COURSE SYLLABUS
PADM 6130 Research Methods in Public Administration
Fall 2015
Professor: Kyujin Jung, Ph.D.
Phone: 615-963-7251 (office)
Office: TSU Avon Williams Campus, Room 411 / Email: [email protected]
In Office hours: Wednesday & Thursday 12:00 to 5:00 PM, online by skype (kj2y2h) or by appointment
If you need help, E-MAIL or CALL/TEXT me as soon as you have problems, DO NOT WAIT.
DO NOT USE the Email in eLearn because the reply does not get back to you in a timely fashion.
Make sure you email me at [email protected]
A. Course Description and Objectives
This course is intentionally designed to provide students of Public Administration an understanding of the
processes and criteria for quality research and the ability to critically evaluate others and your own research
findings. These skills are necessary to effectively evaluate the vast quantities of data available for use in
evaluating and improving public policy programs in real world situations. Each student should prepare for the
class every week; that means you should have read the assignments before the class period. Weekly lecture
attendance is expected and content from said lectures is testable.
I anticipate each of you to acquire the skills necessary to effectively evaluate the vast quantities of data available
for use in evaluating and improving public policy programs in real world situations.
After completing this course, the student should be able to do the following: Understand the principles and
methods used to conduct valid research; Formulate good research questions and design appropriate research;
Collect data using a variety of methods; Critically evaluate your own research and that of other scientists; and
Assess and appraise the ethical dilemmas that occur while conducting research.
At the completion of this course the student will have the following competencies:
 Explain the external and institutional politics of decision making
 Use decision tools to make data-driven evaluation and policy choices
 Understand when to employ various research methods
 Apply systematic research processes to novel problems and produce research in written format
 Distinguish between different analytical approaches to decision making
 Identify the research tools appropriate for different situations
 Critically evaluate the ethical implications of different research methods
 Prepare communications – both written and oral–in appropriate medium and depth for diverse
audiences and stakeholders
 Identify and explain issues of cultural awareness in the research process
B. Required Texts:
1. Babbie, E. (2015). The Practice of Social Research, 14th Edition. Wadsworth Publishing.
2. Machi, L. and McEvoy, B. (2012). The Literature Review: Six Steps to Success. Second Edition. Corwin Press.
3. Converse, J. and Presser, S. (1986). Survey Questions Handcrafting the Standardized Questionnaire. SAGE
Publications, Inc. Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences, Volume 63.
4. Any additional readings will be posted in the course content section of eLearn under the appropriate week.
The syllabus is a contract between you, the student and me, the professor. The due dates on the syllabus for
assignments are non-negotiable. You can turn in assignments early but not late. If the assignments are not in the course
Dropbox or presented in the discussion boards on the due date, you will receive a zero. If you do not take the Midterm,
you will receive a zero. I will on a case-by-case basis (critical illness, death, birth, and job crisis) accept an emailed
assignment, as long as you contact me to make arrangements prior to the close of the Dropbox for email submission
approval.
C. Grading and Evaluation
There will be no curve and the grade you earned is the grade you will receive. If you are less than 1 point off
from the higher grade I will round up; otherwise you will receive the lower grade (i.e. 79 is 1 point below the B
and would be a B, however, 78.75 is 1.25 points below the B and would be a C).
