Weeks One and Two  - Introduction to Social Science Research  -

Class on Friday, February 1 will be in BSB108 for anyone wanting to take the quiz in class.
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Assignments: 
  1. QuizOneandTwo.  This quiz opens on January 23 and is due by 4:30 p.m. on February 4.  You may take this quiz up to three times and the highest score will count.  You must complete this by 4:30 p.m. on February 4 or take a make-up exam February 8 in room BSB108 (one try only).  If you wish, you may take this during the class hour on February 1 in BSB 108 where the instructor will be available if you need assistance.
  2. Due on February 1 (online).  AyersOneandTwo.  This will include selected items from the Ayers Workbook, exercises one and two.  They are mostly fill in the blank items.  You may take this as many times as you like through February 1.  If you need help, come to BSB 108 during our class hour on February 1.  After that, you have until February 11 hand in Ayers Exercise 1 (pages 17 to 28) and Ayers Exercise 2, Part I (pages 43-50) on paper.


Reading: 
  1. Earl Babbie, The Basics of Social Research (third or fourth edition):  Chapter One and Chapter Fourteen. 
The page and chapter numbers from "Babbie" refer to Earl Babbie, The Basics of Social Research, Fourth Edition. 

Workbook Assignment: 
  1. Ayers, Exercise 1 (pages 17 to 28)
  2. Ayers Exercise 2, Part I (pages 43-50, the online version includes  a few items from pages 55, 56 and 57, if you do it on paper, do pages 43 to 50). 
The references to Ayers are to Experiencing Social Research.  You will not be tested on the reading material in the Ayers book unless specific pages are assigned because his book overlaps a good deal with Babbie.  You may, however, find his explanations more succinct for review.  If you do not yet have the Ayers book you can open the first two exercises by clicking on the links above.  After week two, everyone should have both books, the exercises will no longer be posted.  You do not need to hand these in on paper (unless you miss the deadline for online submission).  Just answer the questions in SAKAI as indicated above. Since many computers today lack floppy disk drives, the publisher has made the software and data sets that comes with the Ayers book available for download on their WEB site.  If you have a good Internet connection, it is quicker and easier to install it from the WEB site than to use the cd-rom and floppies.  To do this you go to the WEB site for the textbook, then "Companion Site" and then on "Student Microcase Download."

Lecture Materials Available Online:
  1. Introductory Powerpoint, in SAKAI   Click on Methods Sp2008, then on Resources, then on Weeks One and Two and on the item you want.
  2. Babbie Sample Test Items in the same place. 
  3. More sample test items are available online from the publisher.  You can find them at www.thomsonedu.com/sociology, by clicking on research methods and then on our book.  Or you can try this deep link which may go directly to it. 
Additional Notes and Links from the Lectures will be posted here as available: