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Research Methods II. Introduction and Overview Aju & Julie. There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” Albert Einstein. Game Plan – Day 1. Introduction Course Goals / Expectations Introductions
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Research Methods II Introduction and Overview Aju & Julie There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” Albert Einstein
Game Plan – Day 1 • Introduction • Course Goals / Expectations • Introductions • Exercise/Homework (Thesis exploration)
Course Goals • Provide you with the tools to find a research topic and to write your senior thesis • Enhance your ability to read, interpret, and evaluate research in economics and business • Increase your skills for carrying out your own research projects Freedom to act from a position of knowing!!
Course Layout & Requirements • First part of course--Julie; Second part of course--Aju • Research Question Presentation • Homework • Literature Review • Regression Exam • Applied Exercise • Data Presentation Exercise • Research Proposal Presentation • Research Proposal
OTHER IMPORTANT FACTS • Methods 2 does not provide credit for Methods 1. You must have Methods 1 or its equivalent on your transcript to graduate. • The deadline for Senior Thesis is the second Friday of the second block after you finish your second thesis block. (EX: Second Thesis Block – Block 6; Deadline Second Friday of Block 8). This is a hard deadline with real consequences.
Good Questions • What will happen to Jon and Kate + 8…will they ever get back together? Good question for TV producers but…. • Will Gov Mark Sanford finish his term…and if so, who will he be with–his wife or his Argentinean soul mate? Good research question for the people in South Carolina but… • Will health care reform pass? Good question for policymakers but…
Good Research Questions • Crime and Punishment in the NFL – The impact of fines on player behavior • The impact of player behavior on product endorsement success (Kobe, Sprite and Colorado) • The impact of job satisfaction on turnover
You just might be a researcher if… • You have ever, as a folklore project, tracked the progress of your own joke across the Internet • You rate coffee shops by their availability of outlets and WiFi for your laptop • You actually have a preference for search engines and you what Bing is • You find a book’s bibliography more interesting than the text • You look at the fine print on studies cited in the news to find the error variance • You wonder if Turabian style allows you to cite talking to yourself as “personal communication”
What is research and why do we do it? • An inquiry process that… • Deepens our understanding of an issue of relevance to the researcher, the organization and the field of economics and business • Integrates existing knowledge and creates new knowledge through the weaving together of… • theory and past knowledge • Existing literature • organizational knowledge • Gained through intervention, observation, experimentation, analysis • wisdom and experience of the researcher
Introductions • Pair up in groups of 2. Please work with someone you have not worked with before. • Spend 5-7 minutes interviewing each other (see hand-out) (approx 5 minutes a person) • When you are finished with the interview, be prepared to introduce your partner.
Thesis Assignment – group and individual work • Get in groups of 4 • Go to the library and review CC theses using the homework assignment • Come to class with a typed summary of your work • Note there is an individual homework assignment as well
Good Questions • How do the Chinese gymnasts age 2-3 years every calendar year? Good question for the IOC but…. • What new stories could there possibly be for the “new Beverly Hills 90210? Good question for TV advertisers but… • What are the determinants of Brittany Spears aberrant behavior? Good research question in Psych but…