SSGS500 Research Design and Methods
Week 1 Forum
Introduction to Social Science Research
In week 1 we discussed some general purposes for carrying out social science research, research ethics, and strategies for carrying out preliminary research.  Take a look at this video on the APUS Library to help get you acquainted with the recent updates that have taken place within our library.  To also help you navigate the library check out the Ask a Librarian Playlist.  Here you’ll find information on LibAnswers!, how to search for books, how to search for articles and more.
Within this course the assignments are scaffolded in that each of them should help you complete the final assignment in this course – an 8-10 page research proposal.  To help jump start the planning process, this week you’ll need to discuss your research interests as they pertain to your field of study be it criminal justice, international relations, intelligence studies or etc.  Here the goal of the discussion is to help you narrow in on a possible research question you’d like to frame out for your week 3 assignment, and will ultimately come to use in your research proposal.
Using the online library, navigate to the library’s “articles & databases” section and look within the Security & Global Studies database list.  Using one or more of the databases find 3 peer-reviewed journal articles to help you articulate your research interests.  When talking about the topic you are interested in researching be sure to reference the articles using the writing style specific to your field of study.  For those in criminal justice this mean APA, for everyone else, you’ll need to use the
Turabian author-date method (also known as the parenthetical or in-text citation method) as this will be good practice for all future posts and assignments.  If you have questions on these writing styles please review the information presented in the Course Overview section of the class.   In addition to presenting your research topic, and research question, your post should reflect that you have read this week’s lesson material and demonstrate that you have a sense of the research cycle and what it means to carry out ethical research.
What challenges are you having in coming up with a unique and narrowly focused research question?  Did you have any challenges findings articles within the library?  If so what did you do to alter your search parameters?  Do you anticipate any difficulties in any of the phases of the research cycle as you pursue research on your topic?
Please attach the three peer-reviewed articles you found within the online library.  At the end of your post you should have a “References” list that lists these using the writing style that corresponds to a references list or a bibliography.
I know that the discussion standards for the graduate level can be a bit of a mystery when you are just starting out.  Take a look at the following blog post to help you get a feel for graduate level discussion standards. http://inpublicsafety.com/2016/01/sharpening-scholarly-skills-can-enhance-professional-performance/
Instructions: Your initial post should be at least 300 words. Please respond to at least 2 other students. Responses should be a minimum of 250 words and include direct questions.
 
 
 
 
 
SSGS500 Research Design and Methods
Week 2 Forum
Conceptual Framework
To what degree can research within the social science be considered “scientific”?  What are some of the challenges that coincide with carrying out scientific research?  Your posts this week should demonstrate critical reflection upon the assigned readings.
Instructions: Your initial post should be at least 300 words. Please respond to at least 2 other students. Responses should be a minimum of 250 words and include direct questions.
 
SSGS500 Research Design and Methods
Week 3 Forum
Methodological Theory and Its Role Within Research
Discuss some of the reasons why we include methodological theory in our research?  What purpose does it serve?  What role do inquiry paradigms play in research? Your posts this week should demonstrate critical reflection upon the assigned readings.
Instructions: Your initial post should be at least 300 words. Please respond to at least 2 other students. Responses should be a minimum of 250 words and include direct questions.
 
SSGS500 Research Design and Methods
Week 4 Forum
Substantive Theory and Its Role Within Research
This week you were exposed to an array of theories that should help to jump start your research.  What theory have you chosen to help you answer your research question?  Please take this opportunity to practice discussing your theory in detail by explaining why you think it’s a good fit for the research project, the level of analysis it operates at, the variables it acknowledges, whether it seeks to explain or understand, and if it supports prediction.  Your discussion should demonstrate a reflection upon the peer reviewed literature.
Instructions: Your initial post should be at least 300 words. Please respond to at least 2 other students. Responses should be a minimum of 250 words and include direct questions.
 
SSGS500 Research Design and Methods
Week 5 Forum
Qualitative Research Methods
Please answer one of the two prompts noted below. Your posts this week should demonstrate critical reflection upon the assigned readings.
1. This week we focused on developing an understanding for some different qualitative methods. What are two or three assumptions that are made specific to qualitative research?  Be specific in your description of each one.  When considering some of the various qualitative methods that are out there, what challenges might they pose to a study’s validity, reliability, and generalizability?
2. A tremendous amount of research is conducted each year through secondary analysis. What is secondary analysis and what are the advantages and disadvantages of using secondary data?  Give an example of a study that was done using secondary data analysis and summarize the findings briefly.  Be sure the study is peer-reviewed.
Finally, what are some additional questions that you have about the different qualitative methods that are out there?  Use this as an opportunity to gain some clarity on the research methods discussed this week.
Instructions: Your initial post should be at least 300 words. Please respond to at least 2 other students. Responses should be a minimum of 250 words and include direct questions.
 
SSGS500 Research Design and Methods
Week 6 Forum
Quantitative Research Methods
Please answer one of the below prompts. Your posts this week should demonstrate critical reflection upon the assigned readings.
1. Think about how you might design a quantitative research project.  What methods would you use to collect your data?  What would you need to do to demonstrate that your study had a high degree of validity and reliability?
2. Generally speaking, what are some advantages and disadvantages to doing survey research?
Finally, what are some additional questions that you have about the different quantitative methods that are out there?  Use this as an opportunity to gain some clarity on the research methods discussed this week.
Instructions: Your initial post should be at least 300 words. Please respond to at least 2 other students. Responses should be a minimum of 250 words and include direct questions.
 
 
SSGS500 Research Design and Methods
Week 7 Forum
Mixed-Methods Research
Consider the material that we covered this week and discuss when you think a mixed methods approach should be used in research.  What are some key arguments that are occurring within the discipline regarding this question? Your posts this week should demonstrate critical reflection upon the assigned readings.
Instructions: Your initial post should be at least 300 words. Please respond to at least 2 other students. Responses should be a minimum of 250 words and include direct questions.
 
SSGS500 Research Design and Methods
Week 8 Forum
Data Synthesis, Interpretation, and Presentation
As you may have noticed during the course of your research one key component of a research paper is the abstract.  Often the abstract is something that scholars put together before they start work on their research to help them focus their ideas.  Then as the paper develops they come to refine the abstract to ensure that it reflects what was actually done within the paper. A good abstract sets the stage for the research topic, explains the method in use, notes the findings, and mentions important implications of the study.  They are typically 150-200 words in length and allow researchers to quickly see what a paper is about prior to reading the work in its entirety.
Please post an abstract that accurately reflects your study up to this point.  If you need some examples of abstracts to help you get started take a look at some of the abstracts found within the peer-reviewed journals you referenced within your own proposal.
In thinking about your research, how are you planning to assess your data?  How might you code your data? Finally, what additional insight did this week’s material help provide that we haven’t covered yet?  Your posts this week should demonstrate critical reflection upon the assigned readings.
Instructions: Your initial post should be at least 300 words. Please respond to at least 2 other students. Responses should be a minimum of 250 words and include direct questions.