Susm 702 Course Syllabus Fall 2018 - Juan Moreno Cruz

SUSM 702 – Research Methods – Fall 2018
Course Instructor: Juan Moreno-Cruz

Email: jmorenoc@uwaterloo.ca
Office Hours: After class and by appointment
Class Meetings: F 11:30 - 2:20 EV1 132
Course Description: This course lays the foundations of relevant empirical research in the social and
environmental sciences. It deals with the assumptions and the logic underlying social research. It also
covers some of the tools available for doing research, but not in detail. Students develop their own
research projects and learn to evaluate empirical research.
Course Main Goal: When students are done with this course, they should be able to plan and execute
their own research projects. To achieve this, students will be able to:
• Describe the conceptual aspects of research methods
• Describe the process of conducting a literature review
• Compare and contrast the use of theory in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research
• Recognize the elements of an introduction to a research study
• Draft a purpose statement
• Draft research questions and hypotheses
• Apply critical thinking skills to write the key elements of a quantitative research proposal
• Apply critical thinking skills to write the key elements of a qualitative research proposal
• Identify ethical concerns to anticipate in research
• Integrate knowledge of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches into developing a
research design
Expectations: In order to gain maximum benefits from this course, you should
1. Participate fully in class by

o reading assigned material prior to class sessions
o always attending class
o contributing meaningfully to class discussions
2. Take responsibility for your own learning by
o relating course content and projects to your own professional interests
o monitoring your own understanding
o seeking clarification and assistance when necessary
3. Demonstrate respect and consideration for others by
o listening when others are speaking
o being present for the entire class period
Required Textbooks:
• J.W. Creswell and J. D. Creswell, Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods, 5th
Edition, Sage Publishing, 2018 (C&C)
Other books:
• J. Angrist and J.S. Pischke, Mastering ‘Metrics: The Path from Cause to Effect, Princeton University
Press, 2014 (A&P).
• M. Alvesson and J. Sandberg, Constructing Research Questions: Doing Interesting Research, 5th
Edition, Sage Publishing, 2013 (A&S)
• S.L. Morgan and C. Winship, Counterfactuals and Causal Inference, Cambridge University Press, 2010
(M&W)
Course Requirements and Grading:

Students will work in groups to design and carry out a small research project. Group results will be
presented orally to the class at various points during the semester, with a final presentation that will be
open to the SEED community. A group written report is due at the end of the semester.
The final project will be presented during class on November 30, 2018
Grade determination:
Deliverables are each worth 10% (total 80%). Class participation is worth 20%.
Grade scale:
A’s Above 90%
B’s Between 80%-90%
C’s Between 60%-80%
D’s Between 50%-60%
F’s Below 50%
University Requirements
Academic Integrity: To create and promote a culture of academic integrity, the behaviour of all members of the
University of Waterloo is based on honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility Check
www.uwaterloo.ca/academicintegrity/ for more information. Students who are unsure what constitutes an
academic offence are requested to visit the on-line tutorial at: http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/ait/
Consequences of Academic Offences: Within ENV, those committing academic offences (e.g. cheating, plagiarism)
will be placed on disciplinary probation and will be subject to penalties which may include a grade of 0 on affected
course elements, 0 on the course, suspension, and expulsion.
ENV students are strongly encouraged to review the material provided by the university’s Academic Integrity office
(see: http://uwaterloo.ca/academicintegrity/Students/index.html).
Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair
or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances,
Section 4, www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy70.htm.
Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid committing academic
offenses, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an
offense, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offenses (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group
work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Graduate Associate
Dean. When misconduct has been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under Policy 71 –
Student Discipline. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy
71 - Student Discipline, www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy71.htm. For typical penalties, check
Guidelines for Assessment of Penalties, www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/guidelines/penaltyguidelines.htm
Appeals: A student may appeal the finding and/or penalty in a decision made under Policy 70 - Student Petitions
and Grievances (other than regarding a petition) or Policy 71 - Student Discipline if a ground for an appeal can be
established. Read Policy 72 - Student Appeals, http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy72.html
Research Ethics: Please note that the University of Waterloo requires all research conducted by its students, staff,
and faculty which involves humans as participants to undergo prior ethics review and clearance through the
Director, Office of Human Research and Animal Care (Office). The ethics review and clearance processes are
intended to ensure that projects comply with the Office’s Guidelines for Research with Human Participants
(Guidelines) as well as those of provincial and federal agencies, and that the safety, rights and welfare of
participants are adequately protected. The Guidelines inform researchers about ethical issues and procedures
which are of concern when conducting research with humans (e.g. confidentiality, risks and benefits, informed
consent process, etc.). If the development of your research proposal consists of research that involves humans as
participants, the please contact the course instructor for guidance and see:
www.research.uwaterloo.ca/ethics/human/
Note for students with disabilities: The Office for Persons with Disabilities (OPD), located in Needles Hall, Room
1132, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with
disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic
accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the OPD at the beginning of each
academic term. Once registered with OPD, please meet with the course instructor, in confidence, to discuss your
needs.
Religious Observances: Please inform the instructor at the beginning of term if special accommodation needs to
be made for religious observances that are not otherwise accounted for in the scheduling of classes and
assignments.
Tentative Course Schedule
Date Topics we learn Readings and Organization Deliverables
Sep 7 Introduction to the Part 1: Introductions
course Welcome
Discuss syllabus
Ground rules and expectations
Sep 14 Research approach Readings:

C&C Chapter 1
Part 1: Research Approach

Part 2: Class discussion
Part 3: Group writing exercise: Research Approach
Sep 21 Research Readings: Deliverable 1:
questions C&C Chapters 6 and 7 and A&S Chapters 1 and 2 Research
Approach
Part 1: Choosing a research question
Part 2: Class discussion
Part 3: Group writing exercise: Write a research question
Sep 28 The use of theory Readings: Deliverable 2:
C&C Chapter 3 Purpose of the
Study and
Part 1: Quantitative Theory Use Research
Part 2: Qualitative and Mixed Methods Theory use question
Part 3: Group writing exercise: Theoretical perspective
Oct 5 Causal Inference Readings: Deliverable 3:
M&W Chapters 1, 2 and 3 Theoretical
Perspective
Part 1: Causality and observational research
Part 2: Counterfactual Model
Part 3: Causal Graphs and Conditioning
Oct 12 No class Thanksgiving/
Reading week
Oct 19 Quantitative Readings:
Methods C&C Chapters 8
Part 1: Surveys and Experiments

Part 2: Observational data
Part 3: Group writing exercise: Research method
Oct 26 Qualitative Readings: Deliverable 4:
Methods C&C Chapter 9 Literature
Review
Part 1: Qualitative designs
Part 2: Data collection, recording, and analysis
Part 3: Writing exercise: Research method
Nov 2 Mixed Methods Readings:
C&C Chapter 10
Part 1: Components and Types of Mixed Methods

Part 2: Examples
Part 3: Writing exercise: Research Method
Nov 9 Randomized trials Readings:
A&P Introduction and Chapter 1
Part 1: Randomized trials

Part 2: Randomized trials example
Part 3: Numerical exercise
Nov 16 Regression Readings: Deliverable 5:
Matching A&P Chapter 2 Research
Method
Part 1: Regression
Part 2: Regression example
Part 3: Regression exercise
Nov 23 Panel Data and Readings: Deliverable 6:
Difference-in- A&P Chapter 5 Introduction
Differences
Part 1: Panel data theory
Part 2: Difference-in-differences theory
Part 3: Diff-in-Diff example
Nov 30 Presentations Part 1: Groups 1, 2, 3 Deliverable 7:
Part 2: Groups 4, 5, 6 Research
Part 3: Groups 7, 8 Proposal and
Preliminary
Results.
Deliverable 8:
Presentation.
Note: I will generally follow the above sequence. I may add or subtract topics.

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SUSM 702 – Research Methods – Fall 2018

Course Instructor: Juan Moreno-Cruz

Office Hours: After class and by appointment

Class Meetings: F 11:30 - 2:20 EV1 132

1. Participate fully in class by

Course Requirements and Grading:

Sep 14 Research approach Readings:

Part 1: Research Approach

Part 1: Surveys and Experiments

Part 1: Components and Types of Mixed Methods

Part 1: Randomized trials

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