Evaluation
WRITTEN HOMEWORK (80 points)
HW1: Draft Research Proposal Outline
HW2: Literature Review/Theory
HW3: Draft Survey Questions/Response Sets
HW4: Online Survey Link
HW5: Written Explanation of the Analysis Results
SEMINAR DISCUSSION AND DISCUSSION BOARD (40 points)
SD1: Gallup Polling
SD2: Poverty Action Lab
DB1: HeLa Cell Ethical Issues
DB2: Marriage between Theory and Practice
EXAMINATION AND FINAL PROJECT (80 points)
Midterm
Final Research Proposal
TOTAL
10 points
20 points
20 points
10 points
20 points
10 points
10 points
10 points
10 points
30 points
50 points
200 points
HOMEWORK (HW) and DISCUSSION BOARD (DB) ASSIGNMENTS
It is expected that the reading assignments are read on a weekly basis because they will help with the
application of the methods to solve real world organizational problems. It is assumed that each student will
have read the assignments and be prepared for class weekly. If the assignments are not in the course Dropbox
or presented in Discussion Board on the due date, you will receive a zero. The expectations are as follows:
WRITTEN HOMEWORK
HW#1: Draft Research Proposal Outline (10 points)
A one page outline of your research proposal must include: what public administration problem you are
proposing to research and an outline of the proposal (i.e., problem statement, research questions, goals and
objectives, proposed literature review and theory, proposed research design and proposed methods of analysis).
This is due in the course Dropbox by 12:00 am on Monday Sep. 7, 2015.
HW#2: Literature Review/Theory (20 points each)
Your literature review must describe what we know and what gaps in knowledge that have yet to be filled about
your proposed problem. From your literature review, you have to provide a detailed sentence outline of the
theory and/or hypotheses of your proposed research project. Again, your literature review/Theory must include
Concepts and/or definitions of dependent and independent variables that ultimately answer your research
question. It should be no more than 2,000 words and contain no fewer than ten journal article references. You
can limit your review to the last decade if you wish. Please begin your research in the following journals: Public
Administration Review, State and Local Government Review, Public Performance Management Review, Local
Government Studies, Urban Affairs Review and Administration & Society.
Literature Review/Theory is due in the Dropbox by 12:00 am on Monday Oct. 5, 2015.
HW#3: Draft Survey Questions (20 points)
Write 5 to 10 survey questions and responses sets designed to measure a topic you are interested in. You will
actually be administering this survey, so be thoughtful about your choice of context and constructs you are
measuring. Your goal is to write questions that each respondent will interpret in the same way. A good question
should be short and straightforward. A survey should not be too long, use plain English and the question should
be easy to answer. If the list of response categories is long and unfamiliar, it will be difficult for respondents to
evaluate all of them. Keep the list of choices short. Only through careful writing, editing, review, and rewriting
can you make a good survey. The survey questions and response sets are due in the course Dropbox by 12:00
am on Monday Oct. 26, 2015.
HW#4: Online Survey Set Up and Administration (10 points)
Using your TSU email, You will log on to Qualtrics and set up a free account at:
http://www.qualtrics.com/academic-solutions/tennessee-state-university-college-of-business
Follow the directions to input your survey questions and responses that you developed in HOMEWORK 3.
Administer the survey to at least 10 people. Your online survey link will be evaluated as follows: clear concise
questions, easy exclusive responses, survey flow. As an FYI—you do not need IRB approval to administer this
survey because, it is a class exercise for educational purposes only.
Due in the course Dropbox by 12:00 am on Monday Nov. 2, 2015.
HW#5: Written explanation of the Survey Results (20 points)
You will write a brief explanation of your survey results. Why this topic (ground it in the literature), what does
the topic have to do with public administration and policy. What were your results? Limitations of the survey?
Due in the course Dropbox by 12:00 am on Monday Nov. 16, 2015.
Final Written Research Proposal (50 points)
The Research Proposal is a complete description of the intended research. The student needs to demonstrate
convincingly that the study will make a contribution to a public administration issue or policy problem. I have
provided a template if you choose to use it. The full research proposal must present the following:
1. Title
2. Abstract
3. Brief Introduction
4. Background and significance. The so what statement. Here you outline the problem/ situation that your
proposal addresses. If you’re trying to solve a problem or build on an opportunity, you have to define it
first. Be as specific as you can. Don’t assume that the reader knows anything about your community or
the situation. Don’t dwell on the negative; don’t portray the problem as one that’s too overwhelming to
solve. When you define a problem, define it in a way that it’s clear that you can actually address the
problem.
