UBLIS 575

Week00     Week01     Week02     Week03     Week04     Week05     Week06     Week07

Week08     Week09     Week10     Week 11     Week12     Week13     Week14

Note: Some readings as digital copy are available.
Week00 -
For entire course
Digital copy of course materials (useful for searching)
Part 1. What is research and why do we need it? Research topic (Wildemuth Parts 1 & 2)
01.0
Week 01
01.1
General introduction to the course
01.2 What is research and why do we need it?
Assignments due None
02.0
Week 02
02.1 Research supporting practice. Assessment and action research. Part 1
02.2 Research supporting practice. Part 2 Action research
Assignments due
  • Deliverable 1 Assessment and Action Research Proposal
  • Learning Blog Week 01
Part 2. General ways of gaining knowledge (Some chapters from Wildemuth Parth 3)
03.0
Week 03
03.1 General ways of gaining knowledge. Overview
  • Lecture 03.1 General Ways Gaining Knowledge
  • W 2b3.1.3,1 Quasi-experimental Studies. W-Ch. 11, p. 91-102
  • W 2b3.1.3,2 Experimental Studies. W-Ch. 12, p. 103-113
  • W 2c1.3 Mixed Methods. W-Ch. 13, p. 114-122
  • W Read one example paper for each cahper, for Chapter 13 prefer Fidel
03.2 Developing a research topic/research problem and research questions
  • Lecture 03.2 Developing A Research Topic
  • Deliverable 2 Topic Definition guide
  • Deliverable 2 Topic Definition template
  • W 1h1.1 Developing a Research Questions. W-Ch. 2, p. 11-20
  • W 1h1.2 Research quesion originating from theory or researcher curiosity. W-Ch. 6, p. 41-48
  • W 1h1.3 Research question originating from practice. W-Ch. 3, p. 21-27, read p. 21-24
  • W 1h2.1.1 Description of Phenommena or Settings. W-Ch. 4, p. 28-33
  • W 1h2.2.1 Research questions answered by testing hypotheses. W-Ch. 5, p. 34-40
  • W Read one chaper from Chapter 4-6
  • W Read one example paper from Chapter 6 and one other example paper from Chapters 4-6
Assignments due
  • Learning Blog Week 02
04.0
Week 04
04.1 Work on Deliverable D2 Definition of Research Topics
04.2 Research and the complexities of reality. A cautionary tale from education
Assignments due
  • Learning Blog Week 03
05.0
Week 05
05.1 Variables and measurement
05.2a Research ethics
05.2b Interdisciplinary research and team science
Assignments due
  • Learning Blog Week 04
06.0
Week 06
06.1 Research method principles everywhere: Ideas and inspriation
Part 3. Research design by scope, participants, context, and overall protocol (Wildemuth Part 3)
06.2 3a Research Design by scope of study and Sampling
  • W 3a1.1 Case Studies. W-Ch. 7, p. 51-59
  • W 3a1.2 Sampling for Intensive Studies. W-Ch. 15, p. 136-144
  • W Read one example paper selected from Chapter 7 or Chapter 15
  • W 3a2.1 Sampling for Extensive Studies. W-Ch. 3, p. 21-27, read p. 21-24
  • W 1h2.1.1 Description of Phenommena or Settings. W-Ch. 14, p. 123-135
  • W Read one example paper selected fromm Chapter 14
Assignments due
  • Learning Blog Week 05
07.0
Week 07
07.1 3b Studies by population studied

3c Studies by how phenomena are followed over time
  • W 3b1 Studying Special Populations. W-Ch. 16, p. 145-151
  • W Agada, J. (1999). Inner-city gatekeepers: An exploratory survey of their info use env.
  • W 3c3 Longitudinal Studies. W-Ch. 9, p. 71-80
  • W Read one example paper from Chapter 9
07.2 3d Research by context/environment

