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ASPA Student Summit March 8, 2008 Patricia M. Shields, Ph.D. Director, MPA Program Texas State University
ps07@txstate.edu http://uweb.txstate.edu/~ps07/
2. Conceptual Frameworks
Organize Ideas and Data
Evidence
Awards Downloads on ecommons
http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/
Opportunities
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
Notebook Notebook
Notebook & Framework Notebook & Framework Notebook & Framework
Comprehension Reading
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
You will be judged by how well you write because nobody really knows how well you think
(Gray, 1998, 140)
Critical Thinking
Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation
Dewey, John. 1910. How We Think. New York: D.C. Heath Co. Dewey, John. 1938. Logic: the Theory of Inquiry. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. James, William. 1907. Pragmatism: A New Name for an Old Way of Thinking. New Your: Longmans. Kaplan, Abraham. 1964. The Conduct of Inquiry: Methodology for Behavioral Science. Scranton, PA: Chandler Publishing.
Common Problems
Cant find time to work on it for more than an hour After a while I lose my place and forget what I originally wanted to do
Organizing
Materials Time Ideas
Organizes Materials
Three-ring binder Tabs
Organizes Time
Planning
Things-to-do list Calendar
Organizes Ideas
Integrated Outline
Before writing begins the outline incorporates the reading, notes, interviews Entire notebook builds to create the outline Conceptual Frameworks
Binge Writing
Causes
Procrastination
Feel overwhelmed Self doubt Need big block time
Step Solution
Planning
Separate small activities Use time wisely
Persistence
Use every day
Perfectionism
Destructive self talk Perfect conditions
Practice
habit of writing
Calendar - Tab
Takes into account paper deadlines
To Find - Tab
Many of the best references are found in the bibliography of articles and books that are being read. Scholars should note the reference in this portion of the notebook as they go along.
Miscellaneous - Tab
Keep important difficult-to-classify information here.
Email exchanges with professor Hotel and conference information If several people are working on a project, keep key email exchanges here
Web sites
Bibliography - Tab
Work on as paper progresses Finish bibliography before begin writing paper Can accomplish something on things-to-do list without having to think Links to notes and things-to-do list
Notes - Tab
Keep detailed notes in this section. Organize alphabetically by last name of author. Develops habit of writing. Builds reading comprehension. Ties directly to the integrated outline. Essential part of process - this is where the student really learns the new material.
Outline - Tab
Integrated Outline
Outline that incorporates all of the notes.
Begin drafting paper after integrated outline is complete Fewer frantic searches.
Drafts - Tab
Early drafts are kept here.
Edit on hard copy and then make the corrections. Use different color paper for different drafts.
Sources - Tab
Hard copies of journal articles, book chapters, monographs, government publications File alphabetically by last name of the author.
Review - Organizing
Time Things-to-do list calendar Materials All of the tabs in the notebook Ideas Things-to-do list Notes Integrated Outline Key tabs
WORKFLOW
Name of the author needs to be included in each item
THINGS-TODO LIST READIING & NOTES INTEGRATED OUTLINE DRAFT
Analysis Synthesis
Page of quote
Example
Paragraph with embedded references
Cotty et al. (2002) examine civil-military relations in the emerging
democracies of post-communist Eastern Europe. Like Feaver (1996) they believe there is too much concern in the literature over the threat
6. Read Feaver
7. Take notes Feaver 8. Read Cottey et al 9. Take notes Cottey et al 10. Read ch.1 Wilson 11. Take notes Ch.1 Wilson
2/6/04
Ideas for paper come from the literature and thoughts of scholar.
A persons writing ability is constrained by their reading comprehension. It is impossible to write clearly about a subject you do not understand.
Importance of Notes
A form of practice writing.
Use persistence in note taking. Deepens comprehension of books and articles.
Think while you take notes
Tips on Note-taking
Be self-reflective when taking notes. Do you really understand what the material? Less you understand the more detailed the notes should be. Notes can be take on computer or by hand. Be sure the authors last name, year and page are on every page of the notes.
Cottey et al 2002
p. 31
p. 32
Says too concerned in lit about threat of praetorian military intervention in domestic policies. Should reconceptualize in terms of democratic governance of the defense & security sector. Shifts focus to the wider problem of the democratic mgt and implementation of defense & security policy. PART OF BUREAUCRACY - job to implement policy
B.New Roles
IV. Conclusion
Sorting method
Conceptual Framework
WORKFLOW
Name of the author needs to be included in each item
THINGS-TODO LIST READIING & NOTES INTEGRATED OUTLINE DRAFT
Analysis Synthesis
Equilibrium
Equilibrium
Transformations of Inquiry
2. Conceptual Frameworks
William James
John Dewey
Hotel Corridor (resolve problem) Labor Saving Contrivance (less mental effort)
John Dewey
Maps
(direction to data collection - in light of purpose)
Application
*Analysis *Synthesis
Evaluation
Notebook
Application
Analysis Synthesis Evaluation
Topic/purpose Outlining
Outlining Drafting Outlining Drafting Outlining Drafting
Type of intermediate theory that connects to all aspects of inquiry (purpose, lit review, methodology, data collection, statistics). Conceptual frameworks act like maps that give coherence to empirical inquiry.