5. Research question, short literature review, and testable hypothesis. Outline what you hope to achieve
with your proposal. Goals are general things that you want to accomplish versus Objectives which are
outcomes (things that can be easily measured). For both goals and objectives, be as specific as possible.
Your theoretical considerations must tie to a research question or hypothesis.
6. Research design (type of study). This plan outlines the plan for showing that you met the goals that you
set for your project. This is where you list the research methods, the sample, as the type of data you are
going to collect and how you are going to analyze the data. It does not have to be complicated just very
clear.
a. Research site, study population, and sampling
b. Data collection methods and instruments
c. Data analysis methods – if applicable statistical planning must be fully addressed, or should
provide evidence that statistics are not required.
d. Mechanisms to assure the quality of the study – validity, reliability, safe storage of data
e. Research period - Timetable for completion of the project
7. References
FINAL Research Proposals DUE Friday December 11, 2015 before 12:00 am.
Facilitating In-class Seminar Discussion and Discussion Boards on eLearn (40 points)
For each discussion topic, a group of students will be assigned to facilitate discussions on the assigned readings
or additional materials. The facilitator’s task is to facilitate the discussion in part of each class. The facilitator
should read the assignments. The facilitator has to focus on critiquing various issues in research design and
methodology. The facilitator will critique one of the articles published in Public Administration Review. You are
expected to analyze and evaluate, not just summarize the article. A summary merely reports what the text said;
that is, it answers only the question, "What did the author say?”, but a critique analyzes, interprets, and
evaluates the text, answering the questions how to answer research questions? Why is this research important?
and what are the implications this research provides? A critique does not necessarily have to criticize the piece
in a negative sense. Your reaction to the text may be largely positive, negative, or a combination of the two. It is
important to explain why you respond to the text in a certain way. Please read “How to Critique a Journal
Article” before you read a selected article.
SD#1: Gallup Polling (10 points)
Go to the Gallup Poll site- http://www.gallup.com and critique the methodology. The facilitator should
notify a link of a report on the discussion board by 12:00 am on Monday Sep. 14, 2015.
SD#2: Poverty Action Laboratory (10 points)
Go to the Poverty Action Lab- http://www.povertyactionlab.org/ Pick one study and tell us why it
interests you and critique the research design and methodology. The facilitator should notify a link of a
report on the discussion board by 12:00 am on Monday Oct. 12, 2015.
There will be 2 discussion boards in this class, each will be opened for a one week period, it is your
responsibility to pay attention to the dates and post to the discussion boards at the appropriate time. I expect
thoughtful comments, spirited discussion, and critical thinking to apply the readings to real world health policy
problems. You need to be able to demonstrate through your discussion comments that you have read and
integrated the course material into some sort of context you can use when you ‘get out into the real world’.
Discussion means that you talk to each other, not just post monologues. We are going to tackle some
controversial issues regarding research and governmental policies; there are going to be disagreements. Thus, I
will not tolerate personal attacks, we all have legitimate opinions and this course is a safe environment for
discussion, so everyone will be heard. In this course, I hope that you will approach difficult topics with cultural
humility so that everyone can benefit from the discourse and you can learn how to get your points across
without denying the legitimacy of other’s beliefs even if you do not agree with their beliefs.
DB#1: HeLa Cell Ethical Issues (10 points)
React and discuss the Hela cell articles The discussion board will be open from Sep. 7 to 13.
DB#2: Marriage between Theory and Practice (10 points)
React and discuss Judith K. Englehart, 2001, The Marriage between Theory and Practice. The discussion
board will be open from Sep. 21 to 27.
EXAMINATIONS (50 points)
The good news is I do not believe in-class Midterm or Final examinations. The bad news is, you will be having
short essay questions to assure that you have grasped the course content. The midterm will be delivered online
and must be completed within one week. The essay questions are cumulative and are not associated with any
one weeks’ module or readings.
