Course Syllabus

HR 5022 Research in Human Relations I - Quantitative

Faculty Contact Information

This table includes information about how to contact your instructor and other important details about your class

	Office Hours: By appointment Email:  David.E.Wright.III-1@ou.edu   Live Session: Mondays, 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Central Zoom link: https://oklahoma.zoom.us/j/93323550724?pwd=5XmeDFVHTkAW21ibYlyUbQoU7RbFEo.1 Meeting ID: 933 2355 0724 Password: 29799529
David Wright, Ph.D. Adjunct Professor Human Relations Department

 

Course Details

This course is designed to provide basic skills in statistical methods, data analysis and evaluation, as well as an introduction to the concepts of research design, methodology, sampling techniques, measurement, and internal/external validity. This will involve students using skills necessary to design and implement an applied research project related to their area of concentration in Human Relations. The methodological approaches covered in this course are varied and include a wide range of social science orientations. Emphasis will be placed on students’ understanding of research methods and becoming critical consumers of information and research. This course will also offer a critical analysis of the statistical and research methods utilized in research studies.

Course Materials

You are not required to purchase any textbooks for this course. 

Should you choose to purchase the suggested texts, student materials are available at the OU Bookstore website.

• Gay, L.R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. (10^th edition or higher) Educational research: Competencies for analysis and applications. Pearson.
• American Psychological Association (2020). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th Edition). Washington, D.C.: APA.

Grades

Course activities and grades listed for each activity

Activity	Points Breakdown	Percentage of Final Grade
Live Session Participation	8 Sessions x 10 points = 80 points	15%
Exams	100 points x 2 Exams = 200 points	38%
Group Research Paper	150 points	28%
Evaluation of Group Member Participation	25 points	5%
Research Ethics Education	25 points	5%
Practice Quizzes (lowest score dropped)	5 quizzes x 10 points = 50 points	9%
	Total = 530 points	100%

Scale

Grade Scale

Percentage	Letter Grade
90–100%	A
80–89%	B
70–79%	C
60–69%	D
Below 60%	F

Incomplete

A grade of Incomplete “I” will be given only for a justifiable reason (due to unavoidable circumstances, not lack of planning on the student’s part) and only if the student is passing the course. It is the responsibility of the student to request a grade of “I” and to consult with me as early as possible to determine requirements for completing the course. Any incomplete granted must be removed by the deadline specified by the instructor. The time limit set for removal of an incomplete will take into account the circumstances of the situation may not exceed one calendar year. Professors are not required to allow students a year to make up grades of “Incomplete.” Exceptions will be made only for documented Provost-approved University-sponsored activities or legally required activities such as emergency military service, jury duty, or documented serious illness or emergency and then only after discussion with me. Contact me by telephone or email if an emergency situation occurs.

Administrative Withdrawal

If a student has not completed at least half of the required assignments, a final grade of AW “Administrative Withdrawal” will be assigned with no grade or credit.

Course Components

Live Session Participation 

Primarily, the course is online, however, we will have one-hour synchronous meetings weekly scheduled from 7-8 p.m. Central Time where we will discuss the week’s readings, learning activities, and assignments and engage in collaborative discussions tied to the content of the week. This is an excellent opportunity to communicate with others and ask questions. Due to the accelerated nature of the course, attendance is strongly encouraged and is based on active participation. However, if an unforeseen issue arises, an alternative will be available on the Live Session page in each module.

Exams 

There will be two multiple choice exams primarily comprised of material presented in topic-based informational slides and Live Sessions.

Group Research Paper 

In groups of 2-3, students will write a research paper describing an applied research project that will consist of:

• a title page (10 points)
• abstract (10 points)
• introduction (30 points)
• literature review (30 points)
• methods (30 points)
• results/data analysis (30 points)
• reference section (10 points)

Major portions of the paper will be submitted throughout the course as 4 separate writing assignments (each approximately 6-8 pages in length). All writing assignments will be presented in formal APA format and deadlines (as stated in the Tentative Course Schedule) must be adhered to. Five points will be deducted for each day an assignment is late. 

Note: The complete group research paper will be approximately 20-30 pages not counting references and attachments.  

Writing Help

Most universities have a writing center, a place for students, faculty, and staff to meet and talk about writing. The Writing Center here at OU is a resource I encourage you to use. As a writer, you will want to seek feedback from many different readers. The writing consultants at the writing center are able to talk with you about your writing—at any stage in the process and for any course, you are taking.

You can make an appointment online or by phone (405-325-2936) and you can drop in whenever they are open.

Evaluation of Group Member Participation 

Upon turning in your final section of the Group Research Paper, each student will be required to fill out an “Evaluation of Group Member Participation" form for themselves and each member of their research group. Scores for an individual will be based on an average score received from group members.

Research Ethics Education 

The goal of this assignment is to better acquaint students with basic ethical principles that underlie conducting research with human subjects. The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) provides “research ethics education to all members of the research community.”

Log in to the CITI home page; you will need to create a login ID and register as a University of Oklahoma Graduate Research Assistant. Complete all of the Social Behavioral Science Modules and quizzes to earn CITI certification.

The final product with be the CITI completion report, which students may submit as a Word, PDF, or HTML file in its corresponding Canvas assignment submission folder. Students must receive at least a 70% average on the subtests to receive credit; subtests may be completed as many times as desired.

Practice Quizzes 

In preparation for exams and to better inform Live Session content, weekly practice quizzes will be taken worth a total of 10 points each. That is, you may receive up to 10 points on 6 quizzes by successfully answering 20 multiple-choice or true/false questions (worth 1/2 point each) related to the material presented that week. If you fail to complete a specific week’s quiz, you will not earn the 10 points.

Note: The lowest practice quiz score will be dropped prior to calculating the final grade in the course.

Bonus Assignments 

Students have an opportunity to receive up to a total of 20 bonus points by completing 2 separate workbook assignments consisting of 7 problems per tab; each problem is worth 2 points. Students may select any 5 problems to complete and receive up to 2 points for fully correct answers.

Some of the problems include multiple questions and may ask that students create something such as a histogram, a pie chart, or a scatter plot. Students should use Excel to produce the required graph and embed it on the same page as the question. Some of the problems ask that students respond with a narrative, such as composing a research question.

Bonus assignments are due within their corresponding Canvas assignment submission folder no later than 11:59 pm CST on the last day of class.

Course Policies

Communication 

I am available via email David.E.Wright.III-1@ou.edu to students during the above-listed Office Hours and other methods by arrangement. I will make every effort to respond to your emails within 24 hours Monday – Friday; emails may not be checked over the weekend.

Late Policy

Please note that all deadlines for assignments are 11:59 pm CST. Deviations from this requirement on any one of the assignments must be coordinated with me in advance for approval. Students should notify me via email at David.E.Wright.III-1@ou.edu when they are not able to submit or complete an assignment by the listed due dates.

Late or missed work is accepted up to a week after its listed due date; however, five points will be deducted for each day an assignment is late or missing. If after a week the assignment is still missing, and/or there has been no communication with me, a 0 will be assigned.

Exceptions will be made only for documented Provost-approved University-sponsored activities or legally required activities such as an emergency military service, jury duty, or a documented serious illness or emergency situation that occurs.

Plagiarism 

Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism. 

For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries. 

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Tentative Course Schedule (Subject to change)

Unless stated otherwise, all assignments are due on Sundays at 11:59 p.m. Central Time

Access the University Academic Policies Document.