MB561: Introduction to Research Design (4 units)
R.
Daniel Shaw, Professor of Anthropology and Chair of Doctoral
Committee
Summer 2008 Pasadena
DESCRIPTION:
This course is available to all who are
interested in designing cross cultural research,
but is designed primarily to equip School of Intercultural
Studies PhD students to prepare, critique,
and implement a Research Design appropriate for their doctoral studies.
Missiology is multidisciplinary and integrative of the cognate disciplines
within the field broadly including theology,
history, the state of the Church, leadership and the social sciences. This course
introduces students to research design appropriate for such interdisciplinary
study. It also serves as an introduction to the SIS PhD program, and enables students to develop a research design
that is both flexible and focused while providing a tool for communicating effectively
with a student’s mentor and guidance committee.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: At the completion of this course students
should be able to
1. Understanding of the research design process
and the theoretical rationale for it.
2. Be able to apply this understanding
to writing a defendable Research Design Paper.
3. Utilize the resulting Research Design
to accomplish the research and writing appropriate to PhD Studies.
COURSE
FORMAT:
1. Students
should register BY JULY 1 and check with the SIS Director for Doctoral Studies
for pre-course materials.
2. The course will be taught using an
intensive two-week, all-day format August 5-15, 2008. Lecture, small group interaction and close supervision from
a TA will enhance the learning experience.
REQUIRED
PRE-READING: (Two books must be read and critiqued BEFORE
attending the first class meeting.) If you have previously
read any of the required texts, please select an alternative text from the
recommended reading list or a book approved by the instructor.
1. Elliston, E. J.,
Introduction to Missiological Research. Unpub. mss. Hope Univ. 1997.
2. Booth, C. W.,
Colomb, and Williams, The Craft of Research. U. Chicago, 1995.
REQUIRED
READING:
Madsen, D., Successful Dissertations and Theses: A
Guide to Graduate Student Research from Proposal to Completion.
Jossey-Bass. 1992 or latest edition. (Read after intensive course is over, but before finalizing paper)
RECOMMENDED READING
–Based on Student’s Discipline of Focus
1. Babbie, E. The Practice of Social Research.
Wadsworth, 1997.
2. Chase F. Robinson. Islamic Historiography, Cambridge
University Press, 2003
3. Kirk, A. What is
Mission:
Theological Explorations. Darton, Longman & Todd,
1999.
4. Maxwell, J. Qualitative Research Design,
2nd Edition. Sage, Applied Social Research Methods Series, Vol. 41,
2005.
5. Shenk, W. R. (ed.),
Enlarging the Story: Perspectives in Writing World Christian History (New York:
Orbis, 2002).
6. Van Engen,
C. Mission on the Way, Baker,
2000.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Booth et. al. and
Elliston need to be read before class begins. Each student must bring a
one-page review for each of these two books to the first class meeting as well
as the Research Design Worksheet obtained from the SIS Doctoral Studies
Director. Each review should include
a discussion of the main intent of the author and the students’
critique/response as they anticipate doctoral research.
During the course, there will be
daily assignments to process the steps necessary to make an oral presentation
of a basic research design on the last day of the class. The final project will
be due on Friday, Sept. 19, 2008.
The concepts developed in this paper will provide a guide for research and
writing throughout the PhD study program.
PREREQUISITES: None. No auditing.
RELATIONSHIP
TO CURRICULUM:
Elective
for M.A./Th.M students. Required for all SIS PhD students. This course is not a
specific research methods course and thus may not be used to meet “research
methods” requirements in the PhD study program nor in the MAICS program.
Students are not permitted to audit this course.
FINAL EXAM: None.