Empirical Research
Most useful - give the activities (choosing the topic, purpose, method, data collection, statistics, data analysis) coherence
Research purpose
Conceptual
Methodology
Statistics
Framework
Focusing on a Topic
Chapter V Conclusion
John Dewey
Multiple frameworks! Tools that: Changed with the goal of the Scholar!
Working Hypotheses
Conceptual Frameworks
(Chapter II)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Working Hypotheses Descriptive Categories Practical Ideal Type Models of Operations Research Formal Hypotheses
Descriptive Categories
Linked to research purpose Description Classification, taxonomies, sorting into categories
Type of critical thinking - Analysis (Ability to
see patterns & classify information, concepts, theories)
Messy Rooms Kitchen Example Home Depot - less mental effort PAR Article example - practical, pluralistic,
participatory, provisional
Working Hypotheses
Linked to research purpose Exploratory Used for problems in their preliminary stages Provisional means of advancing investigation Most flexible framework
Formal Hypotheses
Linked to explanatory research purpose Most research methods texts implicitly assume formal hypotheses are the framework used in a research project. Associated with experiments and the scientific method.
More Hypotheses
Connected to Synthesis (relate knowledge from several
sources to create new work - Hypothesize)
Specifies an expected relationship between concepts AB (education influences income) Statistical Tests Associated with impact evaluation (program A
will lead to outcome B)
Purpose: The purpose of this research is to describe the attitudes and opinions of agricultural growers in Texas toward guest worker
policy.
Refine the Conceptual Framework: Find the elements within the categories. Key categories are the bins.
Clothes Toys Books
Legal Status
status of workers status of family
Labor Standards
transportation housing legal rights minimum working hours compensation
Enforcement
monitoring and administration numerical limits guest worker return
The framework is the basis of the outline for the lit review, questionnaire design, and organization of the results chapter.
Questionnaire item
Guest worker policy should contain a labor market test that ensures that growers have attempted to hire domestic workers before guest workers can be hired.* The recruitment of guest worker policy should be administered.
A) directly by employers B) by the federal government C) through a combination of direct recruitment by growers and the federal government
contracting
Guest worker policy should give guest workers the freedom to negotiate their own contracts. *
Labor Standards
Transportation
Guest worker policy should mandate that A) employers pay for a guest workers travel expenses into the United States and for their return trip home..
Tables
1. Conceptual Framework linked to literature 2. Conceptual Framework Operationalized
Bibliography
Bloom B. S. 1956. Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook I: The Cognitive Domain. New York: David McKay Co Inc. Gray, T. 1998. Your Students can too Write - And You Can Show Them How. Journal of Criminal Justice Education. 9: 131153 Shields, Patricia M. 2006. Step by Step: Building a Research Paper. Stillwater OK: New Forums Press.
Syllabus of class that gets students ready to write their Applied Research Project POSI 5335 Problems in Research Methodology
http://uweb.txstate.edu/~ps07/documents/sy35fa99.pdf
Syllabus of class where students write their Applied Research Project POSI 5397 Applied Research Project http://uweb.txstate.edu/~ps07/documents/sy97fa99.pdf 250 + Texas State student papers http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/ Dr. Shields Home Page http://uweb.txstate.edu/~ps07/
More sources
Snider, Keith. Expertise or Experimenting? Pragmatism and American Public Administration 1920-1950. Administration & Society 32(3):329-354. Snider, Keith. 2005. Rortyan Pragmatism: Wheres the Beef for Public Administration? Administration & Society. 37(2): 243-247 Evans, Karen. 2000. Reclaiming John Dewey: Democracy, Inquiry, Pragmatism and Public Management. Administration & Society 32(3): 308-328. Evans, Karen. 2005. Upgrade or a Different Animal Altogether? Why Old Pragmatism Better Informs Public Management and New Pragmatism Misses the Point. Administration & Society. 37((2): 248-55. Miller, Hugh T. 2004. Why Old Pragmatism Needs and Upgrade. Administration & Society. 36(2): 243-249. Miller, Hugh T. 2005. Residues of Foundationalism in Classical Pragmatism. Administration & Society. 37(3): 360-374.
More Sources
Hildebrand, David L. 2005. Pragmatism, Neo Pragmatism and Public Administration. Administration & Society. 37(3): 345-359. Hildebrand, David L. 2008. Public Administration as Pragmatic, Democratic, and Objective. Public Administration Review. 68(2): 222-229. Stolcis, Gregory B. 2004. A View from the Trenches: Comments on Millers Why Old Pragmatism Needs an Upgrade. Administration & Society. 36(3): 362-368. Webb, James L. 2004. Comment on Hugh T. Millers Why Old Pragmatism Needs and Upgrade. Administration & Society. 36(4): 479-495.