D. Additional Important Information
Plagiarism will not be tolerated. The university allows instructors the right to assign a failing grade to any work
which violates the rules of academic integrity. All work must be yours, and any sources must be appropriately
cited. Review the definition of plagiarism at: http://www.plagiarism.org/ if you are caught cheating or
plagiarizing you will receive a zero for that assignment.
Incompletes will only be given if ~ 80% of the course work has been satisfactorily completed and the student is
unable due to an unexpected personal emergency to turn in the final 20% of the course work by the course
completion date.
Attendance is required at all classes; missing class will result in a reduction in your final grade. If you must be
out-of-town on business, please schedule it for the weeks that we will be using the web.
Snow policies. If class needs to be cancelled due to weather, a message will be posted on eLearn by 3:00 pm the
day of class and/or an email sent, so please check prior to travelling when weather is questionable.
Student grievance. Students with questions, disagreements concerning coursework, availability of the instructor
or other course related issues should talk to the instructor first. If the student has talked to the instructor and
has not found resolution to the problem, s/he may then approach the department chair. This procedure
provides a fair route for grievance resolution that will be acceptable to the instructor, the student, and other
students in the class.
eLearn. All written assignments are submitted ONLINE via eLearn. Remember that if the www.tnstate.edu
website is down, you should try to access eLearn directly at https://elearn.tnstate.edu The Help Desk phone
number is 615-963-1239. It is not the Professor’s responsibility to teach you how to use eLearn, thus it is the
student’s responsibility to learn the university’s software tool. If there is a systemic problem with e-Learn, it is
your responsibility to contact the Professor BEFORE the DEADLINE to make arrangements to turn in your
assignment in another electronic format. The professor is not responsible for assuring that the eLearn system is
functional at the due date time, so it is strongly suggested that you turn in your Dropbox assignments in
advance.
DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION STATEMENT
TSU is committed to creating inclusive learning environments and providing all students with opportunities to
learn and excel in their course of study. Any student with a disability or condition which might interfere with
his/her class performance or attendance may arrange for reasonable accommodations by visiting the Office of
Disability Services (ODS). ODS is located in Kean Hall, room 131 and can be reached at 963-7400 or
www.tnstate.edu/disabilityservices . You will be required to speak with ODS staff and provide documentation of
the need for an accommodation. If you qualify for an accommodation you will be provided with a document
stating what type of classroom accommodations are to be made by the instructor. It is your responsibility to
give a copy of this document to the instructor as soon as you receive it. Accommodations will only be provided
AFTER the instructor receives the accommodation instructions from ODS; accommodations are not retroactive.
You must follow this process for each semester that you require accommodations.
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT, DOMESTIC/DATING VIOLENCE, STALKING
TSU recognizes the importance of providing an environment free of all forms of discrimination and sexual
harassment, including sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. If you (or someone you
know) has experienced or is experiencing any of these incidents, there are resources to assist you in the areas of
accessing health and counseling services, providing academic and housing accommodations, and making
referrals for assistance with legal protective orders and more.
Please be aware that most TSU employees, including faculty and instructors, are “responsible employees”,
meaning that they are required to report incidents of sexual violence, domestic/dating violence or stalking. This
means that if you tell me about a situation involving sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence,
domestic violence, or stalking, I must report the information to the Title IX Coordinator. Although I have to
report the situation, you will still have options about how your situation will be handled, including whether or
not you wish to pursue a formal complaint. Our goal is to make sure you are aware of the range of options
available to you and have access to the resources you need. You are encouraged to contact TSU’s Title IX
Coordinator to report any incidents of sexual harassment, sexual violence, domestic/dating violence or stalking.
The Title IX coordinator is located in the Office of Equity and Inclusion, McWherter Administration Building, Ste.
260 and can be reached at 963-7494 or 963-7438. For more information about Title IX and TSU’s SART or
policies and procedures regarding sexual, domestic/dating violence and stalking please visit:
www.tnstate.edu/equity.
