UT Dallas Syllabus For Pa7330.501.10s Taught by (rkw091000)

Course Syllabus
Course Information
(course number, course title, term, any specific section title)
PA 7330 Research Design in Public Affairs Spring 2010
Professor Contact Information

(Professor’s name, phone number, email, office location, office hours, other information)
Robert K. Whelan, 972-883-5343, [email protected]; WT1.102; Office hours: MT5-

7:00 PM, or by appointment
Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restrictions

(including required prior knowledge or skills)
This class is intended primarily for first-year doctoral students in the Public Affairs program. The
class is open to any qualified Public Affairs graduate student.
Course Description
The most important thing you learn in a doctoral program is how to do scholarly research. The
focus in this class will be on research design. This is NOT primarily a methods course. Rather, it
will provide a grounding in thinking about how to investigate research questions. There are two
very specific objectives: to complete a dissertation proposal draft, and to prepare you for the
qualifying examination.
Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes
At the end of the semester, you should be able to do the following;

1. Understand various approaches to investigation of research
2. Craft a research question
3. Conduct a literature review to determine what is known about a research problem
4. Formulate a research project
5. Develop a research design
6. Critically evaluate research products
All of these will be demonstrable in the preparation of your dissertation proposal, and/or in the
qualifying examination.
Required Textbooks and Materials

Cresswell, John W. 2008. RESEARCH DESIGN: QUALITATIVE, QUANTITATIVE, AND
MIXED METHODS APPROACHES. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage (ISBN:978-1-4129-6557-6)
Course Syllabus Page 1

Yin, Robert K. 2008. CASE STUDY RESEARCH: DESIGN AND ANALYSIS, 4th edition,
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2008.
Suggested Course Materials
Assignments & Academic Calendar

(Topics, Reading Assignments, Due Dates, Exam Dates)
January 11- Introduction
January 18- No class- MLK holiday
January 25- Literature Review- Cresswell, chs.1-2
February 1- The uses of theory- Cresswell,ch.3
February8- Writing strategies and ethical considerations- Cresswell, ch.4
February 15-Research questions and hypotheses- Cresswell, chs.5-7
February 22- First assignment due- Present the conceptual framework for your research
proposal,including your theory,question /problem statement and preliminary literature review
(about 5-10 pages).
March 1- No formal class- Individual meetings to be scheduled with me
March 8- Constructing data
March 15- Quantitative methods- Cresswell, ch.8
March 22-Qualitative methods- Cresswell, ch.9
March 29- Mixed methods- Cresswell, ch.10
April 5- First draft of research proposal due- presentations in class
April 12-Case study design- Yin,chs.1-2
April 19- Collecting case study evidence- Yin, chs.3-4
April 26- Analyzing and reporting case study evidence- Yin,chs.5-6
May3- Final draft of research proposal due; take-home exam to be handed out in class
May 10- Take-home exam due
Grading Policy
(including percentages for assignments, grade scale, etc.)
Research proposal- 50%; Take-home exam-30%; class attendance and participation, 20%
Course & Instructor Policies

(make-up exams, extra credit, late work, special assignments, class attendance, classroom citizenship, etc.)
Late work may be permitted, but be assured that you will have to present in class, in any
event.Class attendance and participation are of high importance for PhD students.
Technical Support
If you experience any problems with your UTD account you may send an email to:
[email protected] or call the UTD Computer Helpdesk at 972-883-2911.

Field Trip Policies
Off-campus Instruction and Course Activities
Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law and
University policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities. Information
regarding these rules and regulations may be found at the website address
http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm. Additional information is
available from the office of the school dean. Below is a description of any travel and/or risk-
related activity associated with this course.
Student Conduct & Discipline
The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regulations
for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student and
each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and regulations which govern
student conduct and activities. General information on student conduct and discipline is contained
in the UTD printed publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered students each
academic year.
The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of
recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and
Regulations, Series 50000, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, and in Title V,
Rules on Student Services and Activities of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.
Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of
Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391) and online at
http://www.utdallas.edu/judicialaffairs/UTDJudicialAffairs-HOPV.html
A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship.
He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules,
university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to discipline for violating the
standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or
criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.
Academic Integrity
The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because
the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the
student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual
honor in his or her scholastic work.
Scholastic Dishonesty, any student who commits an act of scholastic dishonesty is subject to
discipline. Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the
submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another
person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a
student or the attempt to commit such acts.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other
source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see
general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the
web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials, including music and software.
Copying, displaying, reproducing, or distributing copyrighted works may infringe the copyright
owner’s rights and such infringement is subject to appropriate disciplinary action as well as
criminal penalties provided by federal law. Usage of such material is only appropriate when that
usage constitutes “fair use” under the Copyright Act. As a UT Dallas student, you are required to
follow the institution’s copyright policy (Policy Memorandum 84-I.3-46). For more information
about the fair use exemption, see http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/copypol2.htm
Email Use
The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between
faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues
concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The university
encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email
address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a
UTD student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the
identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD
furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with
university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method
for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.
Withdrawal from Class
The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level courses.
These dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog. Administration procedures
must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from any
class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any student. You must do the proper paperwork
to ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the
class once you are enrolled.
Student Grievance Procedures
Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities,
of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.
In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other fulfillments
of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to
resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or committee with whom the
grievance originates (hereafter called “the respondent”). Individual faculty members retain
primary responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at
that level, the grievance must be submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the

respondent’s School Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the
respondent, the student may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not
resolved by the School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean of
Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic
Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the academic
appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.
Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of
Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations.
Incomplete Grade Policy
As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably missed at
the semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An incomplete grade
must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the
required work to complete the course and to remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by the
specified deadline, the incomplete grade is changed automatically to a grade of F.
Disability Services
The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities
equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the
Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and
Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)
[email protected]
If you anticipate issues related to the format or requirements of this course, please meet with the
Coordinator of Disability Services. The Coordinator is available to discuss ways to ensure your
full participation in the course. If you determine that formal, disability-related accommodations
are necessary, it is very important that you be registered with Disability Services to notify them of
your eligibility for reasonable accommodations. Disability Services can then plan how best to
coordinate your accommodations.
It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an
accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty members
to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations. Individuals requiring special
accommodation should contact the professor after class or during office hours.
Religious Holy Days
The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activities for
the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are
exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated.
The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding
the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be allowed to
take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time after the absence: a period
equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one week. A student who notifies the

instructor and completes any missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A
student who fails to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a
failing grade for that exam or assignment.
If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of
observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has
been given a reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the
student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of the institution, or
his or her designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative
intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief
executive officer or designee.
These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.

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Course Syllabus

PA 7330 Research Design in Public Affairs Spring 2010

Professor Contact Information

Robert K. Whelan, 972-883-5343, [email protected]; WT1.102; Office hours: MT5-

Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restrictions

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

At the end of the semester, you should be able to do the following;

Required Textbooks and Materials

Course Syllabus Page 1

Suggested Course Materials

Assignments & Academic Calendar

Course & Instructor Policies

Course Syllabus Page 2

Student Conduct & Discipline

Course Syllabus Page 3

Withdrawal from Class

Student Grievance Procedures

Course Syllabus Page 4

Incomplete Grade Policy

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

Religious Holy Days

Course Syllabus Page 5

Course Syllabus Page 6

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