EPPS2301 - Research Design in the Social and Policy Sciences

EPPS 2301 Research Design in the Social and Policy Sciences (3 semester credit hours) Approaches adopted by the social and policy sciences to increase understanding and develop actions to improve the world. Topics include: philosophy of science, logic of inquiry, role of theory in attributing cause, articulating answerable research questions, efficient exploration of the research literature, types of research design, qualitative approaches, transforming abstract concepts into measurable indicators, producing reliable data, assessing validity of conclusions, and research ethics and politics. Students completing this course will have a good understanding of systematic inquiry and its capacity to yield useful knowledge and a solid foundation for further study of research methods. (3-0) S