RESEARCH METHODS

Catalog description

Not open to those who have taken PUBH 4610.This course focuses on the examination and application of general quantitative research methods. Specifically, the course will be geared towards students obtaining the following skills: 1) Comprehension of the goals and basic steps of research; 2) realization that designing a research project involves a series of choices and the appreciation of the consequences of these choices; 3) Developing a set of criteria for evaluating the value of research questions, the validity of the claims, the generalization of the results, and the ethical considerations involved in conducting and reporting research; 4) Appreciating the strengths and limitations of quantitative research methodologies; and 5) Completion of all steps of a simple research project. Emphasis is placed on students gaining experience in data collection and using the computer as a research tool.