Course Syllabus
PLSC 308: Introduction to Political Research
Course Overview
| CATEGORY | INFORMATION |
|---|---|
| Credits | 3 |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Delivery | Web (Canvas, https://psu.instructure.com) |
| Dates | See the Calendar. |
| Instructor | See the Orientation module under the Modules tab. |
Description
This course introduces students to the research process in political science. The course can be taken by itself or as the first in a two course sequence with PL SC 309. It is intended to give political science majors the skills needed to conduct research in political science, or in related fields such as public policy. The course introduces students to the scientific approach to accumulating knowledge, it examines conceptual and theoretical thinking about politics (e.g. understanding what concepts, variables and hypotheses are), it covers different methods of collecting social science data (interviews, surveys, observation, experiments, analysis of documents, etc.) and it provides an introduction to the interpretation of that data. Ethical issues in research are discussed, and students are also introduced to basic statistical concepts. The course typically includes multiple take home and/or in-class assignments that require students to utilize different data collection methods and practice the generation and interpretation of those data.
Objectives
At the end of this course, you will be able to:
- apply a working knowledge of the basic algorithm of designing a political science study, starting from formulating a relevant research question, up to making plans for collecting data.
- identify the design choices researchers of a given study made and assess their suitability to the research question at hand.
Organization
This course is made up of 15 lessons spread out of the course of the semester.
For a typical lesson, you will complete the following activities and assignments:
- Explore online course content (the lecture.
- Read assigned readings.
- Complete written and/or discussion assignments
Online Learning and Attendance
This course has been developed to promote asynchronous learning. The instructor and students do NOT meet on a designated day and time each week. For each lesson, there is a timeframe to complete all activities and assignments, and you may work at your own pace within that timeframe. However, you must adhere to the due dates outlined on the Calendar. (Due dates can also be viewed under the Syllabus tab.) You should log into the course daily to check for updates, review lessons, and participate in activities.
Texts and Other Materials
The following texts are required:
- King, Koehane, Verba (1994). Designing Social Inquiry: Scientific Inference in Qualitative Research. Princeton University Press [ISBN: 9780691034713]
- Trochim & Donnelly (2007). 3rd The Research Methods Knowledge Base. [ISBN: 9781592602919]
Note on Electronic Reserves: There are electronic resources on reserve for this course. A link will be provided to the reading from within the lesson to the Electronic Reserves system.
Grading
Final letter grades will be assigned based on the scale below.
Scale
| LETTER GRADE |
MINIMUM PERCENT |
MAXIMUM |
|---|---|---|
| A | 93 | 100 |
| A- | 90 | 92 |
| B+ | 87 | 89 |
| B | 83 | 86 |
| B- | 80 | 82 |
| C+ | 77 | 79 |
| C | 73 | 76 |
| D | 60 | 72 |
| F | 0 | 59 |
Due Dates
All assignments are due by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the date indicated on the Calendar. (Due dates can be also be viewed under the Syllabus tab.) As a general rule, you will NOT be able to go back and make up missed assignments. It is your responsibility to keep up with your assignments. Students with an excused absence (hospitalization, jury duty, or family emergency) may be asked to produce proper documentation in order to make up graded work. All make-up work is at the discretion of the instructor.
Note on Late Assignments: There are NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS. All assignments must be turned in and completed on time. In the case of an unforeseen occurrence you must contact your instructor BEFORE the assignment is due, if that is not possible the instructor must be contacted ASAP.
Assignments
Basic information about each assignment group is provided below. For detailed directions about an individual assignment, see the assignment information under the Modules tab.
You can expect meaningful feedback on assignments within one week of their due date.
| ASSIGNMENT GROUP |
% |
|---|---|
| Writing Assignments | 60 |
| Discussions | 35 |
| IRB | 5 |
| Total | 100 |
Writing Assignments
Value: 14 Writing Assignments
There will be 14 writing assignments throughout the semester; this will average out to about one written assignment per week during the 15 week semester. During a 12 week (summer) semester students will have a few weeks with two written assignments. The written assignments are intended to provide students to apply what they are learning in each lesson. More specific instructions will be found in the corresponding lesson within the course site.
Discussion
Value: 11 Discussions
Students participate in a series of discussions throughout the semester in order to actively engage with the course content, classmates and the instructor. Students will be required to reply to two other classmates posts each week as well as monitor and engage in any discussion that stems from their own post. More specific instructions concerning this assignment will be found in the course site.
IRB
Value: One
As part of this course, students will be required to participate in the IRB certification/course offered by Penn State.
University Policies
Academic Integrity
Penn State defines academic integrity as the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner. All students should act with personal integrity, respect other students' dignity, rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts.
Dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated in this course. Dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarizing, fabricating information or citations, facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others, having unauthorized possession of examinations, submitting work of another person or work previously used without informing the instructor, or tampering with the academic work of other students. Students who are found to be dishonest will receive academic sanctions and will be reported to the University's Judicial Affairs office for possible further disciplinary sanction. For further information, please read University Faculty Senate Policy 49-20 at http://senate.psu.edu/policies-and-rules-for-undergraduate-students/47-00-48-00-and-49-00-grades/#49-20.
Disability Access
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities. The Office for Disability Services (ODS) Web site provides contact information for every Penn State campus: http://equity.psu.edu/ods/dcl. For further information, please visit the Office for Disability Services Web site: http://equity.psu.edu/ods.
In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation: http://equity.psu.edu/ods/guidelines/. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus’s disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Nondiscrimination
Penn State is committed to equal access to programs, facilities, admission and employment for all persons. It is the policy of the University to maintain an environment free of harassment and free of discrimination against any person because of age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, service in the uniformed services (as defined in state and federal law), veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, marital or family status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, physical or mental disability, gender, perceived gender, gender identity, genetic information or political ideas. Discriminatory conduct and harassment, as well as sexual misconduct and relationship violence, violates the dignity of individuals, impedes the realization of the University's educational mission, and will not be tolerated. For further information, please visit the Affirmative Action Office Website at http://www.psu.edu/dept/aaoffice/.
TEACH Act
The materials on the course website are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course and may not be retained or further disseminated.
University Emergency Procedure
In the event of a University-wide emergency, the course may be subject to changes. Exigent circumstances may require alternative delivery methods, class materials, and interactions with the instructor and/or classmates. In addition, there may be revisions to grading policies and the Calendar, including assignments and their due dates.
In the event of a University-wide emergency, please refer to the Canvas website at https://psu.instructure.com for specific information related to the course. For more general information about the emergency situation, please refer to the Penn State website at http://www.psu.edu or Penn State News at http://news.psu.edu.
To register with PSUAlert, a service designed to alert the Penn State community when situations arise that affect the ability of a campus to function normally, please go to https://psualert.psu.edu/. Subscribers can receive alerts by text message to cell phones, and also can elect to have alerts sent to an email address.
Syllabus Subject to Change
The class will likely adhere to the information outlined in this Syllabus and the Calendar, but adjustments may be made based on what actually transpires during the semester. Remaining in the course after reading this Syllabus will signal that you accept the possibility of changes and responsibility for being aware of them.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|