1. Research Design and Dataset
GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

2. 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

3. 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

4. Research Design Plan/framework/blueprint/proposal to conduct research
Research Question
Literature Review
Hypothesis
Data
Methods of Analysis
Sometimes, expected results
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5. 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? …
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6. 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
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7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

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

11. 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

12. 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
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13. 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?

14. 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

15. Research Paper Research Design + Results from analyses, findings
Interpretations
Conclusion and discussion
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16. 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

17. 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

18. 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
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19. 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)
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20. www2.census.gov for direct data access
American FactFinder
Exercise
www2.census.gov for direct data access
Use Unix format
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21. Existing Datasets Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS)
IPUMS-USA
Micro-level data
Surveys from 15 censuses and ACS ( )
IPUMS-CPS
Yearly micro-level data
IPUMS-International
Must register to access data
GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

22. 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
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23. 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
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24. Existing Datasets National Survey of Families and Households
Life history
Three waves: , ,
Large sample size: >10,000
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25. Existing datasets Social Science Data Archive
List of data archives on CSDA
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26. 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
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27. 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

28. Recoding Variables (Ratio  ordinal)
Original age variable: Recoded variable: 10
(<=20) 20
(21-30) 25 29
32,50, 61… 3 (>30)
© 2011 Taylor and Francis

29. 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

30. 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

31. GOG502/PLN504 Youqin Huang

32. 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