Module 1 : Day 1

Module Name : Introduction

Concepts Covered : 

• Need for Research
• The scientific method
• Determinants of conducting Research
• Types of Research Designs
• Problem definition

Learning Outcomes : 

Good understanding of Research process, basic Research Designs and the determinants of Research.

Module 2 : Day 2

Module Name : Theory, Research Concepts, Propositions & Hypotheses, Measurement and Scaling Concepts, Reliability and Validity

Concepts Covered : 

• Theory building (deductive and inductive)
• Abstract and empirical level
• Measurement and scaling
• Summated scales and reverse coding
• Reliability, validity and sensitivity
• Pragmatic ways to establish reliability and validity

Learning Outcomes : 

Good understanding of theory building process and pragmatic understanding of measurement and scaling.

Module 3 : Day 3

Module Name : Attitude Measurement and Survey Research

Concepts Covered : 

• Attitude
• Techniques for measuring attitudes
• Types of scales used in social science research and their demonstration using attitude measurement
• Survey Research and errors in Survey Research
• Survey Research Methods
• Response rates and practical ways to increase response rate

Learning Outcomes : 

Good understanding of measurement of various components of attitude using various scales and practical knowledge of survey research along with the challenges faced in Survey Research.

Module 4 : Day 4

Module Name : Design of Instruments, Sampling Designs, Sampling Procedures and Data entry, coding, cleaning and editing

Concepts Covered : 

• Design of Instruments and decisions in instrument design
• Sampling Designs (probability/non-probability; single stage/multistage etc.)
• Sampling Procedures estimating sample size (if time permits – data entry, coding, cleaning and editing)

Learning Outcomes : 

Good (and practical) understanding of design of instruments and sampling as well as estimation of sample size.

Module 5 : Day 5

Module Name : Reflection of concepts Covered & Doubts Clarifications 

Time for reflection and additional questions (doubts etc.) for the topics covered in the first 4 days and further discussion on take home assignments

Module 6 : Day 6

Module Name : Hypothesis Testing and Data Analysis Methods for Survey Research

Concepts Covered : 

• Types of statistical analysis
• Types of hypotheses
• Hypothesis testing process
• Significance level and p-value as well as their inter-play
• Types of errors and methods used in data analysis

Learning Outcomes : 

Good (and practical) understanding of statistical analysis, hypothesis testing, and drawing inferences.

Module 7 : Day 7

Module Name : Experimental Research: Causality, Demand Characteristics, Control, Experimental Validity and Introduction to Various Experimental Designs – I

Concepts Covered : 

• Creating an experiment
• Designing an experiment (important design elements)
• Cause, effect and experimental confound
• Demand characteristics
• Practical experimental design issues
• Issues of experimental validity
• Types of experimental designs(true; quasi and non-experimental as well as time-series) (pretest-posttest control group; posttest only control group; non-equivalent control group, multiple treatment and complex designs; difference in difference etc.)

Learning Outcomes : 

Good and practical understanding of experiments and experimental designs.

Module 8 : Day 8

Module Name : Experimental Research: Causality, Demand Characteristics, Control, Experimental Validity and Introduction to Various Experimental Designs – II + Feedback and reflection

Concepts Covered : 

• Creating an experiment
• designing an experiment (important design elements)
• Cause, effect and experimental confound
• Demand characteristics
• Practical experimental design issues
• Issues of experimental validity
• Types of experimental designs (true; quasi and non-experimental as well as time-series) (pretest-posttest control group; posttest only control group; non-equivalent control group, multiple treatment and complex designs; difference in difference etc.)

Learning Outcomes : 

Good and practical understanding of experiments and experimental designs