Sociology 20 Introduction to Sociological Research Methods – Spring 2024

Bunche 1209B, Monday-Wednesday 4:00-5:15pm

Instructor: Dr. Giovanni Rossi

Contact: rossi@soc.ucla.edu, Haines Hall 297
Office hours: Thursdays, 1-3pm, in person (drop in) or on Zoom (by appointment)

Teaching assistants
Mona Zahir (sections A, B, C), zahirmona@ucla.edu
Office hours: Fridays 11am-1pm on Zoom
Lor Martin (sections D, E, F), lor@ucla.edu
Office hours: Thursdays 2-3pm, Fridays 3-4pm on Google Meet
Brianna McKenna (sections G, H, I), brmckenna@ucla.edu
Office hours: Thursdays 3-5pm on Zoom

Bruin Learn: https://bruinlearn.ucla.edu/courses/187071

Syllabus contents
1. Course description 11. Exams
2. Required readings 12. Grade disputes
3. Optional readings 13. Attendance, participation, and announcements
4. Lectures 14. Academic integrity
5. Electronics 15. Questions
6. Requirements and grading 16. Accommodations
7. Individual homework 17. Mental health support
8. Projects and group work 18. Resources
9. Submission 19. Course schedule
10. Formatting

1. Course description. This course provides a rigorous overview of how sociologists study the
social world. You will learn the basics of research design and the criteria for selecting between
research methods, both quantitative and qualitative. Our journey will take us through different
logics of inquiry, forms of evidence, strengths and weaknesses of alternative methods, as well as
the possibility and benefits of mixing methods. You will learn key concepts by reference to
actual studies, including studies on impactful topics such as racial and gender bias, gun violence,
drug prescription, and including studies from our own Department of Sociology at UCLA.
Sociological research is all around us: it is used in political debates, in the design of business
models, in the formulation of healthcare policies; it populates the charts and graphs on news
screens; it powers your favorite social media apps. At the end of this course, you will have a
better appreciation for what sociological research is about, how it is done, and you will be able to
critically evaluate it.
Coursework includes both individual and group assignments. You will team up with 2-3
fellow students to carry out two collaborative projects, a Survey Project (quantitative) and an
Ethnography Project (qualitative). These projects are aimed at giving you first-hand experience
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with research design, data collection, fieldwork, interpreting and writing up results. In sum, the
purpose of this course is to learn how sociology produces scientific knowledge and to get your
feet wet in producing some yourself.
Please be aware that this is a 5-unit course with a correspondingly substantial amount of
work expected of you, so plan accordingly.

2. Required readings. This course is part of the UCLA Inclusive Access program. The textbook
is being automatically provided to you, digitally, through the UCLA Store Course Materials tab
on Bruin Learn by the first day of class or upon enrollment. If you do not wish to participate in
Inclusive Access, you must opt out by the Friday of Week 2 deadline, or you will be billed. You
will receive email from the UCLA Store with program details and cost. It is your
responsibility to read all communication coming from the bookstore. Check your spam folder if
not received. Any questions regarding the Inclusive Access program can be directed
to inclusiveaccess@asucla.ucla.edu.
TEXTBOOK: Clark, Tom, Liam foster, Luke Sloan, and Alan Bryman. 2021. Bryman’s Social
Research Methods. 6th ed. Oxford University Press.
Required textbook readings (e.g., Bryman: Chapter 2) are listed in the Course schedule and must
be completed before lecture. In addition, reading of research articles is required for sessions 2A,
3A, 7B, and 9B. Individual homework assignments are based on the reading and comprehension
of these four articles. All articles are posted on Bruin Learn.
#1 Moss-Racusin, Corinne A., John F. Dovidio, Victoria L. Brescoll, Mark J. Graham, and Jo
Handelsman. 2012. “Science Faculty’s Subtle Gender Biases Favor Male Students.”
PNAS 109(41):16474–79.
#2 Telles, Edward E. and Nelson Lim. 1998. “Does It Matter Who Answers the Race Question?
Racial Classification and Income Inequality in Brazil.” Demography 35(4):465–74.
#3 Scott, Kimberly A. 2007. “The Big Men in Blue: Custodians in Three American Schools.”
Ethnography and Education 2(2):239–55.
#4 Stivers, Tanya, Rita Mangione-Smith, Marc N. Elliott, Laurie McDonald, and John Heritage.
2003. “Why Do Physicians Think Parents Expect Antibiotics? What Parents Report vs
What Physicians Believe.” The Journal of Family Practice 52(2).

