Empirical Research Methods

Evaluates and conducts empirical research, focusing on students’ use of empirical methods to study the effectiveness and organizational/social impact of information systems and technologies. Empirical research involves a number of broad steps including identifying problems; developing specific hypotheses; collecting data relevant to the hypotheses; analyzing the data; and considering alternative explanations for the empirical findings. Some of the most commonly used research techniques, such as surveys, experiments, and ethnographic methods, are discussed. Additional topics include the ethics of data collection and experimentation in behavioral science. Although the course focuses primarily on the relationship between formulating research questions and implementing the appropriate methods to answer them, students can expect to apply the statistical techniques learned in the course prerequisites.