Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Research Methods in Environmental Science (Face-to-Face)

ENVS 3000-01

Course: ENVS 3000-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: GEOS
CRN: 33129

Course Description

This course provides students with an overview of research techniques used in environmental science. Students will learn essential research methods in three areas: field research, laboratory research, and systematic, quantitative literature review. Students who complete this course will leave with a toolkit of skills that can be used to develop a capstone project in environmental science. (Fall) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): ENVS 1000 or GEOG 1000 or instructor permission - Prerequisite Min Grade: C 

Required Texts

Required textbook: This course uses Open Educational Resource (OER) materials that are publicly available free of charge. In this course we will use two OER textbooks:

Illowsky, B and S Dean. 2023. Introductory Statistics 2E. Houston, TX: OpenStax.

Marenco, AL. 2017. Principles of Sociological Inquiry. Santa Clarita, CA: College of the Canyons.

Other required readings: Other readings we will use throughout the semester will be provided on Canvas and include:

Aslan, C and S Southern. 2022. The interaction between administrative jurisdiction and disturbance on public lands: emerging socioecological feedbacks and dynamics. Journal of Environmental Management 319: 115682.

                *Supplementary data will be provided to accompany this reading.

DeMarco, AL, R Hardenbrook, J Rose, and DL Mendoza. 2020. Air pollution-related health impacts on individuals experiencing homelessness: environmental justice and health vulnerability in Salt Lake County, Utah. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17: 8413.

Gϋndoğdu, B, A Santos Nouri, Y Afacan, and A Mazarakis. 2023. Investigating the impacts of shaded outdoor spaces on thermal adaptation and cognitive performance of university students in classroom environments. International Journal of Biometeorology 67: 1941-1955.

Martin, LJ, B Blossy, and E Ellis. 2012. Mapping where ecologists work: biases in the global distribution of terrestrial ecological observations. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 10: 195-201.

Martin, RH, DR Butler, and J Klier. 2018. The influence of tire size on bicycle impacts to soil and vegetation. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Toursim 24: 52-58.

Mengist, W, T Soromessa, and G Legese. 2020. Method for conducting systematic literature review and meta-analysis for environmental science research. MethodsX 7: 100777.

O’Hare, P. 2024. A walk with “that wild dog of yours”: tales of circumscribed, co-negotiated and adaptive walking practices. Social and Cultural Geography 25: 1311-1330.

Randolph, KC. 2006. Descriptive statistics of tree crown condition in the southern United States and impacts on data analysis and interpretation. General Technical Report SRS-94. Southern Research Station: USDA Forest Service.

Learning Outcomes


8.0 Inquiry & Analysis
: Inquiry: Students systematically explore issues, objects or works through the collection and analysis of evidence that results in informed conclusions or judgments. Analysis: Students break complex topics or issues into parts to gain a better understanding of them.

8.1. Topic Selection: Fluency is the identification of a creative, focused, and manageable topic that addresses potentially significant yet previously less-explored aspects of the topic.
8.2. Existing Knowledge, Research, and/ or Views: Fluency is the synthesis of in-depth information from relevant sources representing various points of view/ approaches.
8.3. Design Process: Fluency is the skillful development and use of appropriate methodologies or theoretical frameworks.
8.4. Analysis: Fluency is the organization and synthesis of evidence to reveal insightful patterns, differences, or similarities related to focus.
8.5. Conclusions: Fluency is stating a conclusion that is a logical extrapolation from the inquiry findings.
8.6. Limitations & Implications: Fluency would demonstrate an insightful detailed discussion using relevant and supported limitations and implications.
 
13.0 Problem Solving: Students design, evaluate, and implement strategies to answer open-ended questions or achieve a desired goal.
13.1. Define Problem: Fluency demonstrates the ability to construct a clear and insightful problem statement with evidence of all relevant contextual factors.
13.2. Identify Strategies: Fluent students can identify multiple approaches for solving the problem that apply within a specific context.
13.3. Propose Solutions/Hypotheses: Fluent students propose one or more solutions/hypotheses that indicates a deep comprehension of the problem. Solution/hypotheses are sensitive to contextual factors as well as the ethical, logical, and cultural dimensions of the problem.
13.4. Evaluate Potential Solutions: Fluent students demonstrate deep and elegant evaluation of solutions and thoroughly completes all of the following; considers history of problem, reviews logic/reasoning, examines feasibility of solution, and weighs impacts of solutions.
13.5. Implement Solution: Fluent students implement the solution in a manner that addresses, thoroughly and deeply, the multiple contextual factors of the problem.
13.6. Evaluate Outcomes: Fluent students review results relative to the defined problem with thorough and specific considerations of the need for further work.

Course Requirements

Field Methods Friday: On certain Fridays throughout the semester, we will learn some data collection methods for environmental science research. After learning about the method, we will practice it together in groups. Topics are flexible, but may include: soil texture analysis, plant biomass measurement, GIS/remote sensing field methods, and others. Field Methods Friday activities are graded on a credit/no credit basis. Each student may miss up to one activity with no impact on their grade.

Formal Group Discussion Friday: Several times throughout the semester, we will have small group discussions of a journal article. During our discussions, we will identify the strengths and weaknesses of the methods used in the study. Articles will be linked on Canvas. Group Discussions are graded on a credit/no credit basis. Each student may miss up to one discussion with no impact on their grade.

CITI Training: Students will complete the online Social-Behavioral-Educational (SBE) course through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) program at citiprogram.org. Successful completion of this online course provides certification to engage in research involving human subjects.

Positionality Essay: Students will reflect on how their identity could influence all aspects of their research. Students should consider the different components of identity (e.g. nationality, sex, gender, race or ethnicity, socio-economic class, sexuality, religious affiliation, and/or ability status). The essay should be 2 to 3 pages in length, double-spaced, 12-point font, with 1-inch margins.

Systematic Literature Review: A systematic literature review (SLR) is a methodical way of examining the literature on a particular topic. SLRs are frequently used in environmental science careers like environmental consulting, conservation, and many others. Each student will complete a systematic literature review on a topic of their choice following the PSALSAR (protocol, search, appraisal, synthesis, analysis, report) method from Mengist et al., 2020. 

Quantitative Methods: Central Tendency: Each student will collect secondary data on weather conditions and calculate measures of central tendency using Excel. Students will then create a histogram and a time series graph using the data.

Quantitative Methods: Correlation and Regression: Students will work in pairs to design a survey-based study that tests a hypothesis using quantitative methods. Each group will then perform a regression analysis to test their hypothesis and submit a short report with their results. 

Qualitative Methods: Observation: Students will design a study of peoples’ interactions with their environment. Each student will then observe people for one hour and prepare a short report on their observations.

Participation: Each class period, we will have informal discussions and/or short exercises related to the lecture content. To receive participation points, each student will submit a completed worksheet or a notecard with a question/comment that they made in the discussion, or a question that they have about the content. Each student can miss up to four classes with no impact on their participation grade. Participation grades will be available on Canvas before finals week.


Course Outline

Week 1 - Course introduction
Week 2 - Bias and research ethics
Week 3 - Designing a research project
Week 4 - Variable choice and measurement
Week 5 - Distributions
Week 6 - Central tendency
Week 7 - Systematic literature reviews
Week 8 - Hypothesis testing
Week 9 - Significance
Week 10 - Correlation
Week 11 and 12 - Survey design
Week 13 - Participant observation
Week 14 - Thanksgiving break
Week 15 - Interviews 

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late work is not accepted unless arranged with the instructor in advance.

Attendance Policy

Attendance for this course will not be recorded, however regular attendance is strongly advised.

Course Fees

$37.50

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.