Course Information Overview
- Psy 485GT/S: Advanced Inquiry in Research & Analysis Methods and Seminar - Grounded Theory
- Mondays:
- Wednesdays:
Course Description
Course Catalog Entry
PSY 485AA-ZZ/S. Advanced Inquiry in Research & Analysis Methods and Seminar (3/2)
This capstone course provides advanced study of areas of current interest in sub-areas of research methods in psychology. Topics within sub-areas listed below may change each semester. Seminar: Includes student presentation of written and oral reports based on relevant topics from current literature, and intensive student-led discussions of selected research and application of theories. Students will demonstrate knowledge of statistics and research methods obtained in prerequisite courses. Letters indicate sub-areas within psychology; each may be taken one time for credit: (AD) Archival Data, (CS) Case Study, (DA) Discourse Analysis, (ET) Ethnography, (GT) Grounded Theory, (NA) Narrative Analysis, (PA) Participatory Action Research, (QL) Qualitative Methods; (QT) Quantitative Methods; (SD) Survey Data. Satisfies the capstone requirement for psychology majors. Available for graduate credit with consent of student’s graduate advisor. Three hours lecture, two hours seminar.
Course Prerequisites
Prerequisite Alert
Prerequisites: PSY 301, PSY 320/L, PSY 321/L, and a score of 8 or better on the Upper Division Writing Proficiency Exam. Corequisite: Corresponding PSY 485AA-ZZ seminar.
Student Learning Objectives
- For discussion sections
- Students will compare and contrast a variety of qualitative approaches to research with each other and with quantitative approaches.
- Students will evaluate specific examples of qualitative research according to ethical, methodological, and technical standards typical of the different approaches to qualitative research.
- Students will formulate research questions appropriate to qualitative research, plan a strategy for data generation to address those questions using qualitative methods, evaluate the findings of qualitative research relative to previously published research (quantitative and qualitative) in that area, present findings from qualitative research, and write a report of those findings.
- For inquiry seminars
- Students will carry out Constructivist Grounded Theory analyses, including
- Derive concepts and categories from collected data
- Formulate a theoretical model to explain the relations among derived concepts
- Interpret and revise their concepts, categories, and model relative to subsequent analysis and the published literature in their area of work
Grading
| Seminar | |
Class participation (attendance, participation) |
80 |
Exams (2 x 50 points each) |
100 |
Seminar discussion |
50 |
Formal presentation |
70 |
Formal paper |
200 |
| Lab | |
Bi-weekly lab work (5 x 20 points each) |
100 |
Total points |
600 |
Note that the seminar/lab grades will be awarded as one grade given for two separate course numbers because the work is integrated together.
Course Schedule
A full listing of the course schedule, activities, and assignments, and policies is provided in the course syllabus via moodle.