Sbsf 8417 Syllabus

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Walden University COMPLETE ONLINE SYLLABUS SBSF 8417 - Research Seminar I: Human Inquiry and Science Course Support and Calendar Information: So you have all key information available to you off-line, it is highly recommended that you print the following items for your reference: This Syllabus Term Calendar Instructor and Course Support Info Description of Course: This seminar focuses on students’ acquisition of substantive, foundational knowledge of the philosophy of science, including the construction, use, and critique of concepts and theories. Qualitative and quantitative frameworks for inquiry are introduced. Ethical, social, and political aspects of conducting research, producing knowledge, and engaging in scholarship in the American academy, including the role of the professorate are examined. Course Prerequisites: AMDS 8000, PPPA 8000, PUBH 6000 or SBSF 8005. Students who take and successfully complete SBSF 8005 must complete one additional full quarter of enrollment before enrolling in SBSF 8417. Learning Objectives stated in Terms of Learning Outcomes: Introduction All knowledge is socially constructed. What we consider reality may be differently interpreted, understood, and explained by different people in different social and cultural contexts. Science is a generalizing discipline that tries to find relationships between discrete elements, discover general rules or principles to explain these relationships, make predictions about the future course of events, and if necessary, suggest intervention strategies to alter the course of these events. Many historians, social science scholars, and philosophers now view science as one form of modern human culture, though an important, powerful, and evolutionary one, which contains all the characteristics of any human culture. Traditionally, the scientific method is based on principles of causality, objectivity, and verifiability. These principles are, in turn, informed by certain basic assumptions about the nature of the reality under investigation. More recently, less traditional methods such as description, representations and images, tentative theories, experiments, observations, metaphors, and analogies have become accepted as ways of explaining reality. Hence, one can say that there is no single ‘scientific’ method or system of human inquiry. http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=3090837&Survey=1&47=4007317&ClientNodeID=404183&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

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In this seminar, the learner will be confronted with several topics pertaining to the systems of human inquiry and the nature of science: 1. 2. 3. 4.

What distinguishes science from other sorts of inquiry? What are the nature and processes of scientific discovery, explanation, confirmation, and theory development? What is/are the relationship(s) among the processes of logic, reasoning, causation, evidence, experience, shared understanding and meaning, and theories in science? Can (is/should) science be "value free" or "neutral?"

Objectives Upon completion of the seminar, the learner will be able to: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Identify the role of philosophy in establishing a conceptual framework for conducting scholarly inquiry; Differentiate the broad-based nature of scientific inquiry as compared to other forms of inquiry; Describe the construction, use, and critique of theories and conceptual frameworks in systems of human inquiry; Analyze concepts, theories, and logic of the arguments in published scholarly research; Accept the ethical, social, and political aspects of the production of scholarly knowledge; Debate the connection between inquiry, theory, and knowledge application.

Required Texts to be Furnished by the Student: 1. Sayer, A. (1992). Method in social science: A realist approach. New York, NY; Routledge. 2. Trochim, W. M. K. (2001). The research methods knowledge base (2 nd ed.). Mason, OH: Thomson. Online-interactive textbook available from AtomicDog: http://www.atomicdogpublishing.com/home.asp . In place of required textbook 2, the following textbook may be used: Trochim, W. M. K., & Donnelly, J. P. (2007). The research methods knowledge base (3 rd ed.). Mason, OH: Thomson. Students should also have a copy of the following reference book from other courses, and should refer to it as necessary in this course: American Psychological Association (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5 th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. Required Text(s) Available Free Online:

