Faculty Contact Information:
(James) Alexander Boeringa, Ph.D.; ABPP
ABOERING@FACULTY.ED.UMUC.EDU
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Consultation:
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1 hour prior to class or by appointment
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Required Texts and Readings:
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Supplementary Readings:
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In addition, all graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online library at www.ed.umuc.edu/library . The library contains a large number of full text academic journals that are free of charge and immediately available. The library homepage also contains a number of links related to improving students' research and writing skills.
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Recommended Journals:
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Course Description:
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Prerequisite: None. This course focuses on the study and application of research methodology for organizations for use as a tool in decision-making. Emphasis is on applied research theories and designs for methodological approaches that apply non-experimental and quasi-experimental research designs as part of the research strategy.
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Course Goals:
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As one of two research methods courses in the MPA program, this course provides graduate students with the conceptual and practical tools to develop proposals for and conduct non-experimental research projects, policy analyses, and program evaluations, as well as to evaluate and incorporate the implications of published reports into their practice as professionals. M.P.A. students are actively encouraged to use this class to develop the proposal for the professional paper required in PUAD 604.
In this course we will investigate:
1. Claims of Validity and Reliability.
2. Data Collection Techniques.
3. Data Management and Presentation Techniques.
4. Qualitative and Quantitative Methods for Evaluation.
5. The Elements of Research Design.
6. The Fundamentals of Research Execution.
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Course Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the scientific method by distinguishing between applied, basic, quantitative and qualitative research, and descriptive and inferential statistics.
- Demonstrate an understanding of program evaluation as a research methodology.
- Analyze professional situations for research/evaluation purposes.
- Generate research problem statements.
- Develop research proposals appropriate to problems statements in specific professional settings.
- Execute literature reviews.
- Formulate hypotheses.
- Develop data collection and data analyses strategies.
- Establish the internal and external validity and the reliability of measurements.
- Analyze, interpret, and apply published research findings to professional settings.
- Present research findings in written and graphic or oral formats.
- Define ethical and legal constraints on research.
- Analyze the application of information technology in research.
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Grading Information:
Grades for this course will be assigned as follows:
A 90%
B 80 – 89%
C 70 – 79%
F Below 70%
Please note that Bowie State University does not use "D" for graduate students. The grade F is used to designate academic failure. F(n) is used to designate failure for non-completion. Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC-Europe policies. For further details, please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog. Hard copies of the catalog are available in your local Education Center.
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Course Requirements:
Graduate school at the masters level focuses on helping students obtain the education needed for success as professionals in their chosen fields. Thus, UMUC-Europe Graduate Programs and Bowie State University share the common goals of promoting excellence in academic scholarship through thoughtful inquiry and the skillful application of knowledge and theory for the betterment of society. In order to maximize your graduate educational experience in general and this course in particular, you are required to:
Participate in classroom discussions 10%
Write graduate level papers or case studies 30%
Orally/visually present prepared material 20%
Complete one or more written examination(s) 40%
All examinations must be taken and all assignments submitted on the scheduled date. Missed exams and late papers will receive a zero. The only exceptions to this are permission of the instructor in writing obtained as soon as possible prior to the due date, documentation of an extreme emergency, or military orders which could not be foreseen.
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Description of Course Requirements:
Successful graduate students in American universities dedicate approximately three hours of preparation/study time for every hour spent in the face-to-face classroom. Thus, the following course requirements were developed on the assumption that students would be prepared to spend approximately 150 hours of their own time working on them. In an 8-week term, that is the equivalent of a half-time job. Most 14-week graduate distance education courses require at least 10 hours per week of dedicated time, plus time spent in the virtual classroom.
Participate in classroom discussions: You are expected to come to class prepared to engage in all discussions in a professional and informed manner.
Write graduate level papers or case studies: You are required to conduct professional-level research, including appropriately citing works of others and avoiding plagiarism. Resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC, UMUC-Europe or BSU), partially or in its entirety, is not acceptable in this course and will result in an automatic failure on the assignment. Moreover, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with UMUC-Europe/BSU policies on Plagiarism as all class papers may be sent to turnitin.com for authentication.
