Instructor: Bob Botsch
Office: C-7
Office Hours: 9:25-10:40 and by appointment MWF
e-mail: bobb@usca.edu

Required Texts:

On-Line Web-based text. This text was written in sketchy outline form in the fall of 1999 and improved somewhat each year since. It is not perfect yet, but we are getting there as I improve it a bit each year. But it is FREE and available through the APLS 301 Home Page!
 

Introductory Comments

    This course will be different from most other political science courses in three ways. Rather than focusing on any factual body of subject matter about some institution, such as congress or state and local government, it focuses on the method by which we establish fact, on what is called the scientific methods. In other words, it focuses on how we know something rather than on what we know.

      Second, it is a course where you will be doing rather than merely listening and remembering.  In other words, you will learn how research is done and how facts are established by doing many closely directed research exercises.

      Finally, the course is sequential in nature in that your ability to do the work in any one week depends on your success in the preceding weeks. You won't be able to analyze data on the computer unless you've learned how to use the computer and how to collect and code data. Therefore, it is imperative that you keep up with the course. Missing just one or two classes could spell disaster!
 

USCA Official Course Objectives and Assessment Methods 

Degree Program Assessment.  Most students in this class are taking the course as part of their requirements in political science. The following objectives apply to these students. These degree objectives will be assessed in two ways. 1) An entry-exit exam that all political science majors take upon entering the program and upon graduating. This test measures "subject material competence" in this and in all required political science courses. 2) A grade analysis of graded assignments in this particular course related to these objectives--see below.  

1)  Subject Material Competence.  Students will demonstrate competence in the subject matter and essentials of Political Science. Students are tested on their competence in dealing with the materials in this course in their regular tests. A grade analysis based on performance in graded assignments will assess to what degree this class met these objectives.

 2)  Clear and Effective Communication.  Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly and effectively orally, through reading and writing, and through technology, i.e., computers. You will be making oral presentations, reading and presenting journal articles, presenting your own research, using the computer to perform research and analysis, and writing a major research paper, all of which contribute to your final grade in this class.  A grade analysis based on performance in graded assignments will assess to what degree this class met these objectives.

 3)  Technological Skills.  Students will acquire technological skills appropriate for the practice of political science methodology. This course is about research methods and we will be using a statistical package to perform research leading up to a major research paper. A grade analysis based on performance in graded assignments will assess to what degree this class met these objectives.

 4)  Critical Analysis and Thinking. Students will demonstrate the ability to critically think, analyze and evaluate the material and essentials of political science. The research paper that you will write in this class requires that  you critically and analytically consider theoretical relationships among variables. A grade analysis based on performance in graded assignments will assess to what degree this class met these objectives.

 5)  Exploration of Values.  Students will demonstrate their ability to explore and define political values openly and critically. In research the most important value is the justification of why some specific research topic is important enough to explore. Your research paper will have a separate section devoted to the question. A grade analysis based on performance in graded assignments will assess to what degree this class met these objectives.

 6)  Relationships Among/Between Disciplines. Students will be exposed to disciplines and areas of scholarly inquiry outside the field of Political Science in order to perceive relationships between Politics and other areas of inquiry. Students will be presenting research from journal articles in other social science fields to show that the scientific method applies not only to political science but is a common denominator in all of social science. These presentations are written up and graded. A grade analysis based on performance in graded assignments will assess to what degree this class met these objectives.

 7) Appreciation of Cross-Cultural Differences:  Students will develop an appreciation for cultural differences and their impact on the political process, both domestic and international. The county survey we perform in this class always has questions pertaining to cultural differences among the population surveyed. Analysis of the data from the survey requires that students demonstrate an understanding of the role played by cross-cultural differences. That understanding has an impact on the grade on the research paper. A grade analysis based on performance in graded assignments will assess to what degree this class met these objectives.

My Personal Course Objectives

1. To give you the methodological knowledge and skills to engage in research of your own in both political science and other social science courses. I will measure this by how well you do on tests and on your research in the course.

2. To enable you to understand and evaluate research done by others. You will have some practice on this in the class, but in the long run the real measure of this is in your work and public lives how well you evaluate all the "studies" and scientific research that is thrown at you.

3. To teach you the fundamentals of statistics that are necessary to engage in and evaluate all empirical research. We will use the lab time to go over stat problems and gather and analyze data. You will demonstrate your skills here on tests and in the research in the class.