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3. National Academy Press. (1995). On being a scientist: Responsible conduct in research (2 nd ed.). Washington, DC: Author. This text is available online at: http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/obas/ (html with hyperlinks) or http://www.empowermentzone.com/science.txt or http://www.sunstar-solutions.com/AOP/SOW/being_scientist.htm 4. National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Extramural Research. (2008). Protecting human research participants [Online training course]. Available from http://phrp.nihtraining.com/users/login.php. 5. MacCoun, R. J. (1998). Biases in the interpretation and use of research results. Annual Review of Psychology, 49(1), 259-287. Available from http://istsocrates.berkeley.edu/~maccoun/MacCoun_AnnualReview98.pdf , or http://projectimplicit.net/nosek/teaching/761/maccoun1998.pdf , or http://www.indiana.edu/~educy520/sec6342/week_02/macCoun98research_bias.pdf . 6. Other readings: Two research articles to be selected by the student, one reading on Thomas S. Kuhn and scientific revolutions. Ordering Textbooks and Reading Packets: Textbook orders should be placed immediately following confirmation of course registration. The Sayer text may be available from a variety of online vendors. The Trochim text can be obtained in hard copy from a variety of vendors. It is also available as an online-interactive book through Atomic Dog Publishing at http://www.atomicdogpublishing.com/home.asp . The Course Geography: Your course is organized through eCollege. Below are the tools in your class, how we will be using them, and expectations associated with each. Take some time to get used to using the tools and contact me if have questions. The Navigation bar: The Navigation bar allows you to access all course content and is located on the left hand side of your online classroom window. The course materials are divided into two major sections: Course Home and Weekly Course Information. Course Home: Contains the overall content that pertains to your entire course Syllabus: Part I of the Walden Course Syllabus, which includes the course description and all weekly expectations for your course Calendar: This function is for personal use Syllabus II: Part II of the Walden Course Syllabus, which includes Walden University policies and information http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=3090837&Survey=1&47=4007317&ClientNodeID=404183&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

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policies and information Term Calendar: Outlines the course dates for the current term Instructor/Course Support: Includes course support information Course Info: May include rubrics and/or general information related to your course Class Café: A place to introduce yourself and get to know your colleagues Walden Links: Links to useful Walden University web sites Weekly Buttons: Provide access to the weekly home page and include a statement of purpose and objectives for each weekly lesson or topic Study Notes: Commentary based on the weekly topic Assignments: Outlines detailed assignment descriptions for each week Discussion: Read and respond to topics in each weekly discussion Your course may also contain other areas such as groups or quizzes. The Tabs: Tabs at the top of your online classroom window provide you with access to important course tools including: the course Gradebook, email, assignment Dropbox, Document Sharing (where you may upload and download files and share them with your colleagues), the Webliography (which contains important hyperlinks), and real-time communication areas, such as chat rooms. Click on the Help button in the upper right corner of your screen for reference to common questions. Course Assignments: Please note that all course assignments must be completed and submitted to the instructor according to schedule. No assignments will be accepted after the final date of the course, for whatever reason. See the Weekly Course Schedule at the end of this syllabus for a list of assignments and due dates. Point potentials from assignments are as follows: ASSIGNMENT POINTS Discussion Weeks 2-11 (10 @ 4 points each) 40 Assignments: Weeks 2, 4, 5, and 8 (4 @ 10 points each) 40 Assignments: Weeks 1, 6, 7, and 11 (4 @ 5 points each) 20 TOTAL 100 Course Grading Criteria and Total Components of a Grade: Grades will be assigned based on the following formula: 90-100% (90-100 pts.) A 80-89% (80-89 pts.) B <80% (<80 pts.) F http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=3090837&Survey=1&47=4007317&ClientNodeID=404183&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

