1. Chapter 1:
Why Do Research?

2. HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT WE KNOW?
"Research is an ongoing process of searching and working toward the truth." (p. 5)

3. Horoscopes and astrology
“Large numbers of people, even in the US in 21st century, continue to believe in things that research repeatedly demonstrates to be false, such as…
UFOs and ESP
Horoscopes and astrology
Unscientific thinking about age of earth or basic forces of nature
Goblins, demons, witches, evil spirits, devils” (pp. 5-6)

4. Developing Critical Thinking Skills
Critical thinking: a highly aware perspective that tries to avoid fallacies, reveal assumptions, adopt multiple viewpoints, and keep an open mind while questioning simple solutions

5. WHAT IS EMPIRICAL SOCIAL RESEARCH?
closely studying documents, to attain deeper understanding, reveal patterns and themes, to find ultimate truth
gathering pre-existing info and making sense of it, synthesizing the findings; but not treating all “evidence: equally
a process of applying accepted techniques and principles, to ask questions certain ways, gather info systematically, measure precisely, draw samples…
applying critical thinking and adopting an orientation

6. What is Evidence?
Qualititative data: evidence in form of images, words, or sounds
Quantitative data: evidence in form of numbers

7. Varieties of Social Research: different techniques for collecting data
Quantitative data collection techniques:
Experiment
Surveys
Content Analysis
Existing statistical sources
Qualitative data collection techniques
Ethnographic field research
Historical-comparative research

8. FIT THE QUESTION YOU WANT TO ANSWER WITH A TYPE OF SOCIAL RESEARCH
Exploratory research
Descriptive research
Explanatory research
Evaluation research

9. HOW TO USE RESEARCH
Basic research: research to advance basic understanding and fundamental knowledge about the world by creating and testing theories
Applied research: research to answer a specific practical question and provide usable answers in the short-term

10. FIG 1.5 STEPS IN THE RESEARCH PROCESS (p. 21)