Orally/visually present prepared material: You are required to present your research in a professional manner. In a face-to-face course, this typically means an oral presentation accompanied by appropriate visual material. In a DE class, this means creating a visual/textual presentation for your instructor and classmates.
Complete one or more written examination(s): The examination process in this class will assist you in developing the writing and critical thinking skills necessary to successfully passing the comprehensive exam required of all graduate students. The questions used for this course will either be taken directly from past comprehensive exams or written as though to be included on a comprehensive exam.
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Course Schedule:
This schedule presents 16 units or modules, with each unit corresponding to a half-day on weekends. Please read and be ready to discuss scheduled reading materials.
First Weekend: Have Read The Practice of Social Research Part 1
Aug 19 AM Clarification of goals, objectives and requirements
Aug 19 PM Scientific Approach and Types of Research
Preparation: Practical Research Ch 1 and 2
Aug 20 AM Research Design
Aug 20 PM Ethics
Preparation: Practical Research Ch 12
Second Weekend: Have Read The Practice of Social Research Part 2
Sept 9 AM Problem Statements and Hypotheses
Sept 9 PM Research Methodology
Preparation: Practical Research Ch 5 and 6
Sept 10 AM Initial Proposals Due
Sept 10 PM Discussion of Proposals
Preparation: Practical Research Ch 7 and 8
Third Weekend: Have Read The Practice of Social Research Part 3
Sept 23 AM Research design
Sept 23 PM Data Analyses
Preparation: Practical Research Ch 9 and 10
Sept 24 AM Oral Presentations of Proposals
Sept 24 PM Critiques and Revisions
Preparation: Practical Research Ch 11
Fourth Weekend: Have Read The Practice of Social Research Part 4
Oct 7 AM Papers Due
Oct 7 PM Review of Material
Oct 8 AM Final Exam
Oct 8 PM Course Evaluations
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Academic Policies:
The University has a license agreement with Turnitin.com, a service that helps prevent plagiarism from internet resources. I may be using this service in this class by either requiring students to submit their papers electronically to Turnitin.com or by submitting questionable text on behalf of a student. If you or I submit part or all of your paper, it will be stored by Turnitin.com in their database throughout the term of the University's contract with Turnitin.com. If you object to this temporary storage of your paper, you must let me know no later than two weeks after the start of this class. Please Note: If you object to the storage of your paper on Turnitin.com, I may utilize other services to check your work for plagiarism.
The official university policy on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty can be found at http://www.umuc.edu/policy/aa15025.shtml. Section I.C. states: Faculty may determine if the resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC), partially or in its entirety, is acceptable when assigning a grade on that piece of course work. Faculty must provide this information in their written syllabi. If the resubmission of course work is deemed to be unacceptable, a charge may not be brought under this Policy and will be handled as indicated in the written syllabi.
Please refer to Description of Course Requirements for specific information on how resubmissions will be treated in this course and to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog for information on the following:
Academic Integrity
Course Load
Exception to Policy
Grade Appeal Process
Make-up Examinations
Nondiscrimination
Students with Disabilities
Hard copies of the catalog are available at your local Education Center.
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Faculty Bio:
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I was born and grew up in the Chicago area, spent 2 years in the Army, attended Trinity College, University of Chicago, and Hope College and graduate school at the Univ. of Texas at Austin. I received my Ph.D. in 1979 and later a Diplomate in Clinical Psychology. I began my career at the UT Medical School in Galveston, TX, worked in various Veterans Administration Hospitals and retired as Chief of Psychology Services from the Houston, VA. I have taught as part time faculty at several Universities, and my professional experience includes Private Practice, Hospitals, a Community Health Center, Student Health Center and both Adolescent and Children’s Facilities. I have taught for UMUC since 2001 in locations all over Europe. Of particular relevance to this course I have served on academic, thesis and dissertation committees and previously assisted several students at UMUC; and, of course: I survived my own ordeal of “trial by writing.” My joys are to teach, to travel, and to spend time with my 2 sons.
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