If you wish to speak to someone confidentially, who is not required to report, you can contact the TSU
Counseling Center, located in the basement of Wilson Hall, at 963-5611 or TSU Student Health Services, located
in the Floyd Payne Campus Center room 304, at 963-5084. You may also contact the following off campus
resources: Sexual Assault Center of Nashville at 1-800-879-1999 or www.sacenter.org or the Tennessee
Coalition to End Domestic & Sexual Violence at 615-386-9406 or www.tncoalition.org .
HARASSMENT & DISCRIMINATION
Tennessee State University is firmly committed to compliance with all federal, state and local laws that prohibit
harassment and discrimination based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, religion, retaliation,
veteran status and other protected categories. TSU will not subject any student to discrimination or harassment
and no student shall be excluded from participation in nor denied the benefits of any educational program
based on their protected class. If a student believes they have been discriminated against or harassed because
of a protected class, they are encouraged to contact the Office of Equity and Inclusion at McWherter
Administration Building, Ste. 260, 615-963-7494 or 963-7438, www.tnstate.edu/equity.
November 6, 2015 is the last day to withdraw from this course.
Schedule: Subject to change.
Week
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Date
Session Topic
Reading
8/24 –
8/30
Course introduction
What is science?
What is research?
Babbie Ch 1
Okasha. 2002. Philosophy of Science: A very short introduction
Turn in Class Participant
Information
8/31 –
9/6
Beginning the research project –
the first steps
Research questions
Elements of a research proposal
Babbie Ch 2
Babbie Ch 4 pp90-97
Haverland and Yanow. 2012. A Hitchhiker’s guide to the Public Administration Research Universe
Johnson and Onwuegbuzie. 2004. Mixed methods research: A research paradigm
Cohen. 1999. What qualitative research can be
HW#1: Draft Research
Proposal Outline, due in
the course Dropbox by
Monday 9/7 at 12:00 am
9/7 –
9/13
eLearn
Ethical issues – protecting
human subjects
Babbie Ch 3
Russ-Eft. 2004. Ethics in a global world: an oxymoron
Compliance: Human Subjects - Mandatory Training for Researchers using Human Subjects
http://www.tnstate.edu/research/humansubjectstraining.aspx
DB#1: Read online about HeLa Stem Cells @ http://www.jhu.edu/~jhumag/0400web/01.html and
http://magazine.jhu.edu/2010/06/immortal-cells-enduring-issues/
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
9/14 –
9/20
9/21 –
9/27
9/28 –
10/4
Literature review
Theory/hypothesis
eLearn
Research Design for description
and for explanation
Secondary data and sources
Sampling designs and data
Collection
Validity
Machi, L. and McEvoy, B. (2012). The Literature Review: Six Steps to Success. Second Edition.