3. Optional readings. Readings marked as “Matthews & Ross”, “Lareau”, and “Clayman &
Gill” in the Course schedule are optional. They are taken from the following books and chapters:
Matthews, Bob, and Liz Ross. 2010. Research Methods: A Practical Guide for the Social
Sciences. Pearson Longman. Companion website:
https://wps.pearsoned.co.uk/ema_uk_he_matthews_resmeth/
Clayman, Steven E., and Virginia T. Gill. 2009. “Conversation Analysis.” Pp. 589–606 in
Handbook of Data Analysis, edited by M. A. Hardy and A. Bryman. SAGE.
Lareau, Annette. 2021. Listening to People: A Practical Guide to Interviewing, Participant
Observation, Data Analysis, and Writing It All Up. The University of Chicago Press.
All optional readings are posted on Bruin Learn.
Exams are lecture-based so everything you need to know will be covered in lecture. However,
required textbook readings will help you prepare for lecture and assist you in review, particularly

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if you find things to be going fast. Optional readings supplement the textbook and are a resource
for digging deeper into topics.

4. Lectures. Lectures will be audio recorded and you will be able to access the recordings
through the UCLA Media Reserves tab on Bruin Learn. After each lecture, I will also post the
slides and any articles reporting on the case studies discussed. All you need to know about case
studies will be covered in lecture, so you don’t have to read the articles; I make the articles
available for your interest and to assist you in review (but remember that you do have to read the
articles assigned for homework).

5. Electronics. During class, you may use your laptop or tablet (but not your smartphone) only
for taking notes. You may not use electronics for any other purpose. Electronics inevitably
interfere with your learning and with the learning of your neighbors. Also, as we will discover on
day one, research shows that the pen is mightier than the keyboard! While you might type more
quickly on a computer, you are less likely to be taking good notes this way. Typing increases the
risk of going on autopilot and transcribing everything I say without processing it. Writing by
hand on paper instead helps you think as you listen and filter out the wheat from the chaff.

6. Requirements and grading

Homework #1 5% Survey Project 20%
40%
Homework #2 5% Ethnography Project 20%
20%
Homework #3 5% Midterm Exam 20%
40%
Homework #4 5% Final Exam 20%

A+ 97.00 – 100 B– 80.00 – 82.99 D 63.00 – 66.99

A 93.00 – 96.99 C+ 77.00 – 79.99 D– 60.00 – 62.99
A– 90.00 – 92.99 C 73.00 – 76.99 F below 60.00
B+ 87.00 – 89.99 C– 70.00 – 72.99
B 83.00 – 86.99 D+ 67.00 – 69.99

7. Individual homework. There are four individual homework assignments based on the reading
and comprehension of research articles (see Required readings). Articles and assignments are
posted on Bruin Learn. “Individual” means that these assignments must be done independently,
without consulting with other students. Please check the name of the author(s) at the top of each
assignment to make sure that you are doing the homework based on the correct article (HW#1 on
Moss-Racusin et al., HW#2 on Telles & Lim, HW#3 on Scott, HW#4 on Stivers et al. 2003). All
homework must be turned in by 9:00pm on the due date. My policy on late homework is strictly
as follows:
 Homework received 1 minute to 24 hours after the deadline will incur in a penalty of 1 full
grade;
 Homework received over 24 hours after the deadline will incur in a penalty of 2 full grades;
 Homework received over 48 hours after the deadline will not be accepted.
Multiple submissions are allowed, so you may turn in something early and resubmit a new
version later (before the deadline).

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8. Projects and group work. There are two projects involving group work to design a study,
collect data, and to interpret and write up the results. You will work with 2-3 fellow students
within your section. If you request a group, we will attempt to honor that. Groups will be
assigned by Friday of Week 1 and will be set for the term. Work with your group will partially
take place during section but additional work outside of class is expected. To make group work a
success, you will need to communicate a lot, make a clear plan (who does what and when), and
coordinate with each other. I will talk more about this on the first day of lecture.
All group work must be turned in by a group representative (this may be the same or a different
person for each assignment). Group work received after the deadline will incur in the same
penalties as late individual homework:
 1 full grade for submissions received 1 minute to 24 hours after the deadline;
 2 full grades for submissions received over 24 hours after the deadline;
 Submissions received over 48 hours after the deadline will not be accepted.

9. Submission. All individual and group assignments must be turned in via the course website on
Bruin Learn. The link for submission can be found through the Modules tab under the Week
when the assignment is due as well as through the Assignments tab. Since Bruin Learn is an
online submission platform, be prepared for internet or website glitches. Every year a few
students hit snags with technology; don’t let that happen to you. The course website has all
homework assignments and project assignments posted from the beginning of term. This is to
allow you to plan ahead. Late work is accepted at a penalty. You are encouraged to turn things in
early to avoid incurring in penalties.
Please double check each assignment file you submit on Bruin Learn. Every year a few students
accidentally upload empty files containing only the prompt. This is a silly way to lose credit!

10. Formatting. All individual and group assignments must be typed up in Word (.doc, .docx)
with a 12-point Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins, 1.5-line spacing. Please respect the
page limits specified for each assignment. Also, please include the following information in the
heading: SOC 20, Year, Quarter, Professor’s last name, Your name, Date of submission. Group
assignments must also include the group’s name as well as the names of all group members.

11. Exams. There will be two non-cumulative exams, a Midterm and a Final. Both exams will
take place in the lecture time slot (see Course schedule). This means that the Final will not take
place during finals week. Make-up exams may be given only if I receive notification before the
exam and you have a valid and documented reason (e.g., proof of illness).

12. Grade disputes. Disputes regarding your grades must be taken up with the instructor. TAs
are not allowed to change grades. If you request a re-evaluation of your work, the instructor will
re-grade all portions of the assignment and may raise or lower the grade based on his assessment.

13. Attendance, participation, and announcements. Attendance of lectures and discussion

sections is expected of all students. You should make every effort to attend each lecture or you
will find it hard to catch up. The course moves quickly. Also, since exams are lecture-based, it is
rare for students who do not attend regularly to do well on exams. The lecture slides and audio
recordings won’t be enough to keep up if you don’t attend; lecture materials are intended to
assist in review, not to substitute being there.

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Attending discussion sections is critical to your success in this course as TAs will provide
guidance for individual and group assignments, help you generate ideas for projects, advise you
on designing projects, on interpreting and writing up results, and more. Remember that work
with your group will partially take place during section. And be aware that participation in
section forms part of your project grades.
Students are responsible for knowing about changes to the course schedule announced
during lecture, section, or through Bruin Learn (Announcements). Not knowing about a change is
not a valid excuse for failing to turn in an assignment or show up for an exam.

14. Academic integrity. As with all UCLA courses, students are expected to maintain UCLA
standards of academic integrity. Violations of these standards include cheating, plagiarizing,
copying (from books, online materials, another student, etc.), falsifying data in projects, and
using AI-generated content (e.g., ChatGPT). You should be familiar with the Student Conduct
Code. Your TAs and I will report any suspected violations of the university’s policy.
Violations include posting any material from this course to online repositories of homework
solutions (e.g., Course Hero, Chegg, Git Hub, etc.). I consider this a form of academic
dishonesty, and if you are caught doing this, I will report you to the Dean. Please be aware that I
run checks on these online repositories on a regular basis and that I have tracked down students
doing this in the past. Don’t let that happen to you.

15. Questions. Questions about lectures, assignments, projects, or exams should be posted to the
Q&A Board on the course website. We will provide answers regularly. Please note that, given
their high workload, TAs have been instructed not to answer individual questions by email. You
may email individual questions to the instructor only if they are personal and absolutely do not
pertain to others in the class. If you have a question that requires extensive explanation or
discussion, come to any of the many office hours we offer. If you cannot attend office hours, you
may email the instructor to set up a meeting. TAs will be unable to meet with students outside of
office hours.

16. Accommodations. If you wish to request an accommodation, please submit your application
through the UCLA Center for Accessible Education (CAE).

