1. 3 Doing Sociological Research
Photo credit: Blend Images-Hill Street Studios/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
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2. Chapter Outline The Research Process Research Design
The Tools of Sociological Research
Research Ethics: Is Sociology Value Free?
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3. The Research Process
There are several methods that sociologists use to do research:
participant observation
survey research
use of official records or interviews
statistical analysis of qualitative data
Observation, reasoning, and logical analysis are the tools of sociologists, coupled with knowledge of the large body of theoretical and analytical work.
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4. Sociology and the Scientific Method
Sociologists attempt to follow the scientific method which includes several steps:
Develop a research question
Research design
Gathering data
Data Analysis
Drawing Conclusions
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5. Inductive and Deductive Reasoning
Inductive reasoning draws general conclusions by studying specific observations.
Deductive reasoning involves creating a specific research question about a focused point that is based on a more general or universal principle.
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6. Figure 3.1 The Research Process
Figure based on Babbie 2013; Wallace 1983, 1971
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7. Quantitative versus Qualitative Research (slide 1 of 2)
Sociologists conduct two types of studies:
Qualitative studies are more interpretative observations.
Quantitative studies are usually statistically sophisticated.
Studies test the influence of one variable on another.
A variable is a characteristic that can have more than one value or score.
Independent Variable is the presumed cause of the outcome.
Dependent Variable is the variable that is the presumed effect.
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8. Quantitative versus Qualitative Research (slide 2 of 2)
Sociological research proceeds through the study
of concepts.
A concept is any abstract characteristic or attribute that can potentially be measured.
The validity of a measurement is the degree to which it accurately measures or reflects a concept.
Reliability - A measurement is reliable if repeating the measurement under the same circumstances gives the same result.
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9. Gathering Data During this stage data are collected or gathered.
Primary data is original data gathered specifically for this project.
Secondary data is data gathered from an earlier study or for another purpose, such as: national opinion polls, census data, national crime statistics, or official sources.
Instructor: Discuss the difference between a sample and a population and also give examples of different sources of reliable secondary data frequently used by sociologists. 17
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10. Analyzing the Data
Data analysis is the process by which sociologists organize collected data to discover the patterns and uniformities that the data reveal.
Sometimes unexpected or unanticipated findings are made. These are referred to as serendipitous findings. They may direct a researcher into a new area of study or provide the researcher with a new topic to study as a follow up to the current project.
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11. Reaching Conclusions and Reporting Results
Generalization is the ability to draw conclusions from specific data and to apply them to a broader population.
Sometimes unexpected or unanticipated findings are made. These are referred to as serendipitous findings. They may direct a researcher into a new area of study or provide the researcher with a new topic to study as a follow up to the current project.
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12. The Tools of Sociological Research
The tools most sociologists widely use are:
survey research
participant observation
controlled experiments
content analysis
historical research
evaluation research
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13. The Survey: Polls, Questionnaires, and Interviews
Surveys are the most commonly used tools of sociological research.
Surveys can be administered as questionnaires, interviews, or telephone polls.
Photo caption: A census taker interviews a man in his home. Rhoda Sidney/PhotoEdit
Questionnaires are sent to large numbers of people and ask the respondent about income, occupation or employment status, education, income, age, race, gender, and other specific topics.
Low return rates give skewed or biased data.
Interviews involve asking structured questions in an interview format. They can be open or closed-ended and administered face-to-face, over the phone, or on via
Telephone polls involve calling large samples of the population and asking very specific information about the topic of concern.
Advantages: surveys make it possible to ask specific questions about a large number of topics and then to perform analyses to find patterns.
Disadvantages: the rigid nature of the questions often makes it difficult to accurately capture the opinions of the respondent or fail to capture nuances in behavior.
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14. Participant Observation
In participant observation, the sociologist becomes a part of the group and studies or observes the behavior of the group members.
Photo caption: The men in this bar, as shown by Anderson’s (1976) classic participant observation study of “Jelly’s Bar” in A Place on the Corner, have status differences among themselves that they create, such as (in descending status order) “regulars,” “hoodlums,” and “winos.” Mark Richards/PhotoEdit
Advantages
Observer knows the study group very well
These studies have added to the body of sociological research
Disadvantages
May be too much information to analyze
Technique is very time consuming
May not be objective
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15. Controlled Experiments
Controlled experiments are useful for determining cause and effect patterns.
Two different groups are created:
an experimental group, exposed to the factor/variable being examined
a control group, not exposed to the factor/variable being tested
Advantages:
Can isolate a single variable.
Can make judgments about how much the artificial setting affected the results.
Disadvantages:
It is an artificial environment.
Adhering to ethics can be difficult.
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16. Research Ethics: Is Sociology Value Free?
Researchers:
Cannot impose harm
Must inform subjects of the rights and responsibilities of both the researcher and the subject
Must secure informed consent
Must ensure subject confidentiality and anonymity
Must follow strict reporting guidelines
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17. Chapter Summary What is sociological research?
Is sociological research scientific?
What is the difference between qualitative research
and quantitative research?
What are some of the statistical concepts in sociology?
What different tools of research do sociologists use?
Can sociology be value free?
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18. Question 1
Which of the following describes a sociological research technique in which the researcher simultaneously takes part in the research and observes it?
Survey
Participant observation
Content analysis
Secondary sources
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19. Answer 1 B. Participant observation
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20. Question 2
The _____ is the variable that the researcher wants to test as the presumed cause of something else.
dependent variable
generalization
hypothesis
independent variable
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21. Answer 2 D. independent variable
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22. Question 3
Which type of reasoning involves arriving at general conclusions from specific observations?
Inductive
Deductive
Independent
Intuitive
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23. Answer 3
A. Inductive
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