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Note that a grade of B or better is required to pass this course. Final Grading Procedures: The instructor will evaluate student performance and award a grade of A or B to those who successfully complete the course. Students who do not complete the course successfully, i.e., with work less than B, will receive a grade of F. The registrar makes these notations on the student’s academic record and awards the appropriate credits. Grades are submitted within five days of the last day of the course. Each Foundation Research course, including SBSF 8417 Human Inquiry and Science, carries a credit value as specified in the University Catalog. Participation Standard/Communication Requirements: Students are expected to participate at by posting materials and contributions to discussion assignments. Topics to be discussed are provided in the course syllabus and course Weekly Assignment areas. You are expected to a) make a posting that would provide a response to the assigned discussion item(s); b) post a meaningful comment to at least one other posting by a fellow student To be counted as participation, the postings need to be thoughtful; that is, they refer to the session readings, relevant issues in the news, information obtained from other sources, or ideas expressed in the postings of other class members. For further instructions see the instructor’s guidelines in the weekly folders. Make sure to post your participation items during the respective week, and not before or after the respective dates. Only postings made during the week will count toward your participation grade. Respond by Day 5 (Friday) to the assigned discussion items. Respond by Day 7 (Sunday) to postings by fellow students. Feedback Schedule: Feedback on assignments will be provided on the paper and returned within one week of the submission date. Grades will be posted to the online grade book at the same time. To see your grades click on the Gradebook tab at the top of the eCollege course window. Course Procedures and Preferred Methods for Delivering Assignments: Please see the instructions in the Assignment section of the each week. When using the Dropbox to submit assignments, please include your name in the file name, and make sure your name appears on the top of the word document you are submitting. Policy on Late Assignments: If you anticipate being late with an assignment, please notify the instructor prior to the due date and agree a mutually acceptable alternative submission date. Late assignments will normally be http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=3090837&Survey=1&47=4007317&ClientNodeID=404183&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

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and agree a mutually acceptable alternative submission date. Late assignments will normally be accepted up to three days after the submission date but might not receive feedback. Assignments more than three days late will receive a failing grade. Discussion postings after the closing date for the week will be permitted only if they are continuation of existing threads to which you have already contributed. No work can be accepted after the final date for the course. Writing Standards: This is a doctoral level course; respectively high writing standards appropriate for this level of study are being applied. Before submitting, make sure that you have spellchecker your document. Work on improving your writing skills and use of APA if the instructor indicates the need. You can obtain feedback on drafts by emailing [email protected], but you must allow ample turnaround time (several days). WEEKLY COURSE SCHEDULE Week One

Research Ethics, Part 1

Reading: Assignments:

National Academy Press’s On Being a Scientist In On Being a Scientist, read the hypothetical (research ethicsbased) scenarios/case examples in "Allocation of credit" (Ben: Credit where credit is due) and "Misconduct in science" (May: A case of plagiarism). Write out your answers to the questions raised at the end of each scenario. Each answer should reflect a high-level of critical thinking or analysis and be supported, whenever possible, by a scholarly citation concerning research ethics.

Discussion:

Send your document to your instructor by using an attachment in the Dropbox. Please save your document with a file name of yournameWeek#.doc. So John Doe's week 1 assignment would be a file named DoeWeek1.doc. Assignment is due Day 7. Post your introduction (name, academic program, city and state of residence, professional experience, scholarly interests, etc.) IN THE CLASS CAFÉ. WEEK 1 DISCUSSION: The last section of On being a scientist (pp. 20-21) raises the question of the scientist’s responsibility to society. How do you envision your own role? Can your research contribute to the betterment of society? Explain. Respond by Day 5 to the assigned discussion items. Respond by Day 7 to postings by fellow students.

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Week Two

Scientific Knowledge and the Social Sciences

Reading: Assignments:

Sayer (1992), Introduction and Chapter 1 Sayer (1992) begins with the observation that “The status of social science is seriously in doubt” (p. 1). The doubt that Sayer refers to is whether the social sciences are actually sciences, or whether they should be considered some other sort of enterprise. What do you think? For this assignment, select the social (or behavioral) science with which you are most familiar or the one that you are studying at Walden, and answer the question of whether it should be considered a science or some other sort of enterprise. As part of the assignment, you should · select one social science (or a behavioral science), · say what science is and how scientific knowledge differs from other sorts of knowledge, · explain whether the definition that you give applies to the social science that you selected, · present at least one moderately plausible or documented reason why someone might believe that the social science that you selected is not a science, and · evaluate that reason. Does the answer to the question of whether it is a science have any implications for the way that you will conduct your dissertation research? (Be sure to address all of the bulleted issues.) Your answer to these questions should be included in a wellwritten essay between 300 and 600 words long. You can receive full credit for either a negative or an affirmative answer to the question of whether the social science that you selected is a social science, provided that it is clear and reasonably convincing. Points may be deducted for incorrect APA style. Send your document to your instructor by using an attachment in the Dropbox. Please save your document with a file name of yournameWeek#.doc. So John Doe's week 2 assignment would be a file named DoeWeek2.doc. Assignment is due Day 7. Respond to the two questions below. 1. After reading Sayer (esp. pp. 29-35), give and explain an example from your own area of interest of a concept-dependent social phenomenon. 2. What is verstehen, and how is it connected to Sayer’s view that social science must be critical of its object (toward the end of chapter 1)?

