Urban Specialist and China Scholar

URSP/GEOG 313 Urban Research and Field Methods

This course introduces students to a variety of field and research techniques used to gather and analyze information in order to study urban issues. Key topics include designing a research project, developing and implementing surveys, conducting focus groups and observation, analyzing data statistically and using SPSS, interpreting and reporting results, and utilizing secondary information.

The pre-requisite for this course is STAT 210 (Basic Practice of Statistics) or equivalent. A knowledge base in both computer use and statistics is vital for the successful completion of this course. At the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • Construct meaningful research questions related to a urban setting,
  • Develop a basic research design and understand the tasks involved in each stage of the design,
  • Recognize the major methods of collecting both quantitative and qualitative data,
  • Design a sampling method and questionnaire for survey research,
  • Conduct an actual survey of a small scale,
  • Compile and analyze the survey data using SPSS, and
  • Understand and interpret results of select statistical analysis

URSP/GEOG 313 Course Outline (Fall 2007)
URSP/GEOG 313 Handouts
URSP/GEOG 313 Assignments