Do you want on-the-ground experience in applied social science research? The Social Science Research Lab courses engage students in project-based learning in social science research principles and their real-world application.
What is the Social Science Research Lab?
The Social Science Research Lab provides undergraduate students a foundational and applied experience in social science research principles, methods, and their real-world application, including for evaluation practice. Through this lab, we aim to further the relationship between research and practice. Courses operating within this Lab will prepare students for future endeavors at Duke, including participation in Bass Connections projects, and beyond. This Lab is based in Duke University’s Social Science Research Institute and is in conjunction with Bass Connections.
Evaluating Health Innovation (EHD 290S-02): This course is an elective for the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Certificate and the Science & Society Certificate; it can also serve as a Civic Engagement & Social Change Certificate elective if aligned with a student’s pathway within the certificate. SS Area of Knowledge; Service Learning community-engaged course. Crosslisted with Sociology and Science & Society. This course is in partnership with the Duke Institute for Health Innovation (DIHI), which promotes transformative innovation in health and healthcare. The course will include dual focus on 1) methods and practices in social science research, especially community-engaged research and applied evaluation practice; and 2) topical issues related to the partner, including: healthcare as a cause and consequences of social problems, evolution of healthcare financing and administration, and innovation’s potential role in solving healthcare challenges. Throughout the semester, students will apply their research and evaluation training through research/practice partnerships with DIHI health innovation projects. By the end of the semester, students will develop responsive applied research/evaluation proposals for DIHI-supported health innovation projects.
Who should enroll?
Lab classes are intended for undergraduates, ranging from freshman to seniors.
What if I have other questions?
For more information about the Lab, contact Jessica Sperling, PhD (Jessica.sperling@duke.edu).
Here is a great article about the course, and a few past student reflections:
“Being able to apply the methods we learned made me much more engaged in class and able to remember the techniques we learned since I directly applied them to my evaluation project. Furthermore, partnering with real DIHI project teams made the proposal we did as part of the class more high-pressure but significantly more meaningful than if it was modeled after a simulation or project prompt.”
“Having an impact on something of this magnitude was a unique and new experience that is rare at an undergraduate level.”
“There are not many other courses where the lab component and group project have a purpose outside of only being graded to show a student’s knowledge of content. It is validating to know that the work we were doing is helpful and can be used by others.”
Bass Connections course. Instructor: Sperling
