A Introduction to Social Research
This course explains the basics of the significance and types of social research. The course features history, goals, methodologies, ethics, types and examples of social research (e.g., quantitative and qualitative research, survey and case studies, population censuses and other official statistics as well as academic research, public opinion research and marketing research, questionnaire surveys and ethnographies).
B Social Research Design and Data Collection Methods
This course explains detailed social research methods. The course also features objectives and methods, research planning and design, hypothesis construction, complete and sample surveys, random sampling, sample size and errors, sampling methods, design of questions and questionnaires, data collection and aggregation methods for social research.
C Basic Analysis of Documents and Data
This course explains basic knowledge for reading official statistics, survey reports and fieldwork papers. The course features methodologies for reading and computing descriptive statistics (e.g., frequency distributions, averages and other summary statistics, and cross tabulation), interpreting and drawing graphs, and reading and aggregating various qualitative data. It also presents fundamental statistical concepts (e.g., correlation coefficients), the distinction between causality and correlation, and the concept of spurious correlation.
D Statistics for Social Research
This course explains fundamental knowledge of statistics for social research. The course features the basics of probability theory, basic statistical values, testing/estimation theory and its application (testing for means, percentage differences and independency), sampling theory, association coefficients (cross tabulation statistics), correlation coefficients, partial correlation coefficients, control of variables, and basic regression analysis.
E Quantitative Data Analysis Methods
This course explains the basic concepts and models used in fundamental multivariate analysis techniques. The course features multiple regression analysis and some other models (e.g., analysis of variance, path analysis, log-linear analysis, factor analysis and Hayashi’s quantification theory).
F Qualitative Research Methods
This course explains the various methods used to collect and analyze qualitative data. The course features in-depth interview, participant observation, document analysis, ethnographies, life history analysis, conversation analysis, content analysis and other qualitative data analysis methods.
Lecture on quantitative data analysis methods
G Practical Training in Social Research
This course provides students with practice in the entire process of quantitative or qualitative research through practical training. The course covers research planning, hypothesis building, research topic decisions, preparation of questions and questionnaires, selection of respondents and/or areas, sampling, conducting fieldwork, taking field notes, editing, data aggregation and analysis, hypothesis verification and report writing.
Practical training: fieldwork
H Graduate Seminar in Research Planning and Design
Students will acquire the practical knowledge and abilities to plan, design, and carry out social research and to analyze and summarize their results on research methodology and ethics. The course features practical training in survey method selection, survey planning/designing, hypothesis building, preparation of questionnaires, sampling or selection of respondents and fields, fieldwork, survey data arrangements, simple quantitative analysis/graphing, qualitative analysis, and report writing.
I Graduate Seminar in Multivariate Analyses
Students will acquire the fundamental knowledge and ability to conduct multivariate analyses such as multiple regression analysis, path analysis, analysis of variance, analysis of covariance, log-linear analysis, logit analysis, principal component analysis, factor analysis, multidimensional scaling, cluster analysis, Hayashi’s quantification method, survival analysis and covariance structure analysis.
J Graduate Seminar in Qualitative Research Methods
Students will acquire analysis methods (e.g., content analysis) applicable to qualitative data such as newspaper/magazine articles, document materials, video, broadcasting and music. They will also gain the fundamental knowledge and practical ability to apply various qualitative research methods (e.g., in-depth interview, participant observation, document analysis, ethnography, life history analysis and conversation analysis).