Tamara G. Nezhina

Best Teacher – 2018, 2015, 2014

Government of Russian Federation

Federal autonomous educational agency of higher professional education “National Research University – Higher School of Economics”

Department of public and municipal administration

The quantitative methods of data analysis

For the specialty 38.03.04 in bachelor degree program

Public and Municipal Administration

The author: Tamara G. Nezhina, Ph.D., dotsent, tgnezhina@hse.ru

The study plan has been approved at the meeting of the Chair of economics and management of nongovernmental noncommercial organizations                                        «___»____________ 2017,

Moscow, 2017

1. The application and the terms of reference

The discipline ‘The quantitative methods for data analysis’ is the constituent part of the basic bachelor curriculum for the Public and Municipal Administration students.

2. The goals of the discipline

The goals of the discipline “The quantitative methods of data analysis” are to form knowledge and skills for empirical quantitative research, to develop analytical and research competences to inform managerial decision-making process. These competences enable students to incorporate the results of their research into practical programs, make decisions on whether to continue or terminate government programs. In the course of this discipline, the students will receive the following practical knowledge and skills: formulate proper research questions, organize research work, prepare research plan, apply quantitative reasoning, use quantitative methods for data collection, classify and categorize the data for further analysis and synthesis, and organize results for evidence-based recommendations. To successfully complete this course, the students will write a research plan, develop instruments for quantitative data collection, make professional presentations and write analytical reports.

The description of the learning outcomes for the discipline.  In order to successfully master this discipline, students must learn the following:

Knowledge:

• The major advantages and practical application of quantitative research
• Theories of inductive and deductive research
• Advantages and limitations of quantitative research
• Theories of sampling and data collection

Competencies: after completing this course, the students develop the following competencies:

• to formulate the goals of the practical administrative research
• to identify, locate, and evaluate relevant specialized literature in English and Russian
• to plan the stages of research project
• to build the instruments for data collection
• to collect empirical data
• To analyze the data by using statistical packages

Skills: at the end of the course, students should be able to:

• Develop theory based conceptualizations
• Determine the theory and build relevant hypotheses
• Collect the data
• Perform quantitative data analysis to test the hypotheses
• Interpret the results of the quantitative analysis
• Translate results into an action plan
• Present results of the analysis to scholarly and practitioner audience

            3. Description of competences

While mastering the discipline, students learn the following competences:

4. The place of the discipline within the structure of the department study plan

This discipline forms a part of the sociological and economic mainstream knowledge and leads students to master theoretical and practical instruments and competences for independent research.

At the department of public and municipal administration, this discipline qualifies as the core discipline in the BA curriculum. Main concepts and principles of the discipline are used to plan scientific social research, conduct research activities as planned, and write a qualification diploma using the quantitative data analysis competencies. 

The discipline “The quantitative methods of data analysis” is closely related to the knowledge obtained in the course “Economic and social statistics” and to the course “Mathematics.”

To further develop the scientific approaches to management in Russia, this course teaches the methods of econometric scientific research and quantitative data analysis for the evaluation of the work of governmental and nongovernmental agencies. Modern leaders and managers today are required to use a systematic analysis of the empirical data to make rational decisions and manage production effectively.

Upon the completion of the discipline “The quantitative methods of data analysis” the bachelor should have a thorough understanding of the elements of research process such as  (1) how to formulate a problem and a research question, (2) how to create and use quantitative data collection instruments, (3) how to classify and analyze the empirical results for understanding social effects of government policies. Students will be able to use logical and mathematical reasoning to find explanations for successful and unsuccessful policies, and to predict the level of effectiveness based on available quantitative information.

5. Thematic plan for the discipline

6. Forms of ongoing and final controls for students

6. The evaluation of the course outcomes

The ongoing control is implemented at the seminars. The evaluation is based on performance of practical assignments that students perform at seminars and after classes. This includes writing the research plan, which includes the statement of a research problem and hypotheses, methodology, data collection, and description of data analysis, with the attachment of the data collection instrument. Students practice all the above assignments during the seminars. The grades will be assigned to each part of the research plan and will sum up as 50 points.

 The final research report will include the research plan and the actual results of the data analysis with the conclusions. The final report will be assessed as 50 points. Two grades will be summed up to form the final grade.

Final research report will consist of the following parts:

1. statement of research problem

2..hypotheses

3. methodology

4. data analysis (tables)

5. the interpretation of results

6. references

6.1 Evaluation criteria of knowledge and competences 

The course learning outcomes are evaluated at the seminars throughout the full education module. The final grade is formed by the following components: research plan and research report

Research plan  - Oaccumulated -30

                        Ethics quiz -       Oaccumulated -20

Research report  - Oresearch report - 50

The final grade is the sum of the two above grades.

            The final grade will be entered in the score-sheet. The final grade for the discipline is calculated by the following formula:

O_final. = 0,3*Оaccumulated  + 0,2*Оaccumulated  + 0,5_*O_report                           

6.2 The explanation of grading requirements

The students will work in groups of four to prepare Research Proposals and Research Reports.

(A) The Research Proposal will describe a (1) research problem and the literature, (2) formulate the initial research question, (3) describe research population and a sample selection method, (4) suggest major theory and heuristics for conducting research , (5) formulate null-hypotheses, (6) develop a survey instrument for data collection. The grading weight of the Research proposal is 30.

After receiving the feedback from the professor and the course assistants, students start collecting the quantitative data with the survey instrument. The data will be processed with the SPSS program. The students will make statistical analysis and inferences to support or to reject the hypotheses.

(B) To write Research report, (1) students create the dataset, (2) analyze the data with the SPSS program, (3) make conclusions regarding the support or lack thereof for the hypotheses.  The grading weight of the Research report is 50.

Students take the Ethics quiz for social science researchers on the Internet and send the copy of the certificate to the instructor. The grading weight of the Ethics quiz is 20 points.

To prepare students to write Research report, a series of seminars will be held with practical exercise and discussions. To receive an excellent grade, students must participate in structured discussions, discuss their creative assignments, and perform given practical tasks. Research plan will contribute to the on-going evaluation of their progress towards the final grade.

Report. Final report will consist of two parts (including the research plan) with the attachment of the developed research instrument. In this paper, students must demonstrate their knowledge of research process and the quantitative data analysis. To receive excellent grade for the final research report, students will need to incorporate all recommendations that the instructor provides to them concerning the performance on the research plan, use the proper format of the report, to have properly formatted tables and graphs to illustrate the concepts and hypotheses, and have appropriate in-text and after-text references. Report must have the title page, the table of contents, the introduction, the literature review, the description of methods for quantitative data collection, and description of analytical approach, the description of data analysis with graphs and tables, the conclusion, and the references.

THE CONTENT OF THE DISCIPLINE AND READINGS

Part  I.          Research of social behavior

The purpose of this discipline is to teach students conceptualize, theorize, plan and execute quantitative research, thus preparing them to make a quantitative research and data analysis in order to write the graduation qualification thesis and prepare to work as analysts in government agencies. The students dive deep into the process of planning and executing a social research. The prerequisite of learning about the quantitative research includes clear understanding of the probability theory and its application to the quantitative data analysis. Planning and execution of research plans combines the review of the theory, formulation of hypotheses, data collection, data analysis, and proper scientific conclusions. By conducting practical assignments, students learn step-by-step conceptualizing and performing quantitative research.

For the practical example of data collection, at the first lecture students participate in the survey as respondents. Further in the course the instructor will use the results of the survey to illustrate many components of qualitative data collection and analysis.

Theme 1. The introduction to the discipline “The quantitative methods of data analysis.”  

Human inquiry and science: review of the discipline.  In the first place, we will discuss the need to perform the quantitative research for public administrators. Further, the students learn the goals and practical application of quantitative data analysis for government functions. The methodology of social research includes finding and explaining a social research problem, defining the research question and the goal of research, identifying research subjects and the unit of analysis, and formulating the study objectives.

Refresh the use of probability theory. Discuss statistical philosophy. The discussion of the purpose of  literature review.

The characteristics of a quality research question. The necessity to develop scientific approaches to finding a solution to social problems. The importance of explanation and the prognosis of social phenomena and the population behavior.

Example: All students take the in class survey. Explanation of research question, theory, hypotheses, and questions.

Seminar topics: Problem definition, formulation of research question.

A good research question must deal with a real social problem that affects the wellbeing of the citizens. Government is an administrative structure to deal with social problems and to achieve common welfare in the country. Our first goal is to identify the social problems in the country, the region, the municipality, the prefecture, etc. The second goal is to describe the parameters of the selected social problem. The third goal is to formulate the research question.

Class procedure: Students form research groups. Further, they discuss and choose the group research topics for research projects, determine the existing problem and the significance of their study, and start formulating research questions.  Find and discuss scientific literature for the topic- 2-3 pieces.

Class assignment 1 – each student will discuss research topic within a small group.

Class assignment 2 – groups select research topics, write down their names and the selected research topic, submit the assignment to the teacher.

Next class assignment – find the articles on the selected topic, read the annotation and define the research problem and research questions.

Required readings:

1. Babbie Earl R. 2008, The Basics of Social Research, Cengage Learning, 4^th edition. Chapter 1, pp. 4-10, 12-16, 21-26.
2. Горшков, Ф.Э. Прикладная социология: методология и методы: Учебное пособие/ М.К. Шереги. - М.: Альфа-М: ИНФРА-М, 2009. - 416 с, стр.12-22,  270-290
3. Крыштановский, А. О. 2006, Aнализ социологических данных с помощью пакета SPSS. Москва: Издательский дом ГУ ВШЭ.

Additional reading:

1. Bwisa, H. How to Write A Statement Problem: Your Proposal Writing Companion, Jommo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and technology, 2008
2. Девятко, И.Ф., Методы Социологического Исследования, Москва Университет Книжный Дом, 2009. Глава 1, стр.16-20.

Theme 2.  Literature review. HSE database of scientific publications.

Performing a literature review. The goals of a literature review.  How to do the literature review. Analysis and synthesis of ideas, approaches, findings, and challenges. The use of empirical research of others to help your own research. Methods of comparing the literature: comparing and contrasting, the use of Webb diagram.  

Class goals: students learn and practice the review of scientific articles for their own research. Literature review is done early in this class in order to help students devise, revise, and formulate focused research questions.

Seminars:

Class assignment 1: students identify four goals of literature review.  In a provided research text, students identify the theory, the hypothesis(es), the methods, and the instruments for data collection used by the authors of an article.  

Class assignment 2: students perform class exercise by comparing two articles with the help of Webb-diagram. 

Home assignment 1: Students formulate the topic of their proposed research, describe the significance of the study, write research question(s) in line with the guidelines. Find at least three or more articles on the selected topic, include an annotation of each article in the first assignment (2-3 pages).

Required readings:

1. Neuman, W. L. (2009).Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches(7th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, Chapter 4, pp. 68-84
2. Льюис Ф., Сондерс М., Торнхилл Э. Методы проведения экономических исследований. Пер. с англ. – 3-е изд. – М.: Эксмо. – 2006. – С. 89. Стр. 1-6

Additional readings:

1. Webster and Watson, 2002 Analyzing the Past to Prepare for the Future: Writing a Literature Review. pp. xiii-xxiii
2. Stewart, D.W., & Kamins, M. A. (1993). Secondary research: Information sources and methods (2nd ed). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Theme 3. Paradigms, theories, and models. The definition of the conceptual model for empirical research. The relationship between a theory and hypotheses in building research strategy.  Macrotheory and microtheory. Heuristics and practical wisdom. Deductive theory construction and inductive theory construction: building explanatory models.

Three types of research: exploration, description, explanation.

The stages of empirical research.

Developing research plan. The structure of research plan: introduction, literature review, theory and hypotheses, methodology, and methods of research. Describe the relationships between the stages of research. Research design as a logical model of research hypothesis. Visual image of research design: the use of diagrams.

The time dimension in research design: cross-sectional, panel, and longitudinal research design.

Class goals: students appreciate the role of theory in the selection of the type of research. Students learn the meaning of each part of research plan and the connections between the parts; develop a visual image of research design – a diagram.

Class activities 1:  define the purpose of your research. Think over and write down the stages of your own research plan.  

Class activities 2:  describe your research problem and the exploratory or explanatory model for this problem. Define social or economic theory to explain the problem. Discuss how the concepts in the problem relate to each other.

Class assignment 3: Based on the literature analysis and your working hypothesis, develop your research design and draw a visual presentation of relationships between major concepts of your research (theoretical model in the form of diagram).

Home assignment for the next class: Write a literature review on 2 pages by using all literature that you’ve found so far (4-5 sources). Contrast and compare articles on your research topic, find commonalities and differences in these articles. Explain how these scientific articles may help your own research. Bring your literature analysis (2 pages) to class to discuss with group members.

Home assignment for the next class: watch the video The Stanford Prison Experiment (accessible here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZwfNs1pqG0).

Read on the Internet about the experiment. Take notes of the violation of the code of ethics in social research. Be ready to discuss it in class.

Identify and explain potential threats to human subjects in social research; identify potential threats to your respondents in your own study.

Required readings:

1. Babbie Earl  R. 2008, The Basics of Social Research, Cengage Learning, 4^th edition. Chapter 4, pp. 86-92, 106-116.
2. Радаев В.В. Как организовать и представить исследовательский проект: 75 простых правил. М.: ГУ-ВШЭ, ИНФРА-М, 2001
3. Горшков, Ф.Э.,  Прикладная социология: методология и методы: Учебное пособие / М.К.. Шереги. - М.: Альфа-М: ИНФРА-М, 2009. - 416 с., Глава 2, стр. 22-37

Additional readings:

1. Девятко, И.Ф.,Методы Социологического Исследования, Москва Университет Книжный Дом, 2009. Глава 1, стр 5-16
2. Евсеев, О. 2012. Методы исследовательской работы в молодежной среде: Учебное пособие;Под Общ. Редакцией Волгина В. А.– М.: Вузовский учебник, НИЦ – Инфра-М.
3. Chen, H. (1990). Theory-driven evaluations. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Theme 4: The role of ethics in sociological research. The notion of human subjects.

Ethical issues in social research. Professional code of ethics for the social researchers in Russia: major ethical requirements.

Class goals: Students discuss the ethical issues in social research and define the vulnerable human subjects.

Seminar

 Activity 1: Discuss the ethical violations in the Stanford Prison Experiment. Suggest possible violations of ethics in your own research

Activity 2: The introduction to the SPSS program. Survey data entry in the SPSS. Rules of coding. Coding book.

After class home assignment – take an on-line study of ethical issues and human subject protection in social research, complete the test, and bring the certificate of completion to class. The study and the test takes 3-4 hours. You will find it here: http://phrp.nihtraining.com/users/login.php

Students must bring the results of the test to the instructor during the next seminar.

Required readings:

1. Babbie, E.R. 2008. The Basics of Social Research, Cengage Learning, 4^th edition. Chapter 2, pp. 32-47, 56-58
2. Горшков, Ф.Э., Прикладная социология: методология и методы: Учебное пособие / М.К.. Шереги. - М.: Альфа-М: ИНФРА-М, 2009. - 416 с., 51-67.
3. Крыштановский, А. О. 2006, Aнализ социологических данных с помощью пакета SPSS. Москва: Издательский дом ГУ ВШЭ, стр. 10-23.
4. Research methods KNOWLDEG BASE (KB)

Required literature:

1. ://phrp.nihtraining.com/users/login.php - тест для домашнего задания
2. ://www.ssa-rss.ru/index.php?page_id=73 Российское общество социологов: Профессиональный кодекс социолога
3. ://www.ssa-rss.ru/index.php?page_id=84 Проект нового кодекса чести социолога России

Theme 5. Conceptualization, operationalization, and measurement of research concepts. Conceptions as social constructs: indicators and dimensions; real, nominal and operational definitions. Criteria of measurement quality: methods to improve precision and accuracy, reliability, and validity. The definition of major concepts within a research problem; the development of a hypotheses.