4. To enable you to use the computer and computer program packages to compile and analyze data. Again, the proof is in the research you do for the class.

5. In a less academic sense, to give you job skills that are marketable outside the academic world. The same methods and skills that you learn here may be applied as a public administrator in evaluating social programs, or as a journalist or reporter who is telling the public about program evaluations or opinion surveys done by others, or even in personnel work in evaluating employee attitudes or production methods. We will know how well this worked after you get your working lives going!
 

Grading

1. Daily written assignments and laboratory work and survey field work (16.5%).

        Much of your time in this course will be written assignments, exercises, and short projects. All of these will be turned in for credit. Late daily assignments will not be accepted. These daily assignments will test your mastery of the various components of the course. Completing these assignments will be one way in which you achieve the objectives of the course. They will be graded  on a satisfactory/marginal/unsatisfactory basis. Satisfactory means that a reasonable effort was made  to complete the assignment, not that you got all the answers correct. your grade will be the percentage of "S"'s you get out of the total possible number. "M"'s count as half an "S." Although students often think of this as a hard course, virtually all those who failed to get a C or better failed to do the homework and come to class.

2. Attendance (16.5%).

     Because attendance is so important in this class, I want to give you an extra incentive for coming to all classes.  You will be allowed to miss one class with no penalty.  Beyond that I will compute the percentage of classes you attend and that will be your grade for this part of the course.  I make no distinction between excused and unexcused absences here, as you will miss valuable material regardless of why you missed class. Think about this when you are scheduling dental appointments and meetings with your advisor. I know that from past experience that those who miss classes are, sadly, the ones who most need the points that they can get here. I wonder why this is so?

3. Research Report (33%).

    At the end of the semester, you will demonstrate all of your learned skills in a research report. The report will be based on an analysis of data that we have collected and manipulated using the computer. This report will bring to bear all the skills and knowledge you've gained in the course.  This is the most important measure of how well you have achieved the course objectives.

 4. Tests (33%).

    There will be two tests using a mixed format of questions. Both will be open-book and may be take-home tests. If you are able to master the practice exercises that are assigned as homework, you should do well on the tests.  These tests are a final measure of how well you have achieved the course objectives.

5. Grade Scale.

     I use a 10 point scale with anything at 5 or higher as a plus, so A is 90-100; B+ is 85-89; B is 80-84; C+ is 75-79; C is 70-74; D+ is 65-69; D is 60-64; and F is below 60.
 

Course Schedule

     On the schedule and assignments link I have the course laid out on a day by day basis.  However, because each part of this course needs to be mastered before we proceed to the next part, we will proceed only as fast as we can without losing too many of you -- so the schedule may change!!!!!  From past experience I have found that different classes have trouble with different parts of the course.  
 

USCA Honor Code

     Unless you are given explicit permission to work with other students, you are expected to abide by the USCA honor code in all of your work in this course.  That means you will sign the honor pledge on all your work stating that you have neither given nor received any unauthorized aid.  This includes plagiarism, which will be regarded as a serious violation of the honor code.
 
 

Plagiarism

     You will be very severely penalized for PLAGIARISM. That means passing off someone else's work for your own. That covers everything from copying another student's paper to copying significant phrases from a book without using quotation marks and/or citing the source. Purposeful deception can lead to a F in the course or even expulsion for the school. Sadly, this has happened in my classes. Lesser violations will result in downgrading on the assignment, usually an F. Out in the "real" world you can end up in court over these matters facing heavy fines and loss of your professional status. So it's much better to learn about this now. If you aren't sure in a particular situation or don't understand, ask me--that's part of what you're paying me for.
 

Disabled Student Statement

     If you have a physical, psychological, and/or learning disability which might affect your performance in this class, please contact the Office of Disability Services, 126, (803) 641-3609, as soon as possible. The Disability Services Office will determine appropriate accommodations based on medical documentation.

Junior Writing Portfolio Requirement

     Please remember that the written work that you produce in this class can be included in your rising junior writing portfolio. For further information on the portfolio requirement please consult your USCA Undergraduate and Graduate Studies Bulletin or visit Dr. Lynn Rhodes, Director of Writing Assessment, or Karl Fornes, Director of the Writing Room.