Theory
and Method of Public Administration
Course Content
Spring 2001
In general, the course covers
the following topic areas:
Research Methodology and Design:
will address the frameworks for conducting quantitative and qualitative research designs.
We will also discuss how to operationalize concepts, develop hypotheses, identify
populations of interest, define independent and dependent variables, choose data
collection methods, and how to ensure validity, reliability, and generalizability. We will also discuss effective means for
presenting research findings, including the use of graphs and charts.
Case
Study Research: will cover the design and analysis of case studies, one of the most
extensively used research strategies in public administration.
Survey
Research: will cover the development of questionnaire instruments, sampling procedures,
pre-testing, coding data, and drawing conclusions from the results.
Quantitative Data Analysis: will emphasize techniques for the statistical
analysis of data, including the use of computer software to facilitate such analyses. We will rely primarily on SPSS for Windows,
although students are welcome to employ any other software they have available for the
completion of their individual assignments. This
section will review descriptive statistics, probability, inference and hypothesis testing,
statistical controls, and bivariate and multivariate techniques for the analysis of
quantitative data.
In addition to the knowledge
you will gain about research methods and statistics, the assignments in this class are
designed to enhance the skills you need as effective public administrators. These include conducting library- and
Internet-based research; critically analyzing and summarizing previous research on a
particular topic; designing and carrying out your own research project; collecting and
analyzing data; and clearly presenting your findings and conclusions verbally and in
writing. In addition, you will have gone
through the steps required for completion of a masters’ research project or thesis.
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