Class goals: Students identify main concepts for their group research, give operational definitions of the concepts, and develop ideas about the quantitative  measurements.

Seminars

Class assignment 1: define the concepts and quantitative measurements in given examples. 

Class assignment 2: define dependent and independent variables in a given research, identify potential relationship between the variables.

Class activity: make frequency (summary) statistics on the SPSS including the mode, median and averages  

Readings:

1. Babbie, E. R. 2008, The Basics of Social Research, Cengage Learning, 4^th edition. Chapter  5 , pp. 115-120, 124-129,  135-141
2. Горшков, Ф.Э.,  Прикладная социология: методология и методы: Учебное пособие / М.К.. Шереги. - М.: Альфа-М: ИНФРА-М, 2009. - 416 с., Глава 3,4, стр. 37-60
3. Крыштановский, А. О. 2006, Aнализ социологических данных с помощью пакета SPSS. Москва: Издательский дом ГУ ВШЭ, стр. 24-33
4. Research methods KNOWLDEG BASE (KB)

Additional literature:

5. Толстова Ю.Н. Измерение в социологии. М. КДУ, 2008
6. Dennis, M. L. (1990). Assessing the validity of randomized field experiments: an example from drug treatment research. Evaluation Review, 14, 347–373. Applied Research Design

Theme 6.  Population and samples. Research population and samples. Characteristics of quantitative data – nominal, ordinal and interval data types. Planning and implementing the data collection.

Construction of an instrument for data collection – the survey. Requirements for voluntary and anonymous participation. Types of questions. Ethical considerations.

Class goals: Learn rules for survey building. Learn to operationalize the concepts and quantify the answers. Discuss research population. 

Seminar

Class activity 1: Work in groups to fine-tune the questionnaires.

Class activity 2: Translate the concepts into variables and hypothesize the relationships between the variables.

Readings

1. Babbie, E. R. 2008, The Basics of Social Research, Cengage Learning, 4^th edition. Chapter  5 , pp. 115-120, 124-129,  135-141
2. Горшков, Ф.Э.,  Прикладная социология: методология и методы: Учебное пособие / М.К.. Шереги. - М.: Альфа-М: ИНФРА-М, 2009. - 416 с., Глава 3,4, стр. 37-60
3. Крыштановский, А. О. 2006, Aнализ социологических данных с помощью пакета SPSS. Москва: Издательский дом ГУ ВШЭ, стр. 34-45.
4. Research methods KNOWLDEG BASE (KB)

Theme 7. Quantitative field research.

Sample survey - the main instrument for data collection in sociological and social research. Planning and organizing a survey. Principles for writing questions: simplicity, clarity, relevancy, acceptability, the sequence and form. Guidelines for writing a questionnaire: format, order, contingency questions, and matrix questions. The role on an interviewer.

The logic of sampling: probability and non-probability sampling.  Populations and sampling frames. Methods of random selection. Pretest of a questionnaire.

Class goals: Students learn the basics of survey questionnaire construction, the role of an interviewer, and the sampling strategies.

Class activity 1 – for a given research question, students design a survey of university students, develop and test a short questionnaire.

Class activity 2: Read and discuss the results of  “Death penalty law evaluation”  in the USA (Babbie, pp. 361-362).

Home assignment 4 – This assignment will be graded. Write down your revised research questions. Identify and write down main concepts. Show how you operationalize and measure the concepts. Restate the hypotheses. Describe how you will address the issues of validity and reliability of the measurements. Identify dependent and independent variables, describe expected relationships between dependent and independent variables. Make a graph to illustrate the interdependencies of the variables. Discuss home assignment in class and on the Internet.

Readings:

1. Babbie Earl R. 2008, The Basics of Social Research, Cengage Learning, 4^th edition, Chapter  9, pp. 240-253, 261-272
2. Горшков, Ф.Э.,  Прикладная социология: методология и методы: Учебное пособие / М.К.. Шереги. - М.: Альфа-М: ИНФРА-М, 2009. - 416 с., Глава 5, 68-79.
3. Крыштановский, А. О. 2006, Aнализ социологических данных с помощью пакета SPSS. Москва: Издательский дом ГУ ВШЭб стр. 46-59.
4. Research methods KNOWLDEG BASE (KB)

Additional readings:

1. Dillman, D. A. (2006). Why choice of survey mode makes a difference. Public Health Reports,191, 11–13.
2. Dillman, D.A. (2000). Mail and internet surveys: The tailored design method. NewYork:Wiley.
3. Henry, G. T. (1990). Practical sampling. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Theme 8.  Quantitative research: data processing and analysis.

Methods of data processing and analysis. Analyzing empirical data with the help of SPSS statistical software. Data presentation with tables and graphs.

Class goal: students perform practical data analysis: data coding, create the SPSS data sets for the data collected.

Seminar

Class activity - practical work with the SPSS program in a computer class. Data entry into the SPSS program. Descriptive analysis.

Home assignment: (1) students design a short questionnaire for data collection and conduct a survey in class;

Readings:

1. Babbie Earl R. 2008, The Basics of Social Research, Cengage Learning, 4^th edition, Chapter 14, pp. 395-415
2. Горшков, Ф.Э.,  Прикладная социология: методология и методы: Учебное пособие / М.К.. Шереги. - М.: Альфа-М: ИНФРА-М, 2009. - 416 с., Глава 15, стр. 216-240
3. Крыштановский, А. О. 2006, Aнализ социологических данных с помощью пакета SPSS. Москва: Издательский дом ГУ ВШЭ, стр. 59-66.
4. Research methods KNOWLDEG BASE (KB)

Additional readings:

1. Иллюстрированный самоучитель по SPSS - http://www.datuapstrade.lv/rus/spss/
2. – demonstration of data entry to SPSS

Theme 9. The use of the SPSS statistical package for data analysis.

The analytical potential of the SPSS, Stata, R etc. The explanatory models and analytical techniques. The level of dependent variables defines the choice of the analytical technique. Main characteristics of causal and predictive analyses.

Class goals: students explore the causal analytic techniques on the SPSS.  Students develop causal or predictive hypotheses for their research. Students choose and defend the type of data collection methods for their research projects.

Seminar

Class activity 1: students present a causal model graphically and provide theoretical support for the relevant hypotheses.

Class activity 2: Discuss in groups how the effectiveness of Russian juvenile justice law can be evaluated.

Required readings:

1. Babbie Earl R. 2008, The Basics of Social Research, Cengage Learning, 4^th edition, Chapter 10, 284-306, Chapter 11, 312-322.
2. Горшков, Ф.Э.,  Прикладная социология: методология и методы: Учебное пособие / М.К.. Шереги. - М.: Альфа-М: ИНФРА-М, 2009. - 416 с. Глава  7, и 8, стр 126-146
3. Крыштановский А.О. Анализ социологических данных с помощью пакета SPSS. М.: ИД ГУ ВШЭ, 2006. Стр. 67-78.
4. Research methods KNOWLDEG BASE (KB)

Additional reading:

5. Штейнберг, И., Шанин, Т., Ковалев, Е., Левинсон, А., Качественные методы: Полевые социологические исследования

Theme 10.  Presentation of data analysis and research results in research reports. Interpretation of data analysis. Writing research reports.  

Class goals: students explain how different goals of research may induce a variety of approaches to conducting data collection.

Class activity: discussion of the structure and content of the final group research reports.

Home assignment: (1) students using focus-groups for data collection for their own research, design questions for focus groups based on your research goals. (2) Other students perform the same tasks for their classmates.  All post questions on-line at the LMS site.

Required readings:

1. Babbie Earl R. 2008, The Basics of Social Research, Cengage Learning, 4^th edition, Chapter 10, pp. 294-296, Chapter 12, pp. 340-362.
2. Радаев В.В. Как организовать и представить исследовательский проект: 75 простых правил. М.: ГУ-ВШЭ, ИНФРА-М, 2001
3. Горшков, Ф.Э.,  Прикладная социология: методология и методы: Учебное пособие / М.К.. Шереги. - М.: Альфа-М: ИНФРА-М, 2009. - 416 с., Глава 19, стp. 280-290
4. Крыштановский, А. О. 2006, Aнализ социологических данных с помощью пакета SPSS. Москва: Издательский дом ГУ ВШЭ, стр. 78-81.
5. Research methods KNOWLDEG BASE (KB)

Additional readings:

1. The SAGE handbook of action research . Los Angeles [etc.] SAGE Publications, 2008. - 720 с.
2. The SAGE handbook of organizational research methods. Los Angeles [etc.] SAGE Publications, 2009. - 738 с.
3.  

8. EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES

Students master theories and practice of research design and planning, determine adequate and relevant methods and instruments for data collection and analysis, develop research instruments, evaluate each instrument for effectiveness in relation to research goals.

1. Students attend lectures on methods and instruments of social research, evaluate the capacity of each instrument for data collection and achievement of research goals.
2. Students develop research ideas, formulate research questions and hypotheses, determine the goals of their research, choose proper instruments for data collection, and write a detailed research plan.
3. Students perform practical assignments to master the concepts and develop practical instruments for data collection. After practical exercise, students discuss and explain correct and incorrect approaches for data collection.

The instructor of the course retains the right to change or add literature with the advance notice to students. Required literature will be made available through the LMS system.

Creative assignments

1. Develop and explain the topic of research, suggest theoretical approach, offer several hypotheses
2. Write literature review and explain how it helps formulate your research question and methods of data collection
3. Define the concepts; develop strategy of  operationalization and  measurement of the concepts
4. Develop a research plan  (program)
5. Build and conduct a survey
6. Create the data set in the SPSS program
7. Analyze the data by using the SPSS program

Subject areas for research proposals

All students are strongly advised to work with the topic approved for their graduation qualification thesis

For those without a topic, I suggest the following areas for research:

Social portrait of a HSE student

Political involvement of HSE students

Work aspirations of the HSE students

The evaluation of government effectiveness

The image of government officer among the HSE students

The learning from the practice

The generalized portrait of a best teacher in HSE

The most effective teaching technologies in HSE

Students’ leisure time

Professional choices of HSE alumni

Smoking habits of HSE students

The attitudes of HSE students to the legalization of marijuana

The attitudes to marriage

Factors affecting students’ choice of the specialization at the HSE  

The use of the library by the HSE students

Behavior and participation: participation and group-work at seminars

1. To facilitate communication and discussions, students will receive the “glossary of terms,”

which contains all essential words and expressions.

1. Every student will have a chance to speak up in class. When you read your home readings, prepare questions for class discussions at home.
2. All students will work in groups. Group leaders will rotate to lead discussions.
3. Productive discussions depend on your polite and proactive participation. Your participation will be graded.

9. Evaluation of students’ progress and of final assignments

The grading system for the discipline:

 The final grade is formed by adding up assessments of the following components: active participation in class discussions, five written assignments on specified topics, final paper – each student’s research plan for his or her thesis, and presentation of a research plan (research program) in class.

Final research plan includes the following: description of a research problem, clear research questions, theory and hypothesis, selected methods of data collection and analysis, and an instrument for  data collection as an addendum.

10. Informational, educational, and methodological support of the discipline

Required readings

1. Babbie, E. R. 2008, The Basics of Social Research, Cengage Learning, 4^th edition. All relevant chapters will be sent to students or made available through the LMS system.
2. Крыштановский, А. О. 2006, Aнализ социологических данных с помощью пакета SPSS. Москва: Издательский дом ГУ ВШЭ,
3. Горшков, Ф.Э. Прикладная социология: методология и методы: Учебное пособие/ М.К. Шереги. - М.: Альфа-М: ИНФРА-М, 2009. - 416 с available on the HSE library electronic catalogue.
4. Радаев В.В. Как организовать и представить исследовательский проект. 75 простых правил. М.: ГУ-ВШЭ, ИНФРА-М, 2001.
5. Research methods KNOWLDEG BASE (KB)

Additional readings

English language literature

1. Chen, H. (1990). Theory-driven evaluations. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
2. Dennis, M. L. (1990). Assessing the validity of randomized field experiments: An example from drug treatment research. Evaluation Review, 14, 347–373. Applied Research Design
3. Dillman, D. A. (2006).Why choice of survey mode makes a difference. Public Health Reports,191, 11–13.
4. Fowler, F. J., Jr. (2002). Survey research methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
5. Henry, G. T. (1990). Practical sampling. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
6. Robinson, J. P., Shaver, P. R., & Wrightsman, L. S. (Eds.). (1999). Measures of political attitudes. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
7. Smith, C. M., Breda, C. B., Simmons, T. M., Vides de Andrade, A. R., & Bickman, L. (2008). Data preparation and data standards: The devil is in the details. In A. R. Stiffman (Ed.), The nitty gritty of managing field research. New York: Oxford University Press.
8. Stewart, D.W., & Kamins, M. A. (1993). Secondary research: Information sources and methods (2nd ed). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
9. The Sage handbook of qualitative research. Los Angeles [etc.] SAGE Publications, 2005. - 1210 с.
10. The SAGE handbook of action research. Los Angeles [etc.] SAGE Publications, 2008. - 720 с.
11. The SAGE handbook of organizational research methods.Los Angeles [etc.] SAGE Publications, 2009. - 738 с.
12. The SAGE handbook of interview research. Los Angeles [etc.] SAGE Publications, 2012. - 613с.
13.  The Sage dictionary of quantitative management research. Los Angeles [etc.] SAGE Publications, 2011. - 346 с.

Internet resources

1. http://virg.vanderbilt.edu/AssessmentPlans/Home.aspx
2. https://uxdesign.cc/a-crash-course-in-ux-design-research-ea00c3307c82
3. http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/index.php
4. Research methods KNOWLDEG BASE (KB)

Russian language literature

18. Бабосов Е.М. Прикладная социология. Уч. пособие. Мн.: ТетраСистемс, 2000.
19. Власова М.Л. Социологические методы в маркетинговых исследованиях. – М.: Изд-во ГУ-ВШЭ, 2006
20.  Девятко И.Ф. Методы социологического исследования. 2-е изд. , исп. М.: Книжный дом «Университет», 2002. 
21. Квале, С. 2003, Исследовательское интервью. М,:Смысл.

22. Понарин Э.Д. Введение в анализ данных. Учебное пособие. СПб.: ЕУ СПБ, ТЦ «Борей», 2001.
23. Радаев В.В. Как организовать и представить исследовательский проект. 75 простых правил. М.: ГУ-ВШЭ, ИНФРА-М, 2001.
24. Романов П.В., Ярская-Смирнова Е.Р. Методы прикладных социальных исследований. Уч. пособие. 2-е изд. М.: ООО «вариант», ЦСПГИ, при уч. ООО «Норт МЕдиа», 2008.
26. Татарова Г.Г. Методология анализа данных в социологии. М.: Nota Bene, 1999.
27. Толстова Ю.Н. Модели и методы анализа данных социологического исследования. Уч. пособие. М.: ГАУ, 1996.
28. Толстова Ю.Н. Измерение в социологии. М.: Ин-т «Открытое общество», ИНФРА-М, 1998.
29. Энциклопедический социологический словарь/ Под ред. Г.В.Осипова, М., 1995.
30. Ядов В.А., Социологическое исследование: методология, программа, методы - М.: Наука, 1972.
31. Ядов В.А. Стратегия социологического исследования. Описание,объяснение, понимание социальной реальности/— 3-е изд., испр. — Москва: Омега-Л, 2007. — 567 с.

Journals: “International Journal of Social Research Methodology,” “Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal,”  “Annual Review of Sociology, SAGE Research Methods,”  «Социологические исследования», «Политические исследования», «Эксперт»

11. Technical support for the discipline

Computer, projector, computer class, the analytical software SPSS

Government of Russian Federation

Federal autonomous educational agency of higher professional education “National Research University – Higher School of Economics”

Department of public and municipal administration

The quantitative methods of data analysis

For the specialty 38.03.04 in bachelor degree program

Public and Municipal Administration

The author: Tamara G. Nezhina, Ph.D., dotsent, tgnezhina@hse.ru

The study plan has been approved at the meeting of the Chair of economics and management of nongovernmental noncommercial organizations                                        «___»____________ 2017,

Moscow, 2017

1. The application and the terms of reference

The discipline ‘The quantitative methods for data analysis’ is the constituent part of the basic bachelor curriculum for the Public and Municipal Administration students.

2. The goals of the discipline

The goals of the discipline “The quantitative methods of data analysis” are to form knowledge and skills for empirical quantitative research, to develop analytical and research competences to inform managerial decision-making process. These competences enable students to incorporate the results of their research into practical programs, make decisions on whether to continue or terminate government programs. In the course of this discipline, the students will receive the following practical knowledge and skills: formulate proper research questions, organize research work, prepare research plan, apply quantitative reasoning, use quantitative methods for data collection, classify and categorize the data for further analysis and synthesis, and organize results for evidence-based recommendations. To successfully complete this course, the students will write a research plan, develop instruments for quantitative data collection, make professional presentations and write analytical reports.

The description of the learning outcomes for the discipline.  In order to successfully master this discipline, students must learn the following:

Knowledge:

• The major advantages and practical application of quantitative research
• Theories of inductive and deductive research
• Advantages and limitations of quantitative research
• Theories of sampling and data collection

Competencies: after completing this course, the students develop the following competencies:

• to formulate the goals of the practical administrative research
• to identify, locate, and evaluate relevant specialized literature in English and Russian
• to plan the stages of research project
• to build the instruments for data collection
• to collect empirical data
• To analyze the data by using statistical packages

Skills: at the end of the course, students should be able to:

• Develop theory based conceptualizations
• Determine the theory and build relevant hypotheses
• Collect the data
• Perform quantitative data analysis to test the hypotheses
• Interpret the results of the quantitative analysis
• Translate results into an action plan
• Present results of the analysis to scholarly and practitioner audience

            3. Description of competences

While mastering the discipline, students learn the following competences:

4. The place of the discipline within the structure of the department study plan

This discipline forms a part of the sociological and economic mainstream knowledge and leads students to master theoretical and practical instruments and competences for independent research.

At the department of public and municipal administration, this discipline qualifies as the core discipline in the BA curriculum. Main concepts and principles of the discipline are used to plan scientific social research, conduct research activities as planned, and write a qualification diploma using the quantitative data analysis competencies. 

The discipline “The quantitative methods of data analysis” is closely related to the knowledge obtained in the course “Economic and social statistics” and to the course “Mathematics.”

To further develop the scientific approaches to management in Russia, this course teaches the methods of econometric scientific research and quantitative data analysis for the evaluation of the work of governmental and nongovernmental agencies. Modern leaders and managers today are required to use a systematic analysis of the empirical data to make rational decisions and manage production effectively.

Upon the completion of the discipline “The quantitative methods of data analysis” the bachelor should have a thorough understanding of the elements of research process such as  (1) how to formulate a problem and a research question, (2) how to create and use quantitative data collection instruments, (3) how to classify and analyze the empirical results for understanding social effects of government policies. Students will be able to use logical and mathematical reasoning to find explanations for successful and unsuccessful policies, and to predict the level of effectiveness based on available quantitative information.

5. Thematic plan for the discipline

6. Forms of ongoing and final controls for students

6. The evaluation of the course outcomes

The ongoing control is implemented at the seminars. The evaluation is based on performance of practical assignments that students perform at seminars and after classes. This includes writing the research plan, which includes the statement of a research problem and hypotheses, methodology, data collection, and description of data analysis, with the attachment of the data collection instrument. Students practice all the above assignments during the seminars. The grades will be assigned to each part of the research plan and will sum up as 50 points.

 The final research report will include the research plan and the actual results of the data analysis with the conclusions. The final report will be assessed as 50 points. Two grades will be summed up to form the final grade.

Final research report will consist of the following parts:

1. statement of research problem

2..hypotheses

3. methodology

4. data analysis (tables)

5. the interpretation of results

6. references

6.1 Evaluation criteria of knowledge and competences 

The course learning outcomes are evaluated at the seminars throughout the full education module. The final grade is formed by the following components: research plan and research report

Research plan  - Oaccumulated -30

                        Ethics quiz -       Oaccumulated -20

Research report  - Oresearch report - 50

The final grade is the sum of the two above grades.

            The final grade will be entered in the score-sheet. The final grade for the discipline is calculated by the following formula:

O_final. = 0,3*Оaccumulated  + 0,2*Оaccumulated  + 0,5_*O_report                           

6.2 The explanation of grading requirements

The students will work in groups of four to prepare Research Proposals and Research Reports.

(A) The Research Proposal will describe a (1) research problem and the literature, (2) formulate the initial research question, (3) describe research population and a sample selection method, (4) suggest major theory and heuristics for conducting research , (5) formulate null-hypotheses, (6) develop a survey instrument for data collection. The grading weight of the Research proposal is 30.

After receiving the feedback from the professor and the course assistants, students start collecting the quantitative data with the survey instrument. The data will be processed with the SPSS program. The students will make statistical analysis and inferences to support or to reject the hypotheses.

(B) To write Research report, (1) students create the dataset, (2) analyze the data with the SPSS program, (3) make conclusions regarding the support or lack thereof for the hypotheses.  The grading weight of the Research report is 50.

Students take the Ethics quiz for social science researchers on the Internet and send the copy of the certificate to the instructor. The grading weight of the Ethics quiz is 20 points.

To prepare students to write Research report, a series of seminars will be held with practical exercise and discussions. To receive an excellent grade, students must participate in structured discussions, discuss their creative assignments, and perform given practical tasks. Research plan will contribute to the on-going evaluation of their progress towards the final grade.

Report. Final report will consist of two parts (including the research plan) with the attachment of the developed research instrument. In this paper, students must demonstrate their knowledge of research process and the quantitative data analysis. To receive excellent grade for the final research report, students will need to incorporate all recommendations that the instructor provides to them concerning the performance on the research plan, use the proper format of the report, to have properly formatted tables and graphs to illustrate the concepts and hypotheses, and have appropriate in-text and after-text references. Report must have the title page, the table of contents, the introduction, the literature review, the description of methods for quantitative data collection, and description of analytical approach, the description of data analysis with graphs and tables, the conclusion, and the references.

THE CONTENT OF THE DISCIPLINE AND READINGS

Part  I.          Research of social behavior

The purpose of this discipline is to teach students conceptualize, theorize, plan and execute quantitative research, thus preparing them to make a quantitative research and data analysis in order to write the graduation qualification thesis and prepare to work as analysts in government agencies. The students dive deep into the process of planning and executing a social research. The prerequisite of learning about the quantitative research includes clear understanding of the probability theory and its application to the quantitative data analysis. Planning and execution of research plans combines the review of the theory, formulation of hypotheses, data collection, data analysis, and proper scientific conclusions. By conducting practical assignments, students learn step-by-step conceptualizing and performing quantitative research.

For the practical example of data collection, at the first lecture students participate in the survey as respondents. Further in the course the instructor will use the results of the survey to illustrate many components of qualitative data collection and analysis.

Theme 1. The introduction to the discipline “The quantitative methods of data analysis.”  

Human inquiry and science: review of the discipline.  In the first place, we will discuss the need to perform the quantitative research for public administrators. Further, the students learn the goals and practical application of quantitative data analysis for government functions. The methodology of social research includes finding and explaining a social research problem, defining the research question and the goal of research, identifying research subjects and the unit of analysis, and formulating the study objectives.

Refresh the use of probability theory. Discuss statistical philosophy. The discussion of the purpose of  literature review.

The characteristics of a quality research question. The necessity to develop scientific approaches to finding a solution to social problems. The importance of explanation and the prognosis of social phenomena and the population behavior.

Example: All students take the in class survey. Explanation of research question, theory, hypotheses, and questions.

Seminar topics: Problem definition, formulation of research question.

A good research question must deal with a real social problem that affects the wellbeing of the citizens. Government is an administrative structure to deal with social problems and to achieve common welfare in the country. Our first goal is to identify the social problems in the country, the region, the municipality, the prefecture, etc. The second goal is to describe the parameters of the selected social problem. The third goal is to formulate the research question.

