DSOC 3130

Social Indicators and Introduction to Social Science Research

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2014-2015.

Introduction to social science research. The course reviews the general process through which social scientists derive credible answers to important questions about social change and social influences on individual behavior. It covers all steps in the research process, from the formulation of a research question to the final presentation of findings. The course is designed as a preparation for future work in social science research, but it is also intended for students who simply want to sharpen their capacity to evaluate the claims made by researchers. The course combines theory and application. A real-life research project on campus is used to apply the concepts and ideas from the textbook and lectures.

When Offered Spring.

Distribution Category (SBA)

• Explain, evaluate, and effectively interpret factual claims, theories and assumptions in the student's discipline(s) (especially in one or more of the college's priority areas of land grant-agricultural sciences, applied social sciences, environmental sciences, and/or life sciences) and more broadly in the sciences and humanities.
• Find, access, critically evaluate, and ethically use information.
• Integrate quantitative and qualitative information to reach defensible and creative conclusions.
• Communicate effectively through writing, speech and visual information.

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