Differentiate the research methods used in the individual disciplines of psychology, sociology, anthropology, and gerontology

Welcome to BEHS 300!

 

This course introduces you to the concepts, research methods, research issues, and data collection techniques of the social and behavioral sciences. You will learn how psychology, sociology, anthropology, and gerontology each use the scientific method to approach the study of social issues. Although these disciplines rely on the same basic scientific principles, each contributes its own unique data collection methodologies and concentrates on the development of specific skills for gathering information. You will learn how the use of mixed methods, when appropriate, can aid social scientists in formulating a more integrated interdisciplinary understanding of complex social situations.

 

This course also addresses key concepts necessary to foster critical thinking and good oral and written communication skills in social science majors as they build a solid foundation to pursue a career in a social science or other fields. These concepts include theory-based research, validity and reliability, program evaluation, proposal and report writing, and the ethical treatment of research study participants.

 

Course Learning Outcomes

 

· Differentiate the research methods used in the individual disciplines of psychology, sociology, anthropology, and gerontology.

 

· Explain the importance of using mixed methods to study complex social issues.

 

· Explain the importance of following ethical guidelines in social science research.

 

· Identify the steps in conducting social science research and demonstrate the link between theory, research, and analysis.

 

· Effectively communicate the relevance of social science research in addressing a current social issue.

Literature Review

 

Students will write a review of the literature review on a social issue of their choice. This

 

means that you will analyze the particular social issue by reviewing existing literature on this

 

topic in a comprehensive manner.

 

Guidelines for the paper include:

 

 At least three pages (not including cover page and reference page), typed, 12 point font Times New Roman font or Arial 11 point font, double-spaced, with one-inch margins (students should not cut and paste tables from their sources – they should report findings in a narrative format).

 

 Written in a scholarly manner with an introduction, appropriate subheadings, and a conclusion.

 

 Utilizes appropriate APA formatting

 

 Papers will use and apply three scholarly research resources to support your perspective Description and Interpretation of literature reviewed:

 

 What did the scholars in the field find with regard to your topic of choice?

 

 What evidence do they provide that explain why this particular social phenomenon occurs?

 

 What solutions do they offer that will assist in addressing this social phenomenon?

 

How do I know if I have an academic, peer-reviewed, scholarly source?

 

You should use peer-reviewed sources for your literature review. Peer-reviewed professional journals and scholarly references are required for writing your review paper. Peer-reviewed journals contain articles that have been reviewed by professionals in the field and deemed to be worthy of publication because they make a contribution to the field. They are called peer-reviewed because the articles are reviewed by the peers (professional colleagues) of the article authors who work in the same field. Peer-reviewed professional journals and scholarly references are required for writing your review paper. Peer-reviewed journals contain articles that have been reviewed by professionals in the field and deemed to be worthy of publication because they make a contribution to the field. They are called peer-reviewed because the articles are reviewed by the peers (professional colleagues) of the article authors who work in the same field. Peer-reviewed journals are NOT popular publications such as Time Magazine, the New York Times, Newsweek, People, etc.! They are also not articles on advocacy web sites such as that of the ACLU, PETA, NOW, etc. Do not use the following:

 

 popular accounts (e.g., Scientific American, Discover magazine, mass market books)  news accounts, whether in newspapers, magazines.  opinion pieces such as editorials  blogs and Internet discussion groups  interviews with scientists  Wikipedia or encyclopedia articles. Please do not use or cite Wikipedia or blogs as a source in

 

your writings – They will NOT be accepted. As you may know if you have been following the news recently, there have been numerous issues with the accuracy of information in Wikipedia. (You may use Wikipedia to get some ideas and leads to other sources.)

 

A WWW site is not an acceptable reference. If you do get information from the web, the information you collect must have a literature reference not a Web reference. The good Web sites have a list of references. Use those; look them up in the library! Make sure the references conform to the concept of primary references as outlined above. Here are some rules of thumb to follow:

 

 Because just about anybody can post information on the free web, websites found through search engines aren’t very reliable. There isn’t really any way to make sure that these sources are (1) current, (2) scholarly, (3) peer-reviewed, or (4) unbiased

 

 Use the UMUC Library system to get peer-reviewed, scholarly sources will lead you to articles in journals that pertain to your topic. How to do this is located in your Assignment area

 

 Read through the abstract (the synopsis at the top of the paper) and it should say that the authors conducted some type of research that pertains to your topic along with how they collected data, how they analyzed it, and what they found out about the issue after they completed the research. Do my sources have to be on the same topic?

 

 YES!! You choose a topic that is appropriate to the course. Then you are going to

 

find at least three peer-reviewed scholarly sources that you will write your paper on.

 

What if I am still having trouble identifying a topic and finding these sources?

 

 Contact the UMUC Library and Writing Center to assist you  The Librarians know what a Literature Review is. Just tell them what your

 

assignment is.

 

 I have all of my articles now, but I do not know how to write a Literature Review,

 

what do I do?

 

o Within the Learning Resources for Week Four, you will find various resources.

 

One of them is a document entitled “How to read an article and write a literature

 

review.” Review the comment boxes within this document  You are not going to understand everything that is contained within these

 

scholarly sources. For example, much of the statistical data

 

 You do not have to report on all of that.

 

 SUGGESTION: Go to the end of the articles where you will find sections

 

entitled “Discussions” or “Findings” or “Results.” That is where the

 

researchers/authors discuss what they ended up finding out at the end of

 

their research. THAT IS WHAT YOU USE

 

 It is also highly suggested that you go to the Writing Center.

 

 Do NOT write an opinion piece. You should write in the third person.

 

This paper is about reporting the results that the researchers found

 

 I do not know how to cite using APA format:

 

o Under “Content” scroll to the bottom and there are numerous resources for APA

 

o The UMUC Librarians can assist you

 

o The Writing Center can help you as well.

 

o Look at the examples of past student literature reviews

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