through 37.
The St. George’s University Student Manual (2019/2020) states as follows:
“A student with a disability or disabling condition that affects one or more major life activities, who would like to request an accommodation, must submit a completed application form and supporting documentation to the Student Accessibility and Accommodation Services (SAAS) located in the Dean of Students Office. It is highly recommended that students applying for accommodations do so at least one month before classes begin to allow for a more efficient and timely consideration of the request. If a fully completed application is not submitted in a timely fashion, an eligibility determination may not be made, and accommodations, where applicable, may not be granted prior to the commencement of classes and/or examinations” (p. 8).
It is the responsibility of the student to read and understand the policies, laws, rules and procedures that while they could affect your grade for a course, have not been specifically outlined in the course syllabus. These are contained in the St. George’s University Student Manual.