3e Research design by role of participant
  • W 3d3.2 Naturalistic Research. W-Ch. 8, p. 60-70
  • W 3e2.1 Delphi Studies. W-Ch. 10, p. 81-90
Assignments due
  • Learning Blog Week 06
Part 4. Sources of Data and Methods for Data Collection
08.0
Week 08
08.1 4a Existing documents as data sources
  • W 4a1.1 Historical Research. W-Ch. 17, p. 155-164
  • W 4a1.2 Existing Documents and Artifacts as Data. W-Ch. 18, p. 165-172
  • W 4a1.3 Transaction Logs (pre-existing or created for research). W-Ch. 20, p. 185-197
  • W Read one of the two optional papers for Chapter 20
  • W White R. (2013) Beliefs and biases in web search. Short or long version.
  • W Jörgensen, C., & Jörgensen, P. (2005). Image querying by image professionals
08.2 4b Observation (of individual participants, groups, events...)
  • W 4b1 Direct Observation. W-Ch. 22, p. 209-218
  • W 4b2 Participant Observation. W-Ch. 23, p. 219-227
  • W Rubenstein, E.L. (2011). "It's a Microcosm of Life": Weaving a Web of Information.
Assignments due
  • Learning Blog Week 07
09.0
Week 09
09.1 4c Eliciting free-form, mostly spoken answers to open-ended questions
  • W 4c1 Think-aloud Protocols. W-Ch. 21, p. 198-208
  • W 4c2 Research Diaries. W-Ch. 24, p. 228-238
  • W 4c3 Unsructured Interviews. W-Ch. 25, p. 239-247
  • W 4c4 Semistructured Interviews. W-Ch. 26, p. 248-257
  • W 4c5 Focus Groups. W-Ch. 27, p. 258-271
  • W 4c6 Visual Data Collection Methods. W-Ch. 19, p. 173-184
09.2 4d Eliciting or scale value answers to closed questions.

4e Specific types of variables
  • W 4d1 Survey Research. W-Ch. 28, p. 272-283
  • W 4e1 Measuring Cognitive and Affective Variables. W-Ch. 29, p. 284-290
  • W 4e2 Developing New Measures. W-Ch. 30, p. 291-304
Assignments due
  • Deliverable 4 Final Course Synthesis Essay, mid-way
  • Learning Blog Week 08
Part 5. Methods of Data Analysis
10.0
Week 10
10.1+2 5a Methods for qualitative analysis

5b Methods for qualitative and structural analysis (qualitative or quanitative)
  • Assignment 1 Practice With Qualitative Analysis Software
  • W 5b1 Content Analysis. W-Ch. 31, p. 307-317
  • W Kracker, J. & Wang, P. (2002). Research anxiety and student's perceptions of research
  • W One of 5b2 or 5b3
  • W 5b2 Qualitative Analysis of Content. W-Ch. 32, p. 318-329
  • W 5b3 Discourse Analysis. W-Ch. 33, p. 330-338
  • W 5b4 Social Network Analysis. W-Ch. 34, p. 339-350
Assignments due
  • Assignment 1 Practice With Qualitative Analysis Software
  • Learning Blog Week 09
11.0
Week 11
11.1-2 5c Methods for quantiative analysis. Statistical analysis
  • W 5c1 Descriptive Statisitcs. W-Ch. 35, p. 351-360
  • W Read one part from Chapter 35
  • W 5c2 Frequencies, Cross-tabulation, and he Chi-square Statistic. W-Ch. 36, p. 361-372
  • W Read one paper from Chapter 36
Assignments due
  • Deliverable 3 Research Proposal, draft for feedback
  • Learning Blog Week 10
12.0
Week 12
12.1+2 5c Statistical Analysis, continued

5d Machine Learning


(Part 6. Conclusions from Wildemuth)
  • W 5c3 Analyzing Sequences of Events. W-Ch. 37, p. 373-386
  • W 5c4 Correlation. W-Ch. 38, p. 387-394
  • W 5c5 Comparing Means: t Tests and Analysis of Variance. W-Ch. 39, p. 395-404
  • W Toms, E.G. & Taves, A.R. (2003). Measuring user perceptions of Web site reputation
  • W Wildemuth, B.M., et al. (2003). How fast is too fast? Evaluating fast forward for dig. video
Assignments due
  • Assignment 2 Practice With Statistical Software
  • Learning Blog Week 11
Part 6. Conclusion just the optional W Chapter 40 Putting it all togehter, p. 407-415
Part 7. Concluding Course Activites
13.0
Week 13
13.1+2 Work on research proposal and essay with instructor feeback
Assignments due
  • Assignment 2 Practice With Statistical Software
  • Learning Blog Week 12
14.0
Week 14
14.1+2 Work on research proposal and essay with instructor feedback
Assignments due
  • Learning Blog Week 13
  • Deliverable 3 Research Proposal
  • Deliverable 4 Final Course Synthesis Essay