SSCI E-100a Graduate Research Methods and Scholarly Writing in the Social Sciences: Anthropology and Psychology

This proseminar introduces students to basic behavioral science research methods in anthropology and psychology. It teaches them how to read and evaluate research papers and translate their ideas into viable research projects. Topics include library and archival research, scholarly writing and argument, descriptive research methods, quasi-experimental and experimental design, ethical issues, and analytical methods. Prerequisite: undergraduate statistics and research methods courses are recommended, computer literacy (skills and experience with the Internet, Word, and Excel) required. Students must receive a satisfactory score on the mandatory test of critical reading and writing skills. In addition, at the first class meeting, students must complete a writing assignment that demonstrates their graduate-level reading comprehension and ability to write coherent, logical arguments. (4 credits)