17. Mental health support. If you are experiencing anxiety, depression, or any other challenge
to your mental health, please know that there are resources on campus, including this Student in
Crisis page and the UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) website. If something
is going on in your life that is affecting your ability to get through this course, your TAs and I
will do everything we can to support you and connect you with resources at UCLA.

18. Resources
▪ Course website and Q&A Board

▪ Assault Resources & Education (CARE)

▪ Center for Accessible Education (CAE)

▪ Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)

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▪ COVID-19 resources

▪ Equipment Lending

▪ Basic Needs

▪ LGBTQ Resource Center

▪ Library Research Support. This website offers guidance and tutorials on developing research
skills, including information literacy and academic writing. Students can schedule an
appointment or drop in to consult with library staff at every stage of the research process.
▪ Sexual Harassment Prevention

▪ Student Conduct Code

▪ Student in Crisis resource page

▪ Student Legal Services

▪ Student Resilience (RISE)

▪ Student Retention Center (SRC)

▪ Transfer Student Center

▪ Undergraduate Writing Center (UWC)

▪ Veterans

▪ Writing Success Program

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19. Course schedule. Required readings are marked in bold; other readings are optional.

WEEK/ DATE MAIN TOPIC READINGS AND OTHER NOTES ASSIGNMENT DUE
PROJECT
SESSIO
PROGRESS
N
1A Mon 4/1 Lecture 1: Syllabus, Survey Project
Introduction Overview, Ethnography
Project Overview
Survey Project:
1B Wed 4/3 Lecture 2: How to Bryman: Chapter 2 Group Form due by 9pm
Topic and
think about research Matthews & Ross: A2, A4
research question
2A Mon 4/8 Lecture 3: Types of Bryman: Chapter 3
studies Article: Moss-Racusin et al.
Matthews & Ross: B3
2B Wed 4/10 Lecture 4: From Bryman: Chapter 7 Homework #1 due by 9pm
concepts to variables
3A Mon 4/15 Lecture 5: Bryman: Chapter 11
Survey Project:
Questionnaires Article: Telles & Lim (skip
Questionnaire
grayed-out section)
design
Matthews & Ross: C3
3B Wed 4/17 Lecture 6: Types and Bryman: Chapter 15 (only up Homework #2 due by 9pm
analysis of variables to p. 330)
4A Mon 4/22 Lecture 7: Sampling Bryman: Chapter 8
Matthews & Ross: B5 (only up
to p. 166) Survey Project:
4B Wed 4/24 Lecture 8: Structured Bryman: Chapter 12 Data collection
observation and preparation
5 Sun 4/28 Survey Project Data due
by 9pm
5A Mon 4/29 Lecture 9: Bryman: Chapter 15 (from p. Survey Project:
Quantitative analysis 331) Analysis and
Matthews & Ross: D3 write-up
5B Wed 5/1 Midterm review
5 Fri 5/3 Receive Survey Project

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Statistical Output
6A Mon 5/6 Midterm exam

6B Wed 5/8 Special session: Bring Survey Project Statistical

Interpreting your Output to class
survey results
7 Sun 5/12 Survey Project Report due
by 9pm
7A Mon 5/13 Lecture 10: Bryman: Chapters 16 and 18
Ethnography Lareau on Participant
Observation
7B Wed 5/15 Lecture 11: Bryman: Chapters 17 and 19
Qualitative sampling Article: Scott
and interviewing Matthews & Ross: B5 (from p.
167) Ethnography
Lareau on Qualitative Project: Field
Interviewing work
8A Mon 5/20 Lecture 12: Focus Bryman: Chapter 20 Homework #3 due by 9pm
groups Matthews & Ross: C5
8B Wed 5/22 Lecture 13: Bryman: Chapter 21
Conversation analysis Clayman & Gill on
Conversation Analysis
9A Mon 5/27 Memorial Day (no lecture)
9B Wed 5/29 Lecture 14: Mixed Bryman: Chapter 24
methods Article: Stivers et al. 2003
Matthews & Ross: B4
9 Fri 5/31 Homework #4 due by 9pm
Ethnography
10 Sun 6/2 Ethnography Project Field
Project: Analysis
Work due by 9pm
and write-up
10A Mon 6/3 Final review
10B Wed 6/5 Final exam
11 Wed 6/12 Ethnography Project
Report due by 9pm

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