15.347/21A.861  Doctoral Seminar in Research Methods I

Thank you from Anne and Susan

Announced on 16 December 2009  11:22  p.m. by Susan S Silbey

Final Research Projects - posted on Stellar for last class

In this project you are to formulate a plan for a small research project. Your proposal should be typed, double-spaced, and approximately 10-20 pages in length. There are sample dissertation improvement proposals and research proposals submitted and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on the Stellar page under “Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants” and “Miscellaneous Resources.”

An important fact in the acceptance of a research proposal by a funding agency or government review board is the quality of the presentation. Creativity, clarity and brevity are all important aspects of proposal design

Follow the guidelines set out below

1. Title: should be descriptive and appropriate

2. Introduction and Objectives:
a. What is the purpose of the research project? Explain what you want to find out as a result of this project
b. What is the context of the project? In what social community, group, locale or network are you planning to implement this project?
c. What is the nature of this social community, group, locale or network?
d. Why is it an appropriate context for this research project?

3. Conceptual framework
a. What are the key ideas/concepts in this proposal?
b. Explain the meaning of these ideas/concepts, and their relevance to the research
c. Which of these ideas/concepts are being tested, refined or investigated in the research? Highlight these and explain their significance.

4. Scholarly and Practical Significance
a. What is the value of this project? What do we already know that indicates that this is a worthwhile topic to investigate? What will this project add to our previous understanding?
b. Is there anything new, exceptional or unusual about this project, either in its objectives or its methodology? Highlight the creative aspects of this project
c. Is this project likely to improve our understanding of an important issue (either academic or social)? What is that issue?
d. Will this project result in any benefit to the subjects or the larger community? Explain the potential significance of the project.
Note: cover several areas of literature and be sure that at least one is from the social sciences.

5. Research Methodology
a. What are the major avenues of investigation in this project (Informal, participant and structure observation, genealogies and network analyses, topical interviews, life histories, etc)?
b. Explain your decision to use these avenues of investigation. What is their advantage in this project?

6. Research plan
a. Set out a sequence for the research. Explain the order of events in the research plan
b. Explain your choice of locales/events for observation
c. List the features what will guide you in your selection of informants. Explain why these features are relevant to this project
d. Explain your choice of topics for focused interviews/life histories. What is the relevance of these topics to the proposed research?

7. Preliminary Research
a. What aspects of this research have already been implemented? What did you learn as a result of this preliminary research?
b. Explain the relevance of the preliminary research in terms of the objectives of this proposal.
c. What are the expected outcomes of this research?

8. Summary
Summarize the major objectives of the proposal. Give a brief review of its significance. Justify your choice of research community, group, locale or network. Reiterate the importance of the project

Announced on 08 December 2009  10:36  p.m. by Susan S Silbey

Last class, project presentations, final projects, and lunch

We are meeting on December 15 beginning at 10 am in our usual room, 16-220. Each student will present his or her project using power point, expecting to speak 10-12 minutes and then discussion. We would like the presentation to include the basic framing with reference to existing literature with findings that create opportunities for new research. You sampling/setting, modes of data collection and analysis, as well as hypotheses or questions as appropriate. However, it really cannot be more than 5-8 slides at most.

The final project is due December 30, delivered electronically to Aruna, paper copies to Susan and to Anne (2 paper copies).

We are posting on the Stellar page further instructions for the final project, a condensed version presented next Tuesday. We will also send them in the next email.

Lunch of Indian Food will be served. We have heard from one member of the class with food restrictions. Others should let us know if you also have food constraints.

See you next week.

Susan and Anne

Announced on 08 December 2009  10:25  p.m. by Susan S Silbey

Class tomorrow, Tuesday November 17

Announced on 16 November 2009  10:24  a.m. by Susan S Silbey

Handout for Class, Tuesday October 6, 2009: The Research Process, Steps and Hints

Announced on 05 October 2009  6:46  p.m. by Susan S Silbey