Key concepts

• Understand these concepts, their connections, and their roles in research design (Meier et al., 2014; Shoemaker et al., 2003):
  • theory, concept, assumption
  • theoretical/operational definition
  • hypothesis, variables
• Criteria for causation (Meier et al., 2014)
• Tidy vs. messy data (Wickham, 2014)
• Unit of analysis, level of analysis, and observation (lecture)
• Good data management practices (Gentzkow & Shapiro, 2014)

Before class

Required readings

SKIP the following sections in MBB: Research design, experimental designs of research, Quasi-experimental designs of research, research designs and validity.

1. Meier, K. J., Brudney, J. L., & Bohte, J. (2014). Research Design. In Applied Statistics for Public and Nonprofit Administration.
2. Shoemaker, P. J., Tankard, J. W., & Lasorsa, D. L. (2003). Theoretical Statements Relating Three Variables. In How to Build Social Science Theories. SAGE Publications. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/utxa/detail.action?docID=996273
3. Wickham, H. (2014). Tidy Data. The Journal of Statistical Software, 59(10). http://www.jstatsoft.org/v59/i10/
4. Gentzkow, M., & Shapiro, J. M. (2014). Code and Data for the Social Sciences: A Practitioner’s Guide.

Recommended

• Shoemaker, P. J., Tankard, J. W., & Lasorsa, D. L. (2003). Theoretical and Operational Linkages. In How to Build Social Science Theories. SAGE Publications. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/utxa/detail.action?docID=996273
• Shoemaker, P. J., Tankard, J. W., & Lasorsa, D. L. (2003). Theoretical Statements Relating Two Variables. In How to Build Social Science Theories. SAGE Publications. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/utxa/detail.action?docID=996273
• Ruane, J. M. (2016). Designing Ideas: What Do We Want to Know and How Can We Get There? In Introducing Social Research Methods: Essentials for Getting the Edge (pp. 67–92). John Wiley & Sons Inc.
• Wilson, G., Bryan, J., Cranston, K., Kitzes, J., Nederbragt, L., & Teal, T. K. (2017). Good Enough Practices in Scientific Computing. PLOS Computational Biology, 13(6), e1005510. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005510

In class

• Lecture on key concepts and frameworks.
• Group discussion on reading materials.
• Review the progress of learning plan, Early-Pass, and replication project.

After class

• Learning plan proposal (draft; n.g.) due next week.
• Early-Pass the Standard Test - Quantitative next week during office hours.