Class procedure: Students form research groups. Further, they discuss and choose the group research topics for research projects, determine the existing problem and the significance of their study, and start formulating research questions.  Find and discuss scientific literature for the topic- 2-3 pieces.

Class assignment 1 – each student will discuss research topic within a small group.

Class assignment 2 – groups select research topics, write down their names and the selected research topic, submit the assignment to the teacher.

Next class assignment – find the articles on the selected topic, read the annotation and define the research problem and research questions.

Required readings:

1. Babbie Earl R. 2008, The Basics of Social Research, Cengage Learning, 4^th edition. Chapter 1, pp. 4-10, 12-16, 21-26.
2. Горшков, Ф.Э. Прикладная социология: методология и методы: Учебное пособие/ М.К. Шереги. - М.: Альфа-М: ИНФРА-М, 2009. - 416 с, стр.12-22,  270-290
3. Крыштановский, А. О. 2006, Aнализ социологических данных с помощью пакета SPSS. Москва: Издательский дом ГУ ВШЭ.

Additional reading:

1. Bwisa, H. How to Write A Statement Problem: Your Proposal Writing Companion, Jommo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and technology, 2008
2. Девятко, И.Ф., Методы Социологического Исследования, Москва Университет Книжный Дом, 2009. Глава 1, стр.16-20.

Theme 2.  Literature review. HSE database of scientific publications.

Performing a literature review. The goals of a literature review.  How to do the literature review. Analysis and synthesis of ideas, approaches, findings, and challenges. The use of empirical research of others to help your own research. Methods of comparing the literature: comparing and contrasting, the use of Webb diagram.  

Class goals: students learn and practice the review of scientific articles for their own research. Literature review is done early in this class in order to help students devise, revise, and formulate focused research questions.

Seminars:

Class assignment 1: students identify four goals of literature review.  In a provided research text, students identify the theory, the hypothesis(es), the methods, and the instruments for data collection used by the authors of an article.  

Class assignment 2: students perform class exercise by comparing two articles with the help of Webb-diagram. 

Home assignment 1: Students formulate the topic of their proposed research, describe the significance of the study, write research question(s) in line with the guidelines. Find at least three or more articles on the selected topic, include an annotation of each article in the first assignment (2-3 pages).

Required readings:

1. Neuman, W. L. (2009).Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches(7th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, Chapter 4, pp. 68-84
2. Льюис Ф., Сондерс М., Торнхилл Э. Методы проведения экономических исследований. Пер. с англ. – 3-е изд. – М.: Эксмо. – 2006. – С. 89. Стр. 1-6

Additional readings:

1. Webster and Watson, 2002 Analyzing the Past to Prepare for the Future: Writing a Literature Review. pp. xiii-xxiii
2. Stewart, D.W., & Kamins, M. A. (1993). Secondary research: Information sources and methods (2nd ed). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Theme 3. Paradigms, theories, and models. The definition of the conceptual model for empirical research. The relationship between a theory and hypotheses in building research strategy.  Macrotheory and microtheory. Heuristics and practical wisdom. Deductive theory construction and inductive theory construction: building explanatory models.

Three types of research: exploration, description, explanation.

The stages of empirical research.

Developing research plan. The structure of research plan: introduction, literature review, theory and hypotheses, methodology, and methods of research. Describe the relationships between the stages of research. Research design as a logical model of research hypothesis. Visual image of research design: the use of diagrams.

The time dimension in research design: cross-sectional, panel, and longitudinal research design.

Class goals: students appreciate the role of theory in the selection of the type of research. Students learn the meaning of each part of research plan and the connections between the parts; develop a visual image of research design – a diagram.

Class activities 1:  define the purpose of your research. Think over and write down the stages of your own research plan.  

Class activities 2:  describe your research problem and the exploratory or explanatory model for this problem. Define social or economic theory to explain the problem. Discuss how the concepts in the problem relate to each other.

Class assignment 3: Based on the literature analysis and your working hypothesis, develop your research design and draw a visual presentation of relationships between major concepts of your research (theoretical model in the form of diagram).

Home assignment for the next class: Write a literature review on 2 pages by using all literature that you’ve found so far (4-5 sources). Contrast and compare articles on your research topic, find commonalities and differences in these articles. Explain how these scientific articles may help your own research. Bring your literature analysis (2 pages) to class to discuss with group members.

Home assignment for the next class: watch the video The Stanford Prison Experiment (accessible here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZwfNs1pqG0).

Read on the Internet about the experiment. Take notes of the violation of the code of ethics in social research. Be ready to discuss it in class.

Identify and explain potential threats to human subjects in social research; identify potential threats to your respondents in your own study.

Required readings:

1. Babbie Earl  R. 2008, The Basics of Social Research, Cengage Learning, 4^th edition. Chapter 4, pp. 86-92, 106-116.
2. Радаев В.В. Как организовать и представить исследовательский проект: 75 простых правил. М.: ГУ-ВШЭ, ИНФРА-М, 2001
3. Горшков, Ф.Э.,  Прикладная социология: методология и методы: Учебное пособие / М.К.. Шереги. - М.: Альфа-М: ИНФРА-М, 2009. - 416 с., Глава 2, стр. 22-37

Additional readings:

1. Девятко, И.Ф.,Методы Социологического Исследования, Москва Университет Книжный Дом, 2009. Глава 1, стр 5-16
2. Евсеев, О. 2012. Методы исследовательской работы в молодежной среде: Учебное пособие;Под Общ. Редакцией Волгина В. А.– М.: Вузовский учебник, НИЦ – Инфра-М.
3. Chen, H. (1990). Theory-driven evaluations. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Theme 4: The role of ethics in sociological research. The notion of human subjects.

Ethical issues in social research. Professional code of ethics for the social researchers in Russia: major ethical requirements.

Class goals: Students discuss the ethical issues in social research and define the vulnerable human subjects.

Seminar

 Activity 1: Discuss the ethical violations in the Stanford Prison Experiment. Suggest possible violations of ethics in your own research

Activity 2: The introduction to the SPSS program. Survey data entry in the SPSS. Rules of coding. Coding book.

After class home assignment – take an on-line study of ethical issues and human subject protection in social research, complete the test, and bring the certificate of completion to class. The study and the test takes 3-4 hours. You will find it here: http://phrp.nihtraining.com/users/login.php

Students must bring the results of the test to the instructor during the next seminar.

Required readings:

1. Babbie, E.R. 2008. The Basics of Social Research, Cengage Learning, 4^th edition. Chapter 2, pp. 32-47, 56-58
2. Горшков, Ф.Э., Прикладная социология: методология и методы: Учебное пособие / М.К.. Шереги. - М.: Альфа-М: ИНФРА-М, 2009. - 416 с., 51-67.
3. Крыштановский, А. О. 2006, Aнализ социологических данных с помощью пакета SPSS. Москва: Издательский дом ГУ ВШЭ, стр. 10-23.
4. Research methods KNOWLDEG BASE (KB)

Required literature:

1. ://phrp.nihtraining.com/users/login.php - тест для домашнего задания
2. ://www.ssa-rss.ru/index.php?page_id=73 Российское общество социологов: Профессиональный кодекс социолога
3. ://www.ssa-rss.ru/index.php?page_id=84 Проект нового кодекса чести социолога России

Theme 5. Conceptualization, operationalization, and measurement of research concepts. Conceptions as social constructs: indicators and dimensions; real, nominal and operational definitions. Criteria of measurement quality: methods to improve precision and accuracy, reliability, and validity. The definition of major concepts within a research problem; the development of a hypotheses.

Class goals: Students identify main concepts for their group research, give operational definitions of the concepts, and develop ideas about the quantitative  measurements.

Seminars

Class assignment 1: define the concepts and quantitative measurements in given examples. 

Class assignment 2: define dependent and independent variables in a given research, identify potential relationship between the variables.

Class activity: make frequency (summary) statistics on the SPSS including the mode, median and averages  

Readings:

1. Babbie, E. R. 2008, The Basics of Social Research, Cengage Learning, 4^th edition. Chapter  5 , pp. 115-120, 124-129,  135-141
2. Горшков, Ф.Э.,  Прикладная социология: методология и методы: Учебное пособие / М.К.. Шереги. - М.: Альфа-М: ИНФРА-М, 2009. - 416 с., Глава 3,4, стр. 37-60
3. Крыштановский, А. О. 2006, Aнализ социологических данных с помощью пакета SPSS. Москва: Издательский дом ГУ ВШЭ, стр. 24-33
4. Research methods KNOWLDEG BASE (KB)

Additional literature:

5. Толстова Ю.Н. Измерение в социологии. М. КДУ, 2008
6. Dennis, M. L. (1990). Assessing the validity of randomized field experiments: an example from drug treatment research. Evaluation Review, 14, 347–373. Applied Research Design

Theme 6.  Population and samples. Research population and samples. Characteristics of quantitative data – nominal, ordinal and interval data types. Planning and implementing the data collection.

Construction of an instrument for data collection – the survey. Requirements for voluntary and anonymous participation. Types of questions. Ethical considerations.

Class goals: Learn rules for survey building. Learn to operationalize the concepts and quantify the answers. Discuss research population. 

Seminar

Class activity 1: Work in groups to fine-tune the questionnaires.

Class activity 2: Translate the concepts into variables and hypothesize the relationships between the variables.

Readings

1. Babbie, E. R. 2008, The Basics of Social Research, Cengage Learning, 4^th edition. Chapter  5 , pp. 115-120, 124-129,  135-141
2. Горшков, Ф.Э.,  Прикладная социология: методология и методы: Учебное пособие / М.К.. Шереги. - М.: Альфа-М: ИНФРА-М, 2009. - 416 с., Глава 3,4, стр. 37-60
3. Крыштановский, А. О. 2006, Aнализ социологических данных с помощью пакета SPSS. Москва: Издательский дом ГУ ВШЭ, стр. 34-45.
4. Research methods KNOWLDEG BASE (KB)

Theme 7. Quantitative field research.

Sample survey - the main instrument for data collection in sociological and social research. Planning and organizing a survey. Principles for writing questions: simplicity, clarity, relevancy, acceptability, the sequence and form. Guidelines for writing a questionnaire: format, order, contingency questions, and matrix questions. The role on an interviewer.

The logic of sampling: probability and non-probability sampling.  Populations and sampling frames. Methods of random selection. Pretest of a questionnaire.

Class goals: Students learn the basics of survey questionnaire construction, the role of an interviewer, and the sampling strategies.

Class activity 1 – for a given research question, students design a survey of university students, develop and test a short questionnaire.

Class activity 2: Read and discuss the results of  “Death penalty law evaluation”  in the USA (Babbie, pp. 361-362).

Home assignment 4 – This assignment will be graded. Write down your revised research questions. Identify and write down main concepts. Show how you operationalize and measure the concepts. Restate the hypotheses. Describe how you will address the issues of validity and reliability of the measurements. Identify dependent and independent variables, describe expected relationships between dependent and independent variables. Make a graph to illustrate the interdependencies of the variables. Discuss home assignment in class and on the Internet.

Readings:

1. Babbie Earl R. 2008, The Basics of Social Research, Cengage Learning, 4^th edition, Chapter  9, pp. 240-253, 261-272
2. Горшков, Ф.Э.,  Прикладная социология: методология и методы: Учебное пособие / М.К.. Шереги. - М.: Альфа-М: ИНФРА-М, 2009. - 416 с., Глава 5, 68-79.
3. Крыштановский, А. О. 2006, Aнализ социологических данных с помощью пакета SPSS. Москва: Издательский дом ГУ ВШЭб стр. 46-59.
4. Research methods KNOWLDEG BASE (KB)

Additional readings:

1. Dillman, D. A. (2006). Why choice of survey mode makes a difference. Public Health Reports,191, 11–13.
2. Dillman, D.A. (2000). Mail and internet surveys: The tailored design method. NewYork:Wiley.
3. Henry, G. T. (1990). Practical sampling. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Theme 8.  Quantitative research: data processing and analysis.

Methods of data processing and analysis. Analyzing empirical data with the help of SPSS statistical software. Data presentation with tables and graphs.

Class goal: students perform practical data analysis: data coding, create the SPSS data sets for the data collected.

Seminar

Class activity - practical work with the SPSS program in a computer class. Data entry into the SPSS program. Descriptive analysis.

Home assignment: (1) students design a short questionnaire for data collection and conduct a survey in class;

Readings:

1. Babbie Earl R. 2008, The Basics of Social Research, Cengage Learning, 4^th edition, Chapter 14, pp. 395-415
2. Горшков, Ф.Э.,  Прикладная социология: методология и методы: Учебное пособие / М.К.. Шереги. - М.: Альфа-М: ИНФРА-М, 2009. - 416 с., Глава 15, стр. 216-240
3. Крыштановский, А. О. 2006, Aнализ социологических данных с помощью пакета SPSS. Москва: Издательский дом ГУ ВШЭ, стр. 59-66.
4. Research methods KNOWLDEG BASE (KB)

Additional readings:

1. Иллюстрированный самоучитель по SPSS - http://www.datuapstrade.lv/rus/spss/
2. – demonstration of data entry to SPSS

Theme 9. The use of the SPSS statistical package for data analysis.

The analytical potential of the SPSS, Stata, R etc. The explanatory models and analytical techniques. The level of dependent variables defines the choice of the analytical technique. Main characteristics of causal and predictive analyses.

Class goals: students explore the causal analytic techniques on the SPSS.  Students develop causal or predictive hypotheses for their research. Students choose and defend the type of data collection methods for their research projects.

Seminar

Class activity 1: students present a causal model graphically and provide theoretical support for the relevant hypotheses.

Class activity 2: Discuss in groups how the effectiveness of Russian juvenile justice law can be evaluated.

Required readings:

1. Babbie Earl R. 2008, The Basics of Social Research, Cengage Learning, 4^th edition, Chapter 10, 284-306, Chapter 11, 312-322.
2. Горшков, Ф.Э.,  Прикладная социология: методология и методы: Учебное пособие / М.К.. Шереги. - М.: Альфа-М: ИНФРА-М, 2009. - 416 с. Глава  7, и 8, стр 126-146
3. Крыштановский А.О. Анализ социологических данных с помощью пакета SPSS. М.: ИД ГУ ВШЭ, 2006. Стр. 67-78.
4. Research methods KNOWLDEG BASE (KB)

Additional reading:

5. Штейнберг, И., Шанин, Т., Ковалев, Е., Левинсон, А., Качественные методы: Полевые социологические исследования

Theme 10.  Presentation of data analysis and research results in research reports. Interpretation of data analysis. Writing research reports.  

Class goals: students explain how different goals of research may induce a variety of approaches to conducting data collection.

Class activity: discussion of the structure and content of the final group research reports.

Home assignment: (1) students using focus-groups for data collection for their own research, design questions for focus groups based on your research goals. (2) Other students perform the same tasks for their classmates.  All post questions on-line at the LMS site.

Required readings:

1. Babbie Earl R. 2008, The Basics of Social Research, Cengage Learning, 4^th edition, Chapter 10, pp. 294-296, Chapter 12, pp. 340-362.
2. Радаев В.В. Как организовать и представить исследовательский проект: 75 простых правил. М.: ГУ-ВШЭ, ИНФРА-М, 2001
3. Горшков, Ф.Э.,  Прикладная социология: методология и методы: Учебное пособие / М.К.. Шереги. - М.: Альфа-М: ИНФРА-М, 2009. - 416 с., Глава 19, стp. 280-290
4. Крыштановский, А. О. 2006, Aнализ социологических данных с помощью пакета SPSS. Москва: Издательский дом ГУ ВШЭ, стр. 78-81.
5. Research methods KNOWLDEG BASE (KB)

Additional readings:

1. The SAGE handbook of action research . Los Angeles [etc.] SAGE Publications, 2008. - 720 с.
2. The SAGE handbook of organizational research methods. Los Angeles [etc.] SAGE Publications, 2009. - 738 с.
3.  

8. EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES

Students master theories and practice of research design and planning, determine adequate and relevant methods and instruments for data collection and analysis, develop research instruments, evaluate each instrument for effectiveness in relation to research goals.

1. Students attend lectures on methods and instruments of social research, evaluate the capacity of each instrument for data collection and achievement of research goals.
2. Students develop research ideas, formulate research questions and hypotheses, determine the goals of their research, choose proper instruments for data collection, and write a detailed research plan.
3. Students perform practical assignments to master the concepts and develop practical instruments for data collection. After practical exercise, students discuss and explain correct and incorrect approaches for data collection.

The instructor of the course retains the right to change or add literature with the advance notice to students. Required literature will be made available through the LMS system.

Creative assignments

1. Develop and explain the topic of research, suggest theoretical approach, offer several hypotheses
2. Write literature review and explain how it helps formulate your research question and methods of data collection
3. Define the concepts; develop strategy of  operationalization and  measurement of the concepts
4. Develop a research plan  (program)
5. Build and conduct a survey
6. Create the data set in the SPSS program
7. Analyze the data by using the SPSS program

Subject areas for research proposals

All students are strongly advised to work with the topic approved for their graduation qualification thesis

For those without a topic, I suggest the following areas for research:

Social portrait of a HSE student

Political involvement of HSE students

Work aspirations of the HSE students

The evaluation of government effectiveness

The image of government officer among the HSE students

The learning from the practice

The generalized portrait of a best teacher in HSE

The most effective teaching technologies in HSE

Students’ leisure time

Professional choices of HSE alumni

Smoking habits of HSE students

The attitudes of HSE students to the legalization of marijuana

The attitudes to marriage

Factors affecting students’ choice of the specialization at the HSE  

The use of the library by the HSE students

Behavior and participation: participation and group-work at seminars

1. To facilitate communication and discussions, students will receive the “glossary of terms,”

which contains all essential words and expressions.

1. Every student will have a chance to speak up in class. When you read your home readings, prepare questions for class discussions at home.
2. All students will work in groups. Group leaders will rotate to lead discussions.
3. Productive discussions depend on your polite and proactive participation. Your participation will be graded.

9. Evaluation of students’ progress and of final assignments

The grading system for the discipline:

 The final grade is formed by adding up assessments of the following components: active participation in class discussions, five written assignments on specified topics, final paper – each student’s research plan for his or her thesis, and presentation of a research plan (research program) in class.

Final research plan includes the following: description of a research problem, clear research questions, theory and hypothesis, selected methods of data collection and analysis, and an instrument for  data collection as an addendum.

10. Informational, educational, and methodological support of the discipline

Required readings

1. Babbie, E. R. 2008, The Basics of Social Research, Cengage Learning, 4^th edition. All relevant chapters will be sent to students or made available through the LMS system.
2. Крыштановский, А. О. 2006, Aнализ социологических данных с помощью пакета SPSS. Москва: Издательский дом ГУ ВШЭ,
3. Горшков, Ф.Э. Прикладная социология: методология и методы: Учебное пособие/ М.К. Шереги. - М.: Альфа-М: ИНФРА-М, 2009. - 416 с available on the HSE library electronic catalogue.
4. Радаев В.В. Как организовать и представить исследовательский проект. 75 простых правил. М.: ГУ-ВШЭ, ИНФРА-М, 2001.
5. Research methods KNOWLDEG BASE (KB)

Additional readings

English language literature

1. Chen, H. (1990). Theory-driven evaluations. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
2. Dennis, M. L. (1990). Assessing the validity of randomized field experiments: An example from drug treatment research. Evaluation Review, 14, 347–373. Applied Research Design
3. Dillman, D. A. (2006).Why choice of survey mode makes a difference. Public Health Reports,191, 11–13.
4. Fowler, F. J., Jr. (2002). Survey research methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
5. Henry, G. T. (1990). Practical sampling. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
6. Robinson, J. P., Shaver, P. R., & Wrightsman, L. S. (Eds.). (1999). Measures of political attitudes. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
7. Smith, C. M., Breda, C. B., Simmons, T. M., Vides de Andrade, A. R., & Bickman, L. (2008). Data preparation and data standards: The devil is in the details. In A. R. Stiffman (Ed.), The nitty gritty of managing field research. New York: Oxford University Press.
8. Stewart, D.W., & Kamins, M. A. (1993). Secondary research: Information sources and methods (2nd ed). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
9. The Sage handbook of qualitative research. Los Angeles [etc.] SAGE Publications, 2005. - 1210 с.
10. The SAGE handbook of action research. Los Angeles [etc.] SAGE Publications, 2008. - 720 с.
11. The SAGE handbook of organizational research methods.Los Angeles [etc.] SAGE Publications, 2009. - 738 с.
12. The SAGE handbook of interview research. Los Angeles [etc.] SAGE Publications, 2012. - 613с.
13.  The Sage dictionary of quantitative management research. Los Angeles [etc.] SAGE Publications, 2011. - 346 с.

Internet resources

1. http://virg.vanderbilt.edu/AssessmentPlans/Home.aspx
2. https://uxdesign.cc/a-crash-course-in-ux-design-research-ea00c3307c82
3. http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/index.php
4. Research methods KNOWLDEG BASE (KB)

Russian language literature

18. Бабосов Е.М. Прикладная социология. Уч. пособие. Мн.: ТетраСистемс, 2000.
19. Власова М.Л. Социологические методы в маркетинговых исследованиях. – М.: Изд-во ГУ-ВШЭ, 2006
20.  Девятко И.Ф. Методы социологического исследования. 2-е изд. , исп. М.: Книжный дом «Университет», 2002. 
21. Квале, С. 2003, Исследовательское интервью. М,:Смысл.

22. Понарин Э.Д. Введение в анализ данных. Учебное пособие. СПб.: ЕУ СПБ, ТЦ «Борей», 2001.
23. Радаев В.В. Как организовать и представить исследовательский проект. 75 простых правил. М.: ГУ-ВШЭ, ИНФРА-М, 2001.
24. Романов П.В., Ярская-Смирнова Е.Р. Методы прикладных социальных исследований. Уч. пособие. 2-е изд. М.: ООО «вариант», ЦСПГИ, при уч. ООО «Норт МЕдиа», 2008.
26. Татарова Г.Г. Методология анализа данных в социологии. М.: Nota Bene, 1999.
27. Толстова Ю.Н. Модели и методы анализа данных социологического исследования. Уч. пособие. М.: ГАУ, 1996.
28. Толстова Ю.Н. Измерение в социологии. М.: Ин-т «Открытое общество», ИНФРА-М, 1998.
29. Энциклопедический социологический словарь/ Под ред. Г.В.Осипова, М., 1995.
30. Ядов В.А., Социологическое исследование: методология, программа, методы - М.: Наука, 1972.
31. Ядов В.А. Стратегия социологического исследования. Описание,объяснение, понимание социальной реальности/— 3-е изд., испр. — Москва: Омега-Л, 2007. — 567 с.

Journals: “International Journal of Social Research Methodology,” “Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal,”  “Annual Review of Sociology, SAGE Research Methods,”  «Социологические исследования», «Политические исследования», «Эксперт»

11. Technical support for the discipline

Computer, projector, computer class, the analytical software SPSS

Professor of Public and Municipal Administration at NRU Higher School of Economics, Tamara Nezhina is nominated in 2018 for International Public Administration Award. She was recognized for her sustained commitment, dedication and service internationally. ASPA's International Public Administration Award is granted to individuals who contribute to the field of public administration. The award honors a distinguished foreign scholar for significant contributions to public administration in other nations.

Tamara Nezhina has contributed to the field of public administration internationally by working volunteeerly as a guest-editor for the International Journal of Public Administration. The journal invited Russian scholars to submit their research for publication, and Dr. Nezhina has organized a rigorous blind review process to select the best works. She provided an opportunity for Russian scholars to publish their research in IJPA, which has been rated for several years by Scopus at the Q2 level.