Carpiano and Daley. 2006. A guide and glossary on postpositivist theory building for
population health
Babbie Ch 4 pp 98-119
Babbie Ch 8
Babbie Ch 11
DB#2: React and discuss Judith K. Englehart, 2001, The Marriage between Theory and Practice and Lee
and Hannah, 2015, Bridging Academic and Practitioner Interests on Interlocal Collaboration: Seasoned
Managers Share Their Experiences in Florida
Babbie Ch 7
Taylor and Woods. 2010. Injuries to Officers and Suspects in Police Use-of-Force Cases: A QuasiExperimental Evaluation
Flin and Slavin. 2007. Personality and emergency command ability
Rise and Richards. 2004. Food store access and household fruit and vegetable use among participants in
the US Food Stamp Program
Anderson et al. 2006. Reliability and Validity of Observer Ratings of Neighborhoods
Read an article ‘What is Validity’ @ http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/introval.php
Week 7
Assignments
10/5 –
10/11
Midterm
Complete courses on the
website Human Subjects
and submit a certificate
in the course Dropbox by
Monday 9/14 at 12:00
am
DB#1: HeLa Cells
SD#1: Gallup Polling
DB#2: The Marriage
between Theory and
Practice
HW#2: Literature Review
and Theory, due in the
course Dropbox by
Monday 10/5
at 12:00 am
Week 8
10/12 –
10/18
Week 9
10/19 –
10/25
Week
10
10/26 –
11/1
Week
11
Week
12
Variables –levels of
measurement
Relationships among variables
eLearn
Survey Development–Questions
and Response Sets
Construction and relevance
Babbie Ch 5
Babbie Ch 6
Jung et al. 2014. Illuminating the in-house provision of emergency services: A test of organizational
capacity hypotheses
Andrew et al. 2015. Grass-Root Organisations, Intergovernmental Collaboration, and Emergency
Preparedness An Institutional Collective Action Approach
Babbie Ch 7
Babbie Ch 9
Converse and Presser Ch 1, 2, and 3
Qualtrics University: Support and Training
Pleases watch Online Training Programs-Learn Qualtrics in 5 Steps at:
http://www.qualtrics.com/university/researchsuite/misc-pages/misc/learn-qualtrics-in-5-steps/
TSU Qualtrics: http://www.qualtrics.com/academic-solutions/tennessee-state-university-college-ofbusiness
SD#2: Poverty Action Lab
HW#3: Draft Survey
Questions, due in the
course Dropbox by
Monday 10/26
at 12:00 am
Survey Administration
Survey Set Up on Qualtrics and Administration
*Please bring your laptop to a classroom.
HW#4: Online Survey
link, due in the course
Dropbox by Monday
11/2 at 12:00 am
11/2 –
11/8
Survey Responses Validity
Field Research
Index Development
Babbie Ch 10
Babbie Ch 11
Jung et al. 2014. Professionalism, Accountability and Participatory Governance
Valero et al. 2014. Does transformational leadership build resilient public and nonprofit organizations?
Reading week
11/9 –
11/15
eLearn
Descriptive Statistics
Quantitative Data Analysis
Statistical Analyses
Babbie Ch 14
Babbie Ch 16
*Watch the you tube video introduction to SPSS at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADDR3_Ng5CA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CWeHF3Mn00
HW#5: Written
explanation of Survey
Results by Monday
11/16 at 12:00 am
Research methods with social
network analysis
David Lazer. 2008. Introduction to Social Network Analysis at:
http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/netgov/files/NIPS/Lazer_NIPS2008_workshop.pdf
Week
13
11/16 –
11/22
Week
14
11/23 –
11/29
Fall Break
Week
15
11/30 –
12/6
Oral Presentations
Week
16
12/7 –
12/11
FINAL Research Proposals DUE Friday December 11, 2015 before 12:00 am.
Kapucu et al. 2010. Social Network Analysis (SNA) Applications in Evaluating MPA Classes
Jung et al. 2015. Webometric Approach to Policy Analysis and Management
Thanksgiving Holiday- no classes
*Read the book “Writing in Science & Medicine: The Investigator’s Guide to Writing for Clarity and Style”
available on eLearn Module Week 14
First draft of research
proposal by Monday
11/30 at 12:00 am
Class Participant Information
Name: ______________________________
Masters/PhD Student: _________________
Contact Information:
Working E-mail:________________________
Cell Phone:___________________________
Other Phone:__________________________
U.G. Major_______________ Masters Area: ____________
Topics you are interested in?
List Public Administration Courses Taken:
List Research Methods Courses Taken
Questions related to Class:
1. Are you a member of any professional or service organization?
2. Describe your professional experience or background that might be useful to instructor in relating
course material to you and/or in calling on your experience as a resource person in the class, e.g., job
positions held.
I have read and received a copy of the PADM 6130 Research Methods in Public Administration syllabus and I
understand the course requirements set forth in it.
__________________________________
Signature
Date