Instructor: Richard
W.Harris, Ph.D.; 131 TLRB
Email: richard_harris@byu.edu
Office Hours: 11-12
MWF or by appointment
Class time: 8-9:15
MW, 125 TLRB
And inasmuch
as they sought wisdom they might be instructed.
Doctrine &
Covenants 1:26
Click here for the course syllabus as a Microsoft Word file
Course Description
This course is designed to make clear the philosophical and logical foundations of scientific reasoning based on the principles of empiricism, operationism, causality, and probability theory. Students will learn about the principles underlying quantitative and qualitative research designs and the types of statistical methods appropriate for the analysis of different kinds of data. Projects are incorporated that facilitate skillful reading and comprehension of scientific literature and the ability to formulate a well-founded research proposal.
Course Philosophy
In this course, we will survey the fundamental methods of clinical research and statistical measurement as well as the scientific principles upon which such methods are based. Central to the organization of the course is the instructor’s belief that the term “science,” especially in the clinical realm, is best conceived as a verb that signifies a set of specified operations used for problem solving, decision making, and communicating knowledge in a manner that can be objectively evaluated by others. As a noun, the concept of “science” can be intimidating, if not shrouded in mystery. As a verb, it is understood to be merely a set of systematic mental observations and relevant tools for their expression that culminate in an evolving body of facts.
Course Texts
Schiavetti, NH., & Metz, D. E.. (2006). Evaluating research in communicative disorders, Boston, Allyn & Bacon.
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington DC: American Psychological Association.
Other Learning Materials
The course may involve additional readings, Internet-based tutorials, and exercises.
You will be required to purchase EndNote from the BYU Bookstore. The cost I believe is $1. You must use EndNote during writing of your inclass prospectus. More details provided in class.
Course Web site: COMD 600 syllabus.doc
Reference
Books. The library contains
many texts and reference works on statistics and research design which discuss
concepts to be covered in this course.
You may feel a need for additional information, or you might want
alternate descriptions to those given in the assigned texts or in lecture. The HBLL first floor's BF section has psych
research methods texts and the 2nd floor's QA section covers statistics and
computer science.
Other
Resources
You
will be required to submit your sample prospectus for this class in printed and
electronic for. This is designed to help
you prepare your thesis for Electronic Submission to the Graduate School at the
completion of your graduate studies. Please
refer to the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation web pages on the following web
site:
Also,
please thoroughly review the BYU Minimum Standards for Theses and Disserations
web site:
http://www.byu.edu/gradstudies/resources/publications/MinimumStandards.pdf
The
Statistical Consulting Center provides free consulting to students, provided
they are accompanied by their major professor (more details will be provided in
class).
The
English Department faculty may read your thesis to help identify grammar and
punctuation errors for a small fee (approximately $10) (more details will be
provided in class).
The
Writing Center, 1010 JKHB x8-4306
http://www4.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/
http://www.comdisdome.com/dome/index.jsp
http://www.comdisdome.com/dome/tutorial.jsp?_dm=comdis&_sk=
Course Goals
Students
in audiology and speech language pathology need to know how to measure and
describe behavior, avoiding pitfalls invalidating measurement. Second, they need to know how to objectively
read the literature to access new knowledge throughout their professional
careers. Both of these needs are
critical to successful research (and successful clinical practice).
In
this class we address these needs by studying research methods. Students will learn principles of research
design and how to apply the scientific method to clinical assessment and
intervention. We will take a “practical”
approach to do this, focusing heavily on the thesis that each of you must
complete for your master’s degree.
Prerequisites to this Course
The
prerequisites to this course are Math 110 and Stat 222. Although we will review some of the material
covered in these courses, a basic understanding of statistics will be assumed.
Concepts to be Studied in this Course
The
nature of graduate study; characteristics of a strong graduate program
Planning
feasible research studies
Reviewing
the literature
Components
of research articles and theses: overview
Introduction section
Review of literature section (appendix to
thesis)
Method section
Results section
Discussion section
Selecting
a research question
Scientific
method, types of research
Terms,
concepts, and research methods
Research
design, group and single subject
The
editorial review & publication process
Ethics
in research
APA
style
Statistics:
basic notions
statistical methods commonly used in ASLP
research
looking for differences
looking for relationships
non-parametric statistics in ASLP research
& clinical work
other statistical methods in ASLP research
characteristics of good data analysis
Examinations
There will be two examinations. Examinations must be taken on the scheduled
date. Exceptions will be made only in
"exceptional cases" and should be negotiated well in advance when
possible. Examinations will be
"closed book”. Exams will cover
both lecture and text material, about 50/50.
The exams will be essay and short answer in nature. The first exam will be administered in class
on the date noted in the calendar. The
second exam will be administered on the scheduled day during finals week. Each examination will be worth 100 points.
Quizzes
There will be 2 or 3 unannounced quizzes
on reading assignments. Each quiz will
be worth 25 points.
