Interested students please contact Dr. Alberti by email at
malberti@u.washington.edu with questions or for an entry code.
URBDP 591A: Advanced Research Design: Theories, Practices, and Novel
Approaches
Fall Quarter 2014
Tue-Thu 9:00-10:20
Gould 442
4 Credits
Instructor: Marina Alberti
Department of Urban Design and Planning
E-mail: malberti@u.washington.edu
Tel: 206 616 8667
This course is designed to provide graduate students in the applied social
and natural sciences with theoretical and practical skills for conducting
research in complex settings with a particular emphasis on integration and
synthesis of theories, concepts, and data across disciplines. Research
design will be framed as an emergent process. Students will be exposed to
the issues involved in research decisions and to diverse problemsolving
strategies at various stages of the research process. The course examines
the logic and limits of scientific inquiry, conceptualization and
measurement of social and ecological phenomena in urbanizing systems, and
principles of research design. The course will explore alternative methods
for collecting, analyzing, and synthesizing primary and secondary data.
Emphasis is given to statistical principles of research design hypothesis
testing and statistical inference, sampling strategies, and analytical
approaches to randomized experimental, quasi-experimental, longitudinal
and crosscomparative studies. Major theoretical issues include: threats to
internal validity, sampling and external validity, reliability of
measures, causality, interpretation of statistical analysis and ethics in
research. Students will learn how to frame a research question, develop
testable hypotheses, identify and provide operational definitions of
research variables, select appropriate research methods, evaluate
alternative research designs, and develop capacity for syntheses. The
course is structured in two components: a theoretical/methodological
component and an applied research component. The theoretical component
consists of lectures on research design principles and approaches. The
applied research component focuses on the practice of scientific research
in selected research areas and through interactions with diverse
scientists on research challenge in practice in their laboratories.
