Assignment: Explaining Social Phenomena
Assignment: Explaining Social Phenomena
Question Description
Question Description
All models are wrong. Some models are useful.
—George E. P. Box (1919–2013)
Statistician
It is a difficult task to describe and explain social phenomena. Box’s quote emphasizes the point that using a set of models to fully explain such systems—physical or social—is a nearly impossible task. Even if these models contain some errors, they still help to illuminate how the world works and advance social change.
The competent quantitative researcher understands the balance between making statements based on theoretical understanding of
relationships and acknowledging that our social systems are so complex that some error is unavoidable. The key for the meticulous researcher is to recognize and mitigate error as much as possible.
As a graduate student and consumer of research, you must be aware of potential errors in your own and others’ research.
To get ready for this discussion, do the following:
Search for and select a quantitative article that interests you and has social change implications using the Walden Library Course Guide and Assignment Help found in this week’s Learning Resources.
Consider George Box’s quote in the introduction to this Discussion as you read the article.
Review the Skill Builder: Independent and Dependent Variables, which you can find by returning to your Blackboard Course Home Page. Then, in the left navigation pane, look for the Skill Builder link.
BY DAY 3
Post a brief description of the article you discovered (1-3 sentences) and address the following:
Describe how you believe the research in the article is useful (for example, what population is it assisting? What problem does it solve?).
Determine the independent and dependent variables using the Y=f(X) +E notation.
How could the research models presented be incorrect? What types of errors could exist in the reported research?
The goal of the Critique assignment is to apply the week’s content.
Please read the attached article.
Use the identified Critiquing Guidelines to create a systematic description of the manuscript.
The goal of the Critique is to respond to the question as briefly and concisely as possible. Moving on to EBP, this is content that could be included in a review or synthesis table.
1 page, 12 pt font, Box 9.1
You should proofread your paper. However, do not rely solely on your computer’s spell-checker and grammar-checker; failure to do so indicates a lack of effort on your part, and your grade will suffer as a result. Papers with a high number of misspelled words and grammatical errors will be penalized. Before submitting your paper, go over it in silence and then aloud, and make any necessary changes. It is often beneficial to have a friend proofread your paper for obvious errors. Uncorrected mistakes are preferable to handwritten corrections.
Use a standard 10 to 12 point typeface (10 to 12 characters per inch). Smaller or compressed type, as well as papers with narrow margins or single spacing, are difficult to read. It is preferable to allow your essay to exceed the recommended number of pages rather than attempting to compress it into fewer pages.
Large type, large margins, large indentations, triple-spacing, increased leading (space between lines), increased kerning (space between letters), and other such attempts at “padding” to increase the length of a paper are also unacceptable, waste trees, and will not fool your professor.
The paper must be neatly formatted, double-spaced, and have a one-inch margin on all four sides of each page. When submitting hard copies, use white paper and print with dark ink. It will be difficult to follow your argument if it is difficult to read your essay.