Discussion:

Respond by Day 5 to the assigned discussion items. Respond by Day 7 to postings by fellow students. Week Three

Traditional Research Approaches: Conceptualizing Research

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Reading: Assignments: Discussion:

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Trochim’s The Research Methods Knowledge Base (2 nd or 3rd ed.), Chapter 1 No assignment this week. (It would be a good idea to start working on the readings and assignments for Week 4 and Week 5.) It is often helpful to distinguish between inductive and deductive reasoning processes in research. (Note that the terms “inductive” and “deductive” may be used with a variety of different meanings. For this week’s discussion, use them as they are explained in the Trochim textbook.) 1. Using your own words and/or examples from your field, please clarify the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning as the words are used in research. 2. Indicate which type of reasoning you are currently favoring for your own dissertation work. Respond by Day 5 to the assigned discussion items. Respond by Day 7 to postings by fellow students.

Week Four

Traditional Research Approaches: Quantitative Methods

Reading:

Trochim’s The Research Methods Knowledge Base, Chapter 2 Trochim’s The Research Methods Knowledge Base, Chapter 3 This week’s assignment focuses on a quantitative approach. (Next week’s assignment will examine qualitative approaches.) Read a quantitative article in a peer-reviewed journal in your discipline that uses data collection to test some hypothesis. (Since the purpose of this assignment is for you to look at basic research methods, do not use a meta-analysis or other sort of paper. To simplify your task, avoid papers that also employ qualitative methods. Some articles present quantitative data but not for the purpose of testing a hypothesis: such articles are not suitable for this assignment.) Please organize your paper with each of the sections clearly numbered. 1. Give the bibliographic citation for the article. Use correct APA style. 2. Succinctly state the hypothesis or hypotheses being tested. 3. List the (main) independent variables. (NOTE: There is a connection between the variables and the hypothesis.) 4. List the dependent variables. 5. How does the author frame the problem? Are any theoretical assumptions or biases evident? Explain. 6. Briefly describe the data collection and analysis procedures. 7. What conclusion(s) did the authors reach? Summarize briefly. 8. Were the conclusions supported by the data (and sound reasoning)? Explain. 9. Did you detect any weaknesses or shortcomings? Was there anything which the researchers could have done better?

Assignments:

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anything which the researchers could have done better? 10. What is your overall evaluation of the research (and of the article)?

Discussion:

Send your document to your instructor by using an attachment in the Dropbox. Please save your document with a file name of yournameWeek#.doc. So John Doe's week 4 assignment would be a file named DoeWeek4.doc. Assignment is due Day 7. Post your responses to the following questions. 1. Distinguish the concept “reliability” from the concept “validity,” using your own words or examples. (Please use these terms in their research sense, not their every day meaning. That is, not personal reliability, but statistical reliability.) 2. Provide an example of either weak reliability or weak validity. 3. Describe the relationship between reliability and validity. Respond by Day 5 to the assigned discussion items. Respond by Day 7 to postings by fellow students.

Week Five

Traditional Research Approaches: Surveys and Qualitative Methods

Reading:

Either Trochim’s 2nd edition or Trochim’s 3rd edition can be used, but the division of the material into chapters is different. Trochim’s 2ND EDITION: Chapters 4 & 5 Trochim’s 3RD EDITION: Chapters 4, 5, 6, & 8 Locate and read an article in a peer-reviewed journal in your discipline that utilizes a qualitative method to address a research question. (The discussion of qualitative methods and approaches in the Trochim textbook should be helpful for recognizing the sort of method used in the article.) Please organize your paper with each of the following sections clearly numbered. 1. Give the bibliographic citation for the article in APA style. 2. Provide a brief summary of the research question (i.e., purpose of the study). 3. Describe the author’s (probable) rationale for using qualitative methods in the study. 4. Describe the data collection and analysis procedures. (NOTE: This question has two parts.) 5. Did the qualitative researcher also use any quantitative methods, including unobtrusive ones? (Unobtrusive methods are explained in the Trochim textbook.) Explain your answer. 6. Was the research purpose of the study achieved? (See question 2 above. In other words, was the research question answered or partially answered?) Explain your answer.

Assignments:

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Discussion:

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7. State briefly what the author found. 8. Can you identify any questionable assumptions or biases in the author’s approach or conclusions? 9. Do you think that another type of qualitative or quantitative method could have worked better in addressing the research question? Explain your answer. Compare the method(s) used with at least one method that was not used in the study. 10. What is your overall evaluation of the study? What are the weak areas? What are the strong areas? (This is where you get to give your own opinion. Focus primarily on the quality of the research.) Send your document to your instructor as an attachment in the Dropbox. Please save your document with a file name of yournameWeek#.doc. So John Doe's week 5 assignment would be a file named DoeWeek5.doc . Assignment is due Day 7. Respond to the following: 1. Post descriptions of at least two potential dissertation research topics you may consider exploring further. 2. For each of the topics, indicate whether you would lean toward using a qualitative or quantitative design and explain why. Respond by Day 5 to the assigned discussion items. Respond by Day 7 to postings by fellow students.

Week Six

Research Design and Biases

Reading:

Again, for Trochim’s 2nd and 3rd editions, the readings are the same but the chapter numbers are different. Trochim’s 2ND EDITION: Chapter 6 Trochim’s 3RD EDITION: Chapter 7 MacCoun, R. J. (1998). Biases in the interpretation and use of research results. Annual Review of Psychology, 49(1), 259-287. Complete the open book quiz that is based on Trochim's Research Design chapter. (The Quiz button can be found under the Week 6 Discussion button at the far left of the eCollege screen.)

Assignments:

Discussion:

Assignment is due Day 7. Please address the following questions: 1. Post again the descriptions of your two potential dissertation research topics. 2. Just as other researchers have biases, so do we all. For each of the two dissertation topics you are considering, list your pre-existent biases for each topic. Why did you pick these topics and not some other topic? 3. What issues are most salient to you based on your own experiences? What definitions/assumptions do you bring?

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3. Now, for each topic, indicate how you might address these biases in the literature review, design, and/or discussion components of your dissertation. Respond by Day 5 to the assigned discussion items. Respond by Day 7 to postings by fellow students. Week Seven

Analyzing and Critiquing Traditional Research Methods: Theories and Knowledge Development

Reading:

Sayer’s Method in Social Science, Chapter 2 Information on scientific revolutions: Thomas Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions was written in the late 1940s but first appeared in a book form in 1962. You may want to obtain a hard copy or get acquainted with his ideas via the Internet. An internet search for his name will yield many sites. Especially recommended is http://www.des.emory.edu/mfp/Kuhnsnap.html . Please organize your paper with each of the following sections clearly numbered: 1. From your own field, please select and describe an example of a theoretical revolution. (One famous example from astronomy is Galileo and Copernicus’s heliocentric construct, replacing the view that the sun moves around the earth. In a theoretical revolution, the acceptance of a new theory necessitates the abandonment of some previously held beliefs from a prior theory.) In your discussion, identify the new theory and sketch some of the features of the earlier theory that it supplants. 2. Citing the relevant concepts in Sayer’s Chapter 2, please explain what factors caused the new theoretical framework in your field to finally push through and gain acceptance over the old framework. 3. Describe how professionals and scholars reacted to the theoretical shift at the time.

Assignments:

Discussion:

Send your document to your instructor by using an attachment in the Dropbox. Please save your document with a file name of yournameWeek#.doc. So John Doe's week 7 assignment would be a file named DoeWeek7.doc. Assignment is due Day 7. Given Sayer’s comments in Chapter 2, it is clear that he rejects the view that we each construct our own world, or that what is true for you may not be true for me. What do you think? Do you accept Sayer’s reasoning? What are the implications of each view for science? Respond by Day 5 to the assigned discussion items. Respond by Day 7 to postings by fellow students.

