Sociology 391 Fall 2009
Assignment 2: Conceptualization and Measurement
Due: October 21, 2009
Part I:
(20%) Introduction and literature review
Revise your literature review, making necessary
improvements and tailoring it to fit your specific research questions as
necessary.
Turn in the original version with this assignment.
Part II. (60 75%) Operationalization of concepts: For your dependent variable and one of
the independent or control variables that you identified as important in your
first assignment (NOT race, sex, or
age), address each of the following steps:
a. Nominal definitions: Describe precisely what each concept means to you, and specify all the dimensions that interest you in relationship to your research question.
b. Operational definitions: Describe exactly how you propose to measure each concept, keeping in mind the following guidelines:
$ Make clear the operationalization decisions that you have made regarding the range of variation, degree of precision, and level of measurement for each indicator.
$ If you have identified more than one dimension in your nominal definition, describe how you would measure each dimension.
$ If there are multiple indicators for the same dimension, specify those as well.
$ If an index or scale would be appropriate for any of the variables, discuss how you would construct it.
c. Survey questions: On a separate
sheet of paper, write questions measuring each of the variables you operationalized.
Questions can be open- or closed-ended. Include directions to the respondent written
for a self-administered questionnaire.
Follow the guidelines for question writing and questionnaire
construction spelled out in chapter 9 in Babbie and
summarized below. Include one copy in
your assignment and bring 3 extra
copies of the questions with you to class on October 21, 2009.
Also bring an electronic
version of your questions to class.
** Remember, the shorter the class questionnaire, the
more likely it will be completed by respondents and the more quickly we can
enter the data. You may write more
questions for this assignment, but no student will be able to include more than
10 unique questions on the final survey.
Part III (20
25%): In-class evaluation of questions
Read and respond to the questions written by your group members. You do not need to answer the survey questions truthfully!
Evaluate your group members= instructions and questions, focusing on the following issues:
1. Are the instructions for completion of the questionnaire clear and unambiguous?
2. Are the responses listed for closed-ended questions mutually exclusive and exhaustive?
3. Do you think that responses to open-ended questions would be too diverse and difficult to analyze?
4. Are any of the questions double-barreled? Negatively worded? Unclear?
5. Are there any biased items or terms in the questions?
6. Will respondents be competent and willing to answer the questions?
When possible, make specific suggestions for improvement on your group members= questionnaires.
General guidelines
Each of the homework assignments must be typed, double-spaced, with numbered pages. Be sure to check spelling and grammar. Include a complete list of references and cite sources parenthetically in the body of the paper using the American Sociological Association (ASA) quick style guide available from the course home page.
The assignment will be evaluated using the guidelines below:
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Possible points |
Full credit |
Half credit |
No credit |
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Brief overview of research topic, including specific research question and clear, concise statement of the research problem. |
Missing overview of topic, or unclear or vague statement of problem or research question |
Missing overview of topic and research question |
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Summary of recent relevant research related to topic and synthesis of main ideas presented in literature across studies. |
Summary of recent research by author / study, lack of synthesis across studies. |
Incomplete summary or focus on minor research; no synthesis across studies |
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Identification of at least two of the most influential / important variables in past research |
Identification of only one of the most influential / important variables; or focus on two or more minor variables |
Missing or identification of one minor variable |
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Strong summary paragraph reiterating main themes included. |
Weak or unclear summary of past research included. |
Missing. |
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At least 5 referenced, at least 3 of which are scholarly |
At least 3 referenced, at least 2 of which are scholarly |
Fewer than 3 references; or no scholarly references |
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Complete - at most one missing citation |
Fairly complete - 2-4 missing citations |
No or at least 5 missing citations |
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Complete citations, consistently in ASA format |
Partially incomplete citations; or complete but not in ASA format |
Missing; or incomplete and not in ASA format |
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Descriptive title summarizing research topic included |
Generic title included |
Missing title |
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Paper between 4-6 pages, typed, double-spaced; reasonable margins (1") and font (11 or 12 pt); subheadings to delineate sections; pages numbered |
One or two issues with presentation (e.g. Paper less than 4 pages, or unreasonable margins, font, or spacing) |
More than two issues with presentation. |
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Part II: Operationalization |
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Nominal definitions |
6 |
Clearly defined meaning of 2 concepts, including multiple dimensions when appropriate |
Incomplete definitions; or specifying too few dimensions; or defining only 1 variable |
Very unclear or missing definitions |
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Operational definitions |
8 |
Clear statements of how to operationalize 2 concepts following guidelines in assignment, including multiple dimensions and / or multiple indicators and composite measures when appropriate |
Incomplete definitions; or specifying too few dimensions; OR defining only 1 variable |
Very unclear or missing definitions |
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Respondent instructions |
2 |
Clear, unambiguous directions for respondent to follow |
Unclear or ambiguous directions |
Missing directions for respondent |
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Questions |
8 |
Questions clearly written to measure each dimension of concept; no biased terms, double-barreled or negatively worded questions; respondents should be competent and willing to answer |
Questions generally clear; no more than 2 are double-barreled or negatively worded, contain biased terms, or would turn respondents off from answering OR clearly written for only 2 concepts |
Questions generally unclear; more than 2 are double-barreled or negatively worded, contain biased terms, or would turn respondents off from answering OR written for only 1 concept |
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Spelling |
2 |
Fewer than 3 spelling errors |
3-5 spelling errors |
6 or more spelling errors |
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Grammar |
2 |
Fewer than 3 mistakes in verb tenses, subject - verb agreement, punctuation, etc. |
3-5 mistakes in verb tenses, subject - verb agreement, punctuation, etc. |
6 or more mistakes in verb tenses, subject - verb agreement, punctuation, etc. |
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Presentation |
2 |
Paper typed, double-spaced; reasonable margins (1") and font (11 or 12 pt); questionnaire in easy-to-read format |
Unreasonable margins and / or font; or questionnaire in difficult to follow format |
Not typed or single-spaced |
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Part II total |
30 |
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Part III: In-class evaluation |
10 |
Evaluate group members= questions using guidelines specified in assignment and chapter 6 in Neuman, and offer thoughtful, constructive criticisms to improve questions or questionnaire format |
Evaluate only some group members= questions using guidelines specified in assignment, and offer limited criticism, focused mainly on grammar / typos, etc |
Miss class or offer no feedback on group members= questions or questionnaires |
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Total points |
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