Slides for Week 3 of DPC's Fall 2020 section of PADMN 6289 Research Design (Programs of Public Affairs, Dept of Political Science, University of Utah). Topics include research questions, concepts, and definitions.
Utah subpopulations? How have marijuana laws contributed to the oppression of Utahns of color and how might this be rectified? How does the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes in adjacent states impact marijuana sales and use in Utah? Descriptive RQ Normative RQ Associational/Causal RQ
which the researcher is seeking interpretations of (including from research participants) Concepts reflect the central variables of interest, to be measured and analyzed Concepts define the key phenomena of interest – generally in the form of social constructions, which often differ across groups Interpretive Research Empirical/Positivist Research Critical Research Concepts
of a term, its parameters (i.e. what it “is” and what it “is not”), and its relationship to other (related) concepts Should be informed by existing literature on the subject matter (do not make up a new concept or coin a new term if an existing one applies) Relevant in interpretive, empiricist/positivist, and critical research The strategy for measuring a concept; either capturing it numbers (quant) or identifying and characterizing it in text (qual) Should be informed by the conceptual definition and existing literature on the subject matter Most often relevant in empiricist/positivist research (both quant and qual)
produces or sustains racial inequity between racial groups…By policy, I mean written and unwritten laws, rules, procedures, processes, regulations, and guidelines that govern people…Racist policies have been described by other terms: ‘institutional racism,’ ‘structural racism,’ and ‘systemic racism,’ for instance…
they set out to measure Measure Reliability 02 Measure is consistent and repeatable Not reliable Not valid Reliable Not valid Valid Not reliable Reliable Valid
The reference list should inspire confidence The lit review is not a place to showcase how much you know; Keep a laser focus on the lit review purpose/objectives and avoid extraneous content and details Organize by topic, theme, idea, lesson, or concept (etc); Do not organize purely by author or publication date (i.e. temporally) Sources Focus Organization/Structure Lit Review Tips