PSRT 5030: STATISTICAL AND RESEARCH METHODS


Professor: Weili Lu, PhD
Office: 518 SHRP Building
Phone: 908-889-2453
Email: luwe1@umdnj.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday 11am – 12pm and by appointment
Class Hours: Tuesday, 1:30-4:30pm
Class Location: SPC, Room 501
Credits: 3

Course Overview:
This introductory course covers statistical concepts and research methods that can be applied in rehabilitation research. It is intended to provide you with an understanding of the basic concepts for applied rehabilitation research. You will then be able to critically understand the rehabilitation research literature.

Course Goal/Outcomes:
Students will be able to read and effectively critique a typical article in a peer-reviewed journal in their specialty area. Specifically, students will be able to trace the evolution of the idea through the literature review, explicate the research design and statistics employed from the methods section, critique and evaluate the results and benefit from the discussion section. At the end of the course, students are expected to develop the ability to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of rehabilitation services and outcomes.

Course Objectives:
At the end of the course, students will be able to critically review clinical rehabilitation literature, conduct library research for rehabilitation related current information, understand basic statistics and research methods, understand outcome based research. Students will also be aware of the ethical, legal and cultural issues related to research, be able to analyze research articles in rehabilitation and related fields, and apply research literature to practice, (e.g., to choose appropriate interventions, to plan assessments, to implement meaningful program evaluation, to perform outcome analysis, to conduct consumer satisfaction studies).

Student Evaluation:
Students will be evaluated on their grasp of the material presented using quizzes, a mid term and a final exam. In addition, class participation and written assignments will contribute to the grade.

Grading Criteria:
Student grades will be calculated using the following criteria:
Class Participation 10%
Quizzes/Homeworks 25%
Written Project 1 (article critique) 10%
Written Project 2 (article critique) 10%
Written Project 3 (article critique) 15%
Midterm Examination 15%
Final Examination 15%

Note: This is a required course for the M.S. Rehabilitation Counseling and the M.S. in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Professional Counseling track. Failure to pass the course will require retaking the course.

Course Evaluation:
The quality of this course is evaluated through student course evaluations completed at the end of the course and through the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation’s peer review process. As part of the peer review process, other faculty from the Department may attend class sessions to observe the course.

Accommodations:
Students are encouraged to discuss requests for accommodations with the Instructor. Information about supported education services can be obtained from Michele Mullen at (908) 889-2513 or e-mail at mullenmi@umdnj.edu. You can also contact the Disability Compliance Coordinator, Karine Pierre-Pierre, at (973) 972-8594.

Required Texts:
American Psychological Association. Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Welkowitz, J., Ewen, R. B., & Cohen, J. (2000). Introductory statistics for the behavioral sciences (5th ed.). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.

Matthews Book Store 1-800-791-2665

Supplemental Textbook:

Holosko, M. J. (2006). Primer for critiquing social research: A student guide. Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole.

Monette, D. R., Sullivan, T. J., & DeJong, C. R. (2005). Applied social research: A tool for the human services (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole.

Here are some things you will need to successfully complete this class:
You will need to bring a simple calculator to each class meeting.

For your writing assignments, you will need to have regular access to a computer, preferably equipped with "Microsoft Word" and “Microsoft Excel”. For some statistical assignments, you will need to use the computer in the computer lab located in SHRP building in Scotch Plains to access the “SPSS” software. You will be using SPSS software to conduct very basic data mining tasks such as data entry and descriptive statistics analysis.

Statistics Quizzes and Mid-term:
You will be expected to complete brief quizzes in the class to help you review the materials covered. The quizzes are open-book and you will be given advanced notice about when this would occur. You will also obtain credits for homework completed.

Scientific Writing:
Scientific writing refers to writing about research or knowledge in the field of rehabilitation. Our guide for this is the American Psychological Association (APA) writing manual. You are required to write in APA format for the papers to be submitted in this class.

Papers:
After selecting a rehabilitation or counseling topic of your choice, you will produce 3 brief critiques within your area of interest. Two article critiques will be based on papers chosen by the instructor. You are expected to select an article of your choice for the third article crique.
Your papers will each have two grades, one for adherence to APA style and one for content. Late papers will receive lower grades.


Class Date Topic Reference
1. 9/6/05 Introduction.
http://cme.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/learning/humanparticipant-protections.asp
Ethical Issues in Social Research.
Monette et al., Chapter 3; Holosko, Chapter 1

2. 9/13/05 Statistics: Central tendency
Welkowitz et al., Chapter 4

Research:
Problem Formulation Monette, Chapter 4; Holosko, Chapter 6

3. 9/20/05 Statistics: Variability
Welkowitz et al., Chapter 5
Research: Measurement Monette, Chapter 5; Holosko, Chapter 7

4. 9/27/05 Statistics: Z and T scores
Welkowitz et al., Chapter 6
Research: Sampling
Monette, Chapter 6; Holosko, Chapter 7

5. 10/4/05 Statistics: Percentile and The Normal Curve Model
Welkowitz et al., Chapter 2,3,9
Research: Survey research
Monette, Chapter 7; Holosko, Chapter 8

6. 10/11/05 Statistics: Hypothesis Testing
Welkowitz et al., Chapter 10
Research: Experimental Research
Monette, Chapter 10; Holosko, Chapter 8

7. 10/18/05 Statistics: t-test
Welkowitz et al., Chapter 11
Research: Evaluation Research
Holosko, Chapter 8

8. 10/25/05 Statistics: Correlation I
Research: interclass review
Welkowitz et al., Chapter 12
Research: Evaluation Research II- Program Evaluation
Monette, Chapter 12
Midterm
9. 11/1/05 Statistics: Correlation II
chosen Welkowitz et al., 14
Research: Evaluation Research III: Clinical trials
Monette, Chapter 12

10. 11/8/05 Statistics: ANOVA
Welkowitz et al., Chapter 15
Research: Single-System Design
Monette, Chapter 11

11. 11/15/05 Qualitative research I
Monette, Chapter 9
Holosko, Chapter 8, 9, Appendix A

12. 11/22/05 Qualitative research II Monette, Chapter 16; Holosko, Chapter 8, 9

13. 11/29/05 Research Writing/ Research critique

14. 12/6/05 Final Exam