Research Design and Dataset GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

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?) GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

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 GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

Research Design Plan/framework/blueprint/proposal to conduct research Research Question Literature Review Hypothesis Data Methods of Analysis Sometimes, expected results GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

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? … GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

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 GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

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 GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

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 GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

5) Methodology Three general approaches: Quantitative Qualitative Mixed Different designs for different approaches GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

Research Methods Quantitative Methods Mixed Methods Qualitative Methods Instrument-based questions Performance, attitude, observational, and census data Statistical analyses Statistical interpretation Both open- and closed-ended questions Multiple forms of data drawing on all possibilities Statistical and text analyses Across databases interpretation Open-ended questions Interview, observation, document, and audio-visual data Text and image analyses Themes, 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 specific GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

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?

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 GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

Research Paper Research Design + Results from analyses, findings Interpretations Conclusion and discussion GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

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

Getting data Conducting a survey Using existing data Sampling design, questionnaire, interview… Expensive, time consuming, quality ? Using existing data Easier, cheaper/free You may not get everything you want GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

Existing Datasets U.S. census bureau Before 2010: 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 GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

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) GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

www2.census.gov for direct data access American FactFinder Exercise www2.census.gov for direct data access Use Unix format GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

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 GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

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 GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

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 GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

Existing Datasets National Survey of Families and Households Life history Three waves: 1987-88, 1992-93, 2001-02 Large sample size: >10,000 GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

Existing datasets Social Science Data Archive List of data archives on CSDA GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

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 GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

Recoding 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  ordinal) Original age variable: Recoded variable: 10 15 1 (<=20) 20 21 2 (21-30) 25 29 32,50, 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

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? GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

Group Activity #4 With the “ideal” dataset in mind, please find one or two existing datasets that can best suit your research goal. GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang