BEHS 300: Research Methods in the Social Sciences

Research Methods in the Social Sciences introduces the core research skills spanning psychology, sociology, anthropology, and gerontology.

What BEHS 300 covers

Prerequisites: BEHS 210 and STAT 200. An introduction to the core concepts, research methods, and skills that apply to work in the social sciences. The goal is to begin the process of conducting social science research.

Discussion covers the scientific method, as well as quantitative and qualitative research methods specific to the social science disciplines of psychology, sociology, anthropology, and gerontology. Topics also include reliability and validity of data, correlation versus causality, research ethics, institutional review boards, proposal writing, and the unique contribution of interdisciplinarity in social science research.

Typical BEHS 300 assignments

Expect an assignment requiring you to write a research proposal addressing correlation-versus-causality issues and the ethical/IRB considerations involved.

Key topics in BEHS 300

• Quantitative and qualitative research methods
• Reliability and validity
• Correlation vs. causality
• Research ethics and IRB

Writing tips for BEHS 300

Follow the assignment instructions and rubric line by line

UMGC assignments for BEHS 300 are graded against a specific rubric or grading criteria your instructor provides — every requirement has to be visibly addressed. Skipping a requirement because it seems minor is one of the most common reasons a strong submission loses points.

Integrate multiple social science disciplines, not just one

Behavioral and Social Sciences courses like BEHS 300 are explicitly interdisciplinary — evaluators want to see perspectives from at least two social science fields (psychology, sociology, anthropology) genuinely integrated, not a single-discipline analysis relabeled as interdisciplinary.

Apply concepts to a specific culture, population, or case, not humanity in general

Strong work in this discipline is grounded in a specific, named culture, population, or case study — analysis that stays at the level of "humans in general" or "society" without specificity is one of the most common ways students lose points.

Why students seek help with BEHS 300

Students sometimes propose a research design without addressing correlation-versus-causality or the required ethical/IRB considerations — the rubric typically wants those addressed explicitly, not a bare research idea alone.

How GradeEssays helps with BEHS 300

Share your research methods assignment and rubric, and your writer will help build a proposal addressing correlation-versus-causality and ethical/IRB considerations.

Prerequisites and course context

BEHS 300 requires both Introduction to Social Sciences (BEHS 210) and Introduction to Statistics (STAT 200).

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