Research Methods in the Social SCiences

Required Resources
• Course Text: Research Methods in the Social Sciences, Frankfort-Nachmias, C., & Nachmias, D. (2008).Research methods in the social sciences (7th ed.). New York: Worth. (This textbook includes a GSS data disk that will be used in course assignments.)
•
o Chapter 18, “Index Construction and Scaling Methods” (pp. 414–415, 422–431)

Pages 414–415 and 422–431 of Chapter 18 introduce a more sophisticated method for measurement by using scales. This information will be used in this week’s Discussion and Application.
Course Text: Using SPSS for Windows and Macintosh: Analyzing and Understanding Data by Green, S. B., & Salkind, N. J. (2014). Using SPSS for Windows and Macintosh: Analyzing and understanding data (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
o Lesson 37, “Internal Consistency Estimates of Reliability”

Lesson 37 explains the importance of determining internal consistency estimates of reliability for data and demonstrates how to find this estimate using SPSS. You will use this lesson in the SPSS Practice activity this week.

Sample data files to accompany the course text Using SPSS for Windows and Macintosh: Analyzing and Understanding Data
http://www.pearsonhighered.com/greensalkindSPSS/

o Lesson 37 Data File 1

This data file will accompany this week’s SPSS Practice.
Walden Library: Search your discipline’s literature for an example of a scale and an example of a test to use for this week’s Discussion.
Web Site: Criterion- and Standards-Referenced Tests
http://www.fairtest.org/criterion-and-standards-referenced-tests

This Web site defines two types of tests that may be administered to students to measure characteristics or skills, and examines scenarios where these tests are best implemented. This resource will be helpful in the Discussion.
Software: SPSS

Research Toolkit
Readings
• Course Text: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
•
o Chapter 3, “Writing Clearly and Concisely”
o Chapter 4, “The Mechanics of Style”
o Chapter 6, “Crediting Sources”
o Chapter 7, “Reference Examples”

Statistics and SPSS

• Web Site: SPSS Student Resource Center
http://www-01.ibm.com/software/analytics/spss/academic/solutions/students.html

The student section of the SPSS Academic Resource Center is your one-stop shop for all your statistics and data-mining needs, including tutorials, reading lists, and training courses.
• Web Site: SPSS Technical Support
http://www.spss.ie/support/index.html

The SPSS student support site provides a knowledge base and assistance from SPSS Technical Support staff.
• Web Site: Web Center for Social Research Methods
http://www.socialresearchmethods.net

This Web site is for people involved in applied social research and evaluation. You’ll find lots of resources and links to other locations on the Web that deal in applied social research methods.
• Web Site: Choosing the Correct Statistical Test in SAS, Stata and SPSS
http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/mult_pkg/whatstat/default.htm

UCLA’s Academic Technology Services statistics table shows general guidelines for choosing a statistical analysis, and links showing how to do such tests using SAS, Stata, and SPSS.

Optional Resources
• See the Suggested Bibliography for recommended books.

Application

Submit: Measurement and Instruments for a Quantitative Research Plan
This assignment covers the content in Week 4 and Week 5 on measurement instruments. The Week 4 Application included only the Week 4 content and related assignment questions. This week’s Application provides a review of the Week 4 Application in addition to the Week 5 content and assignment questions.
To prepare for this Application:

From Week 4 Content

• Review Chapter 7, “Measurement” in the course text Research Methods in the Social Sciences.
• Consider the research plan you are developing for the Final Project.
• What levels of measurement will be important for your study? Why?
• How will you ensure content validity, empirical validity, and construct validity for your study? If any of these types of validity do not apply to your plan, provide a rationale.
• How will you ensure reliability for the measurement in your study?
• Consider the strengths and limitations of the measurement instrument you have selected in terms of reliability and validity.

From Week 5 Content

• Review Chapter 18, “Index Construction and Scaling Methods” (pp. 414–415, 422–431) in the course text Research Methods in the Social Sciences. What scale is appropriate for you to use for your plan? Why? How do you know your scale is reliable and valid? If you can’t find reliability and validity for your scale, how would you demonstrate that the scale is reliable and valid?
• What test is appropriate for your plan? Identify it as norm or criterion referenced.
• What population is used for the scale and test (see Week 5 Discussion)?
• Provide references to the literature to support your choices and rationales.

Question or The assignment: 6 page essay
• Craft a 6-page paper that includes the following:
• The levels of measurement that will be important for your study and why.
o How you will ensure content validity, empirical validity, and construct validity for your study. If any of these types of validity do not apply to your plan, provide a rationale.
o How you will ensure reliability for the measurement in your study.
o The strengths and limitations of the measurement instrument you have selected in terms of reliability and validity.
o Which scale is appropriate for you to use for your plan and why.
o A justification of how you know your scale is reliable and valid. If you can’t find reliability and validity for your scale, describe how you would demonstrate that the scale is reliable and valid.
o What test is appropriate for your plan, and whether it is norm or criterion referenced.
o What population is used for the scale and test (see Week 5 Discussion).
o At least 10 references to the literature to support your choices and rationales.