Research Design and Dataset GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang1

Research Design and Dataset

GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang 1

Group Activity #1

Housing inequality is an important aspect of social inequality. Suppose we want to answer the following research questions: What is the degree and pattern of

housing inequality in the U.S.? (What?) What are the driving forces for housing

inequality? (Why?)


Please rank the following methods from the best to the worst, why?

A) Read existing studies on housing consumption/ inequality in the U.S.

B) Analyze census data

C) Select a random sample of households and conduct a questionnaire survey

D) Conduct in-depth interviews in a typical neighborhood about people’s housing consumption and views on housing inequality


Research Design

Plan/framework/blueprint/proposal to conduct research Research Question Literature Review Hypothesis Data Methods of Analysis

Sometimes, expected resultsGOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang 4

1) Research Question One or several clearly stated questions

What is going on? (descriptive research) What is the spatial pattern of migration in the US? What is the current state of husing inequality in the US?

Why did it happen? (explanatory research) What are the dynamics of migration in the US? Why has income inequality increased in recent decades?

Significance/contribution How important to the development of knowledge? Extend existing theories to different areas/settings? Solve inconsistency in current interpretations Help understand a new phenomenon? …


2) Literature Review Summarize existing research Critique:

what is missing? what are the problems in existing research?

Relates the study to the larger dialogue/debate in the literature

Provides a framework for establishing the importance of your research Conceptually Methodologically


2) Literature Review A suggested model

Introduce the review with a statement about the organization of the sections

Review literature about the independent variables Review literature about the dependent variables Review literature that relates the independent

variables to the dependent variables Provide a summary

Highlight important studies Capture major themes Suggest why more research is needed Advances how the proposed study will fill this need

3) Hypotheses Predictions that the researcher makes about

the expected relationships among variables Dependent variable(s) (outcome) Independent variable (s) (causal factors) Nature of the relationship between the two E.g. Women are paid less than men (or there is gender

discrimination against women in wage; female sex has a negative effect on wage)

Predictions about the population values that the researcher will estimate based on data from a sample


4) Data What kind of data is needed to test hypotheses ?

Archival information: text, images, maps, statistics… Interviews Existing quantitative data:

census data, CPS, ACS, GSS, AHS… Questionnaire survey

Sampling method, sample size, variables data collection

Cross-sectional vs. longitudinal


5) Methodology

Three general approaches: Quantitative Qualitative Mixed

Different designs for different approaches


Research MethodsQuantitative

MethodsMixed

MethodsQualitative Methods

Instrument-based questionsPerformance, attitude, observational, and census dataStatistical analysesStatistical interpretation

Both open- and closed-ended questionsMultiple forms of data drawing on all possibilitiesStatistical and text analysesAcross databases interpretation

Open-ended questionsInterview, observation, document, and audio-visual dataText and image analysesThemes, patterns interpretation

5) Methodology: quantitative

Descriptive analysis What kind of tables, figures will be

created? What kind of summary statistics will be

calculated?

Inferential analysis / Models Hypothesis test (e.g. t-test) Model specification (e.g. regression)

Be very specificGOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang 12

Group Activity #2:Which method is the most appropriate?

Is there still racial discrimination in the housing market in the US?

What are the socio-spatial characteristics of foreclosures took place in the last five years? Why?

13

Research Design

1) Identify the research question and justify its selection.

2) Review previously published literature 3) Clearly and explicitly specify hypotheses 4) Describe the data and variables needed for

hypothesis test, and how the data will be obtained.

5) Describe the methods of analysis; expected results


Research Paper

Research Design + Results from analyses, findings Interpretations Conclusion and discussion


Group Activity #3

Design an “ideal” dataset you need to study housing inequality in the U.S. What is the subject? Or unit of analysis? What is the spatial coverage? Which year(s)? What kind of variables?

What are your outcome variables (dependent variables)?

What are your explanatory variables (independent variables)?

Control variables? (independent variables)GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang 16

Getting data

Conducting a survey Sampling design, questionnaire,

interview… Expensive, time consuming, quality ?

Using existing data Easier, cheaper/free You may not get everything you want


Existing Datasets

U.S. census bureau Before 2010:

Short form: 100%, basic info, available at block level

SF1: basic racial category SF2: detailed racial category

Long form: sample, 1/6 HHs, detailed info, no block level

SF3 and SF4

2010: Short form + American Community Survey


Existing Datasets

American Community Survey Ongoing, every month 250,000 hhs Provide estimates:

1-yr : for 650,000+ pop, every year 3-yr: 20,000+ pop, 5-yr: all areas

American Housing Survey (AHS) Economic Census (every 5 years)


American FactFinder Exercise

www2.census.gov for direct data access Use Unix format


Existing Datasets

Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) IPUMS-USA

Micro-level data Surveys from 15 censuses and ACS (2000-

2010) IPUMS-CPS

Yearly micro-level data IPUMS-International Must register to access data


Existing Datasets

General Social Survey Social trend and attitude

Core questions and topic of the year Over time (since 1972) 1500 – 5000 people, depending on the

year Dataset already in SPSS format


Existing Datasets

Inter-university Consortium for Political & Social Research (ICPSR) More than 500,000 digital files, by

individuals and institutions

Use search to find your dataset


Existing Datasets

National Survey of Families and Households Life history Three waves: 1987-88, 1992-93, 2001-02 Large sample size: >10,000


Existing datasets

Social Science Data Archive

List of data archives on CSDA


Data Manipulation

You may have to manipulate your data before you conduct analysis Recoding

Race: combining different minorities into one group

Age: creating age groups


Recoding the RACE VariableRecoding the RACE Variable

Original RACE variable: Recoded RERACE variable:

White: 0 White: 0

Black: 1 Non-white: 1

Asian: 2

Hispanic: 3© 2011 Taylor and Francis

Recoding Variables (Ratio Recoding Variables (Ratio ordinal) ordinal)

Original age variable: Recoded variable:

1015 1 (<=20)2021 2 (21-30)252932,50, 61… 3 (>30)

© 2011 Taylor and Francis

Data Manipulation

Recoding Creating an index

Combining several similar variables Need to be measured on the same scale Attitude on protest Housing facility index:

Heating: 1 yes, 0 no Tap water: 1 yes, 0 no Gas/electricity for cooking: 1 yes, 0 no

Index=heating+tap water+ cooking fuel (0-3)GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang 29

Research Paper:Questions for yourself

What is my research questions? What kind of method is the most appropriate for

my research? What kind of data do I need to answer my

research question? Where can I access the data?

What are my DVs? IDVs? What kind of descriptive analyses should I do? What kind of hypothesis tests should I do? What kind of regressions should I do?



Group Activity #4

With the “ideal” dataset in mind, please find one or two existing datasets that can best suit your research goal.


Documents

Research Design and Dataset GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang1