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Institute for Clinical Social Wo
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Course objective:
This is the first semester of a two semester course designed to prepare students to complete their dissertation proposal and, ultimately their dissertation. In order to complete this task, in the first two classes the seminar participants will discuss their areas of interest and potential research questions. They will explore the differences that wording in a research question or hypothesis makes in determining the final research method and the resources required to complete the project.
On October 14 the first class paper will be due. It will be a one page paper describing briefly the area to be studied and will end with a clearly stated and separately listed research question or hypothesis. The next two classes will discuss the implications of the chosen question for research design and planning, including sample selection and recruitment, potential costs in time and money associated with the question and design as stated and implications within the study.
On November 11, the second class paper will be due. It will restate the question and briefly outline a proposed clinical theory and bodies of literature to be included in the proposal. This paper will use the beginning of the dissertation proposal outline from the student handbook. If you do not have content for the theory and/or literature sections, include parentheses with comments on what authors or theories you expect to pursue at this time. There is no expectation that this will be complete. The next two classes will continue the discussion and refinement of these topics.
The third paper, due on January 6, the last day of class, will combine the elements of the first two papers within the outline for a dissertation proposal from the student handbook. The paper will include the whole outline, with each section filled in as far as the student has progressed with it. There is no expectation that the proposal will be complete, but in sections which have not yet been written, the student should include in the outline tentative ideas of which authors, theorists and researchers will be utilized for future work in so far as this has been determined. All references and formatting for all papers must conform to the ICSW style sheet.
Students in this class are at different points in the process of developing a dissertation proposal. The class attempts to move each forward at a pace that will continue the process for them. To this end, the assignments are short and specific and must be handed in on time to enable the student to gain the most benefit from this seminar.
There is no assigned text, since the appropriate design and data analysis method for each student will be found in one or more of the references listed in the bibliography or other appropriate methodology texts. The instructor will bring copies of some of the research texts to class for discussion periodically in order to help students discover the most appropriate text for the approach they plan to use.
Appropriate literature for the substantive content area is derived from prior classes, independent studies and further independent research. Students will be responsible for finding and reading the appropriate materials after class discussions. Class members are often good resources for each other in finding material as are bibliographies of dissertations, articles or books in related areas.
It is essential that the assignments be completed on time in order for students to take full advantage of the opportunity to have feedback from the class and the instructor. Grades are based on class participation as well as written work. Obviously missed classes reduce the opportunity for class participation and may be reflected in the final grade. Students are graded based more on their own progress than in comparison to other's work, although relative effort may be a consideration.
Bibliography
Babbie, E. (1992). The practice of social research. Belmont, CA. Wadsworth.
Bolker, Joan (1998). Writing your dissertation in fifteen minutes a day. New York. Henry Holt and Company.
Charmaz, Kathy (2006). Constructing grounded theory. Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications.
Cook, T. D & Campbell, D. T (1979) Quasi-experimentation: design and analysis issues for field settings. Boston. Houghton-Mifflin.
Creswell, John W. (2003) Research design: qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches. Second Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications.
Denzin, N. K. (2001) Interpretive Interactionism. Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications.
Denzin, N. K. & Lincoln, Y. S. (2005) Handbook of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage.
DiLeonardi, J.W. & Curtis, P.A. (1988) What to do when the numbers are in: A users guide to statistical data analysis in the human services. Chicago. Nelson-Hall.
Glaser, B. G. & Strauss, A. (1967) The discovery of grounded theory. Chicago. Aldine.
Glaser, B. G. (1978) Theoretical sensitivity: Further advances in the methodology of grounded theory. San Francisco. Sociology Press.
Greene, J. C., Caracelli, V. J., & Graham, W. F. (1989) Toward a conceptual framework for mixed-method evaluation designs. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. 11, 255-274.
Guba, E. G., ed. (1990). The paradigm dialog. Newbury Park, CA., Sage Publications.
Johnson, J. C. (1990) Selecting ethnographic informants. Newbury Park, CA. Sage Publications.
Lee, R. M. (1993) Doing research on sensitive topics. London. Sage Publications.
Lincoln, Y. S. & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Newbury Park, CA. Sage Publications
Locke, L. F., Spirduso, W. W., & Silverman, S. J. (1987) Proposals that work: a guide for planning dissertation and grant proposals. Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications.
Marshall, C. & Rossman, F. B. (1989) Designing qualitative research. Newbury Park, CA. Sage Publications.
Maxwell, J. A. (2004).Qualitative Research Design: an Interactive Approach. Newbury Park, CA. Sage Publications.
Miles, M. & Huberman, M. (1994) Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Source Book (2nd edition) Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications.
Morris, T (2006) Social Work research methods: four alternative paradigms. Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications.
Morse, J. M. ed. ((1994) Critical issues in qualitative research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications.
Pan, M. Ling. (2008). Preparing literature reviews. Glendale, CA. Pyrczak Publishing.
Reissman, Catherine Kohler (1993) Narrative Analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications.
Reissman, C. ed (1994) Qualitative studies in social work research. Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications.
Reissman, C. (2008) Narrative methods for the human sciences. Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications.
Rubin, H.J. & Rubin, I. S. (1995). Qualitative Interviewing: The Art of Hearing Data. Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications.
Silverman, D. (2001) Interpreting Qualitative Data: Methods for analysing talk, text, and interaction. 2nd edition; Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications.
Strauss, A. & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research. Newbury Park, CA. Sage Publications.
Tashakkori, A. & Teddlie, C. (1998). Mixed Methodology: Combining qualtitative and quantitative approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage
Publications.
Taylor, S. J. & Bogdan, R. (1984) Introduction to qualitative research methods: The search for meanings. (2nd edition). New York. John Wiley & Sons.
Van Maanen, J., Dabbs, J. M., & Faulkner, R.R. (1982) Varieties of Qualitative Research. Beverley Hills, CA. Sage Publications.
Webb, E. J., Campbell, D. T., Schwartz, R.D., & Sechrest, L. (1966) Unobtrusive Measures: Nonreactive research in the social sciences. Chicago. Rand McNally College Publishing.
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