Chapter Reading Assignments
At the end of each chapter in the textbook
there are supplemental readings and study questions. You need to select one of the study questions
for detailed answer. Read the assigned
reading and then prepare a well written answer to the study question. These will be due one each week starting with
Chapter 1 due during the week of September 22, 2008. Assignments will be due the first day of
class during each week with one study question due each week. Each study question answer is worth 15
points.
Review of the Literature/Prospectus
The final two requirements will be to 1)
write a prospectus and 2) submit it to me electronically and in printed form
(more details provided in class). This
prospectus should be very similar to a research publication (minus results and
discussion). More details to be given in
class. The prospectus will have several
dates where you will have to submit portions of the prospectus. These dates will be announced in class.
A prospectus is a research thesis
proposal. There is no guarantee that you
will actually be able to use the prospectus that you write. That decision will be up to your chair
person. The prospectus will be graded on:
Writing
style (20): Is your proposal
well written? Is it easy to read? Is it written in a formal writing style? Are words spelled correctly, sentences
well-formed, etc.
Impact
(10): Do you make a
compelling case that your study should be done?
You should make sure you explain yourself well enough so that an
"intelligent but uneducated" reader can see why you would want to do
your study.
Literature
Review (20): Although the amount of literature cited will vary from idea
to idea, you should remember that a strong literature review is
impressive. A limited, or dated review
may cost you points. Does your review
have an organizational plan? You are not
limited to the methods discussed in class.
If you do not use a method suggested in class, however, it is up to you
to make it work.
Research
Design(20): Do you present a
well thought out plan for conducting your study. This will include methods for selecting
subjects, procedures, and all other aspects of "how" you will carry
out your study. If it is not clear how
you will do what you propose you will be in serious trouble. If you don't have a feeling for how much
detail is enough, you should err on the side of "too much."
APA
style (20): You must follow APA
guidelines in your proposal. You will lose one point per APA style
violation. Repeated violations of the
same APA rule will not count against your grade.
Literature
search (5): You will need to
turn in a copy of the reference list you created in your library literature
search. Your computer print out will be
fine, however, if you want to put your reference list on a separate sheet of
paper that will also be acceptable. It
is very difficult to say how many sources should be found on any given topic
(we will discuss this in detail in class).
However, keep in mind that if you have a very short list (say under 10)
you may lose points.
The
prospectus you submit is to be 100% your work.
Late Work
Unless
you have a written excuse (note from your doctor documenting serious illness,
etc.) I will penalize a late written assignment by subtracting 5 percentage points from its score for each day late. Unexcused late examinations are not allowed
and will be given a score of 0.
Class Participation
I
expect attendance and class participation.
Much of what we'll do in class involves discussion of the readings, ideas,
etc., and you will need to be present and prepared to contribute to the
class. If you have more than one absence
during the semester you will lose 5 points per missed class period. If you are significantly late you may also
lose points. If you have unusual
circumstances that make it difficult to attend class you should let me know
(e.g., serious illness, etc.).
If
you are having difficulty in the course, you should meet with me immediately to
go over your class and reading notes and to get direction for supplemental
readings.
Grading Procedure
Midterm
and Final examinations 2 (100 pts. each) 200
Prospectus 100
Electronic prospectus 25
Statistics assignments 50
Unannounced quizzes on reading 75
End of chapter study questions 150
Three short papers – 2 pages
each-TBA 100
There
are a total of 700 points available. I
will calculate your final percentage using 700 as the highest possible
score. The grading scale I will use at
the end of the semester is listed below.
No extra credit is possible.
A 94-100
A- 90-93.9
B+ 87-89.9
B 84-86.9
B- 80-83.9
C+ 77-79.9
C 74-76.9
C- 70-73.9
D+ 67-69.9
D 64-66.9
D- 60-63.9
E <60
Incomplete
grades will only be given when serious circumstances (health, family tragedy,
etc.) arise after the final drop deadline and persist through the final exam
date. You should come and talk to me
immediately if you need to take an incomplete.
Work schedule, child-care problems, or commuting difficulties are not
acceptable reasons for missing exams/classes or receiving an Incomplete.
Course Timetable
The following pages contain:
The COURSE SCHEDULE OVERVIEW for the semester (1 page)
This overview
indicates the topics and textbook chapters to be addressed during each week of
the semester. Note: This schedule is subject to change following the first
day of class
COURSE
SCHEDULE (OVERVIEW)
***Schedule
subject to revision***
Week Session Nos. Date/s Topic Chapter
1 1 Sep 3 Course
Introduction; History and Philosophy of Science 8/10 15/17 22/24
2 Getting
Started: Basic Concepts of Research 3 Excel-Constructions
of Figures & Tables Sep 17-meet at 8am in the HBLL room 2231 4 Reviewing
the Literature and Stating Research Problems 1 5 Sep
29 - Oct 1 Variables,
Experimental and Descriptive Research 2 6 6/8 Research
Design 3 7 13/15 4 8 20/22 5 9 27/29 Data
Analysis 6 10 Nov
3/5 Introduction
Section 7 11 10/12 Method
Section
