BEHS 300: Research Methods in the Social Sciences

BEHS 300 at the University of Maryland Global Campus is an introduction to the core concepts, research methods and skills that apply to work in the social sciences.

UMGC states the goal is to begin the process of conducting social science research. Discussion covers the scientific method and the quantitative and qualitative methods specific to 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. The prerequisites are BEHS 210 and STAT 200.

For many students this is the first course that asks them to think like researchers rather than readers of research. The final products are usually design decisions and a proposal, and the difficulty lies in making those decisions fit together: a clear question, an appropriate method, a realistic sample, valid measures and an ethical plan.

What BEHS 300 Covers

Key Concepts Explained

Reliability and Validity

Reliability means a measure gives consistent results. Validity means it measures what it is supposed to. A bathroom scale that always reads two kilograms too heavy is reliable but not valid.

Correlation Versus Causation

Two variables can move together without one causing the other. A third variable may cause both, or the direction may run the other way.

Choosing a Method

The question drives the method. "How many?" or "how strongly related?" questions suit quantitative designs; "how do people experience?" or "what does this mean to them?" questions suit qualitative designs. Mixed methods combine both when a question has both parts.

Research Ethics and the IRB

Any research with human participants must protect them. Core principles, set out in the Belmont Report, are respect for persons (informed consent), beneficence (minimize harm, maximize benefit) and justice (fair selection of participants). Institutional review boards (IRBs) review proposals to check these principles are met.

In a BEHS 300 proposal, an ethics section usually explains how you will obtain informed consent, protect confidentiality, handle data securely, and give extra protection to vulnerable groups such as minors or people in care settings.

A proposal is a plan, so this section describes what you would do; course proposals are not normally carried out unless your instructor arranges it.

Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them

Where Students Get Stuck

• Questions too broad. Narrow to a specific population, variable and setting.
• Method mismatch. A survey cannot answer a "how do people experience" question well.
• Causal claims. Avoid "prove" and "cause" unless the design supports them.
• Thin ethics sections. Address consent, confidentiality, risk and vulnerable groups.

Study Tips for BEHS 300

• Choose a topic you care about early, and use it in every exercise.
• Keep a methods glossary with an example study for each term.
• Review your STAT 200 notes on variables, sampling and correlation.
• Read the methods section of several journal articles to see how designs are described.

How We Help with BEHS 300

Send the prompt, rubric, your topic and any feedback. A writer with social science research experience can prepare a custom proposal or literature review, explain methods and ethics, or review your design for alignment and clarity. Our research proposal guide explains each section in detail.

GradeEssays is independent of the University of Maryland Global Campus. Our work is a study and reference aid to use under UMGC's academic integrity policy, and we never invent data or results. Every order is written from scratch, includes free revisions within the scope of your original request, and is refunded in full if it is late.