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Week Eight

Research Ethics

Reading: Assignments:

See assignment. Complete the training course Protecting human research participants, available through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Extramural Research at http://phrp.nihtraining.com/. When finished, click “Get Certificate” and save to a file. Send your certificate to your instructor as an attachment in the Dropbox. Please save your document with a file name of yournameWeek#.mht . Post your responses to the following: 1. Consider the following four ethical frameworks and post at least one example of how you have seen two or more of them conflict in your field. -Laws -Professional ethical codes -Mores/customs -Ethical principles 2. In your example, which ethical framework dominated in the end? 3. Which ethical framework do you think SHOULD generally take precedence in your professional area?

Discussion:

Respond by Day 5 to the assigned discussion items. Respond by Day 7 to postings by fellow students. Week Nine

Analyzing and Critiquing Traditional Research Methods: Abstraction, Structure, and Cause; Systems

Reading: Assignments: Discussion:

Sayer’s Method in Social Science, Chapters 3 & 4 None. Post your answers to the questions below: 1. Assume for purposes of discussion that you don’t want your dissertation to end with the final defense and publication, but would like your dissertation research to impact decision-making and practice in your professional context. Using one or more of the concepts described in Sayer’s Chapter 3 (e.g., abstraction, generalization, causal analysis), please describe what pragmatic steps would need to occur after your successful dissertation publication in order for the research to have an impact. Discuss everything from your writing style to your research design and methodological perspectives. What challenges would you anticipate? 2. Which of the systemic concerns described in Sayer’s Chapter 4 are most relevant to your professional field? Respond by Day 5 to the assigned discussion items. Respond by Day 7 to postings by fellow students.

Week Ten

Misadventures in the Philosophy of Science: Inquiry Methods Borrowed from the Physical Sciences

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Reading: Assignments: Discussion:

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Sayer’s Method in Social Science, Chapter 5 None. Post your answer to the questions below: 1. Pick one of the following concepts derived from philosophy of the physical sciences and discuss how the relevant assumptions/mechanisms would play out differently in the philosophy of social science. -Causation -Necessity -Essentialism -Deductivism 2. What are the challenges of "borrowing" theories and research methods from the physical and biological sciences? What are the benefits? Respond by Day 5 to the assigned discussion items. Respond by Day 7 to postings by fellow students.

Week Eleven

Analyzing and Critiquing Traditional Research Methods: Aims of Social Science and Obligations to Society

Reading: Assignments:

Sayer’s Method in Social Science, Chapter 9 Think about extensive and intensive research, as discussed in Sayer’s chapter 9. Discuss “extensive” and “Intensive” in terms of research. 1. For each, describe the benefits and drawbacks that are most salient to you. 2. Can, or should, they be used at the same time?

Discussion:

Send your document to your instructor by using an attachment in the Dropbox. Please save your document with a file name of yournameWeek#.doc. So John Doe's week 11 assignment would be a file named DoeWeek11.doc. Assignment is due Day 7. Post your responses to the following question: Sayer says, “Social science must be critical of its object.” However, others have maintained that social scientists should simply observe and describe things as they exist, so as not to compromise their objectivity and impartiality. Who do you side with in this controversy? Why? Respond by Day 5 to the assigned discussion items. Respond by Day 7 to postings by fellow students.

Week Twelve

Lessons for the Future

Reading:

Review course readings, assignments, and postings

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Assignments: Discussion:

Course Evaluation:

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No written assignments this week Please respond to the following: 1. Identify how this course (readings, assignments, discussion activities) influenced your approach to your forthcoming dissertation. Did it help you see new issues? Did it give you new ideas or deeper/different understanding? 2. In the context of your overall learning process, what are you left with as the most important new knowledge upon completion of this course? Respond by Day 5 to the assigned discussion items. Respond by Day 7 to postings by fellow students. Please complete the online course evaluation that your Online Concierge sends you. The aggregate data will be sent to the faculty coordinator and to the instructor. No student-identity information will be included in the report. Thank you for providing your feedback and comments on this course.

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