Strategies for research of individual and group behavior

Course Objectives
Students should be able to read and understanding existing research.
Students will become familiar with existing methods of research.
Students should be able to formulate a research strategy for their objectives.
Identifying a research objective.
Selecting appropriate methodologies for the objective, or seeking new methodologies, when necessary.

What the Course is Not.
An in-depth instruction into all methodologies
Training in specific statistical/quantitative methods
Training in best practices for qualitative research
Training in substantive topics related to marketing, management, business, etc.
A checklist for which method is “best”

What the course is.
This course will:
Give students tools to think critically about research methodologies and findings.
Promote a productive mindset for their own research
Allow students to consider new findings in their field of interest
Promote learning of new methodologies beyond the classroom

Module 1: Fundamental Concepts of Research
Why research should be conducted in a scientific manner
Goals of a good research design
Matching research design to research goals
Issues of Scope
Internal and External Validity
Why strategy must follow from objectives.

Module 2: Typologies of Research
Methods for investigating behavior
Case Study Design
Survey Methodology
Experimental Design
Cross-section Design
Time-series Design
Panel Design
Interview Design
Exploratory Methods

Module 3: Review of Existing Research
Students will read and analyze existing research in order to identify:
What the objective of the research was.
Why the method of research chosen was appropriate (or not)
How to improve of build upon existing research to learn more, or integrate findings to new circumstances
Material from Social Sciences and Marketing

Module 4: Evaluating Conflicting Findings
“Same method, Different answers”
Comparing different findings from similar strategies
Understanding of Samples/Cases
“Different Methods, Different Answers”
When scope matters
Limitations of different research methods
Resolving conflicting findings

Module 5: Understanding New Methods
Identifying methodologies from outside which work for your research question
Evaluating the limits of new methods
How to learn from new evidence
How to use multiple methods to answer difficult questions