Professor: Gerald Zhiyong Lan, Ph.D.
Phone Number: 480-965-8420
Email: LAN@asu.edu
Web: www.public.asu.edu/-atzxl
Office: Wilson Hall 230A
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 3:00-5:00 pm or by appointment
Class Meeting Time: Tuesday, 5:40-8:30 pm
Classroom: ASUDC
PAF501 and PAF502 are a two semester sequence that introduces students to the basic theory and methods of empirical research in social sciences. They address questions relating to the philosophy, scope, methods, and ethics of social inquiry. Specifically, the courses cover topics on:
1). The philosophical foundation of social inquiry; 2). Problem formation and hypotheses testing; 3). Research design and data collection; 4). Library use; 5). Computer and statistical skills for data analysis; 6). Understanding the research literature; 7). Empirical public service research.
PAF501 mostly focuses on topics from 1 through 5 and PAF502 primarily focuses on topics from 6 to 7. By the end of the sequence, students are expected to be able to understand and evaluate standard research literature, conduct routine public administration related empirical quantitative and qualitative research, and intelligently discuss issues relating to social science research philosophy.
Students should have done the assigned readings before coming to class. Class attendance is very important for good performance. Unless you have a crisis situation, it is a bad idea to miss a class. Past experiences have invariably shown that missing a class of importance can be very detrimental to a student's performance in tests, homework, and projects.
In PAF501, each student is asked to develop a research proposal (no more than 15 pages excluding supplemental materials) which will be given to no less than two classmates to critique. Likewise, each student will be given a chance to evaluate and critique two other students' research proposals. The research proposals and critiques will be presented in class as well. A few research proposals may be selected for implementation in the next semester. The research proposal should include at least the following: lResearch question, significance of the research question, review of relevant literature, an annotated bibliography of the relevant literature, research design, how does the design answer challenges to internal validity, external validity, measurement validity and reliability, question items, and implementation considerations.
