Norfolk State University Department of Interdisciplinary Studies

Syllabus Fundamentals of Research in Interdisciplinary Studies (INT 360)

Dr. Andrew T. Arroyo, Ed.D. BMH C-105 757-823-2878 Fall 2011 Ofc hrs: See blackboard atarroyo@nsu.edu

Course Description (Pre-requisites: INT 308, 322): Exploration of relationships between social theory and the interdisciplinary process; investigates rationales and appropriate applications of qualitative and quantitative research methods; examines techniques for formulating thesis statements and hypotheses; reviews salient factors for developing valid and reliable questionnaires, and constructs researchable proposals. Course Goals and Measureable Intended Student Learning Outcomes: By the end of the course, students who actively read, research and participate will be able to: 1. Given examples of quantitative and qualitative social research methods, students will be able to accurately distinguish between the methods and identify the components of each, citing when each method should be engaged. 2. Given examples of the theoretical principles on which scientific research is based, students will be able to identify and prepare via specific techniques for engaging in such research. 3. Given the opportunity to work in groups, students will demonstrate a positive increased knowledge of interdisciplinary studies, specifically as it relates to research, inquiry, logic, reasoning, critical thinking, and scientific methods. 4. Students will be able to prepare a research proposal demonstrating their acquisition and application of social research methods, interdisciplinarily. Course Materials/Required Texts: Research Methods in Practice by Remler and Van Ryzin Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , 6th edition

Additional readings and/or recordings through Blackboard as warranted

Related University-Wide and Course-Specific Requirements: This course meets the requirements of the following competencies: writing, information, technology literacy, oral communication and critical thinking. Course Policies/Requirements Attendance (Participation)/Tardiness Policy Students are expected to attend every class and to be on time. For face-toface students, missing more than 20% of classes during the semester will result in an automatic failure for the course, and excessive tardiness will result in a serious reduction of the students grade (at the professors discretion). For online students, missing more than four discussion boards will result in an automatic failure. Cell Phone PolicyCell phones should be silenced and put away during class. No texting is permitted at any time. Discussion Board Requirements (online courses only) See the Posting Instructions document located in Blackboard for applicable discussion board requirements. Late Work Policy -- Late work is not accepted unless prior authorization has been given or a doctors note is provided after the fact. In the event late work is accepted, it is subject to point deductions at the discretion of the professor, up to 10% per day. Email Only official NSU email accounts should be used for course correspondence. Students should check their email a minimum of three times per week to avoid missing vital course announcements. Weather PolicyIn case of inclement weather, students should listen to local major radio and television stations; visit the NSU website at www.nsu.edu; and/or call the University operator at 757-823-8600. Students are responsible to be present for class unless an official closure has been announced. Online courses are not subject to university closures. Incomplete PolicyYou must be passing the course and have completed at least 50% of the work in order to qualify for an incomplete at the professors discretion. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Statement In accordance with Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, if you have a disability or think you have a disability; contact Supporting Students through Disability Services (SSDS) for

information regarding programs and services to enhance student success. Location: Student Services Building, Suite 110D Contact Person: Marian E. Shepherd, Disability Services Coordinator Telephone: 757-823-2014 Email: mshepherd@nsu.edu Academic Integrity/Plagiarism PolicyPlagiarism is defined as using other peoples work as your own without crediting them, including but not limited to: copying others notes, exams, essays, or information, quoting and paraphrasing others ideas without giving them credit and proper documentation; using information from the internet without properly citing source, website address (URL), author, date, etc. Plagiarism is a form of cheating and will result in an assignment grade of F and possibly an overall course grade of F. Any instance of academic dishonesty will NOT be tolerated. See the student handbook for a description of the honor policy and the consequences for violations. Use of the World Wide Web for researchFor this and all courses I teach, the following sources are acceptable: books, magazines, newspapers, and scholarly journals. No websites are accepted for research purposes in any paper/project. This includes Wikipedia. Success PolicyThe best policy for success in any course is preparation, time management, and constant communication with the professor. Be proactive instead of reactive. Attending college is a privilege, not a right. You are accountable for everything that is in this syllabus, and everything covered in class. The buck stops with YOU! Grading Scale: 100-95 = A (Superior) 94-90 = A89-87 = B+ (Very Good) 86-84 = B 83-80 = B79-77 = C+ (Average to Adequate) 76-74 = C (INT majors must earn C or better to gain credit towards graduation.) 73-70 = C69-67 = D+ 66-64 = D 63-60 = D59 & below = F

Assignment weights Participation* 4 Examinations Research Proposal

30% 40% 30%

*Participation includes following discussion board rules for online courses and being on time for class and completing weekly course readings/assignments for face to face classes. ** Those participating in the course comparison study will receive an automatic 100% for 5% of their course grade. The 5% will factor into the participation grade so that 25% will actually reflect the coursework rather than 30%. Schedule This outline is a general guide of the topics you can expect to cover. The readings listed here will be supplemented by additional readings posted to Blackboard. Also, online classes can expect audio recordings to help make sense of the readings. Week One: Introductions Review syllabus Discuss Arroyos Teaching Philosophy Basic epistemology Week Two: Topic: Ethics in research Reading: Remler and Van Ryzin, chapter 14 Reading: APA section 1.11 and 1.12 Complete NIH training. Visit this link and post the certificate of completion to the discussion board I will open. It is a government website so creating an account is safe. http://phrp.nihtraining.com/users/login.php Week Three: Topic: The research proposal, 1 Reading: Sections I, II, III and V of http://www.des.emory.edu/mfp/proposal.html Reading: Students own additional research Week Four: Topic: The research proposal, 2

Reading: Section IV of http://www.des.emory.edu/mfp/proposal.html Reading: Students own additional research on creating/writing reviews of the literature

Week Five: Review and Examination 1 Note: This and all examinations will include questions from the APA 6th edition manual. You must have the physical manual in front of you while testing to complete the questions. Week Six: Topic: About data I: qualitative Reading: Remler and Van Ryzin, chapter 3 Reading: Students own additional research on qualitative data Week Seven: Topic: About data II: quantitative Reading: Remler and Van Ryzin, chapter 6 Reading: Reading: Students own additional research on quantitative data Week Eight: Examination 2 Week Nine: Topic: Methods I: surveys Reading: Remler and Van Ryzin, chapter 7 Reading: Students own additional research on surveys Week Ten: Topic: Methods II: experiments Reading: Remler and Van Ryzin, chapter 10 Reading: Students own additional research on experiments Reading: See Blackboard for more documents/links Week Eleven: Topic: Methods III: case studies Reading: Remler and Van Ryzin, pp. 73-75 Reading: Students own additional research on case studies Reading: See Blackboard for more documents/links Week Twelve:

Examination 3 Work on proposals

Week Thirteen: Reading week: Work on proposals Proposals due Week Fourteen: Topic: Interdisciplinary theory building Reading: TBA Week Fifteen: Topic: Review and loose ends Week Sixteen: Examination 4