Transcript Document

Chapter 2:
Doing Sociology: Research Methods
What to Expect in This Chapter...
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What are Research Methods?
Activities Comprising the Research Process
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Define the Problem
Review Previous Research
Develop Hypotheses
Determine the Research Design
Define the Sample and Collect Data
Analyze the Data
Prepare the Report
How to Read A table
What are Research
Methods?
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Research methods is the term used to
refer to a series of activities that allow
the researcher to draw conclusions
about the world with reasonable
certainty and accuracy.
The activities involved are also
referred to collectively as the research
process.
Activities Comprising the
Research Process
1. Defining the Problem
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The first step in defining the problem is
identifying the general question you want to
answer
• For example, you might want to know if drugs are
responsible for the decline of morality in this
country
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The second step involves stating your
question so that it can be measured
empirically
• You might then phrase your question, “Does drug
use cause one to commit crime?”
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The third step typically involves
operationalizing the concepts you are using
• This will involve specifying what you mean by
“drug use” and “crime”
2. Review Previous
Research
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It will be rare that you will identify a
research problem that has not previously
been researched
By looking at what other researchers
have done, you can get some ideas about
how to conduct your own research
Generally, you can find this research in
scholarly journals and books and
monographs in college and university
libraries
3. Develop Hypotheses
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An hypothesis is “...a testable statement
about the relationship between two or more
empirical variables.”
A variable is “...anything that can change”
– An independent variable causes change to
occur in another variable
– A dependent variable is influenced by the
independent variable
3a. Statements of Causality
and Association
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Statement of causality—declares that
something causes something else
Drug Use
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Crime
Statement of association—declares that
two variables are related but one does not
necessarily cause the other
Drug Use
Crime
Unknown Third
Variable
4. Determine the
Research Design...
4a The Survey
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The survey involves questioning a
population or sample to reveal certain
facts about themselves
The survey is usually conducted with the
use of a questionnaire or interview
– The structured interview uses preset
questions and produces very uniform and
replicable responses
– The open-ended interview allows more
freedom for both respondent and interviewer
in exploring a topic thoroughly
4b Participant Observation
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Participant observation involves going into the
“field” and spending considerable time interacting
with the people one is studying
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It is generally used to study small groups or
communities over an extended period of time
The researcher must establish trust and honesty
in his or her relationships with the people being
studied
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Results cannot be replicated easily, but it can
provide much more detailed information
4c. The Experiment
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The experiment is a design that carefully
controls the variables being studied
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The experiment is the most precise research
design available to sociologists (or any
other scientist)
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The types of things that most sociologists
are interested in do not lend themselves to
this research design, however
4d. Secondary Analysis
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Secondary analysis involves making
use of data that have been previously
collected by others
There are several sources of
secondary data, including the U.S.
Census Bureau, the FBI, Department
of Labor and others
Advantages and Disadvantages of Research
Methods
Research
Method
Advantages
Survey
1 Many people can be
surveyed
2 Data can be quantified and
comparisons made
Participant
Observation
1 Allows people to be
observed in natural habitat
2 Provides greater depth of
understanding
Experiment
Secondary
Analysis
Disadvantages
1Respondents may give
false information
2 Do not leave room for
unanticipated answers
1 Findings open to
interpretation and subject
to bias
2 Results difficult to replicate
1 Variables can be controlled 1 Artificial setting
2 Limited to a few variables
2 Easy to replicate
3 Not appropriate for most
sociologists
1 Good for historical and
longitudinal data
2 Saves time and money
No control over data
5. Define Sample /Collect
Data
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A sample is a subset of a population
that is chosen for study
The process by which this subset of
the population is chosen is called
sampling
The nature of the population and the
research will determine what type of
sample the researcher will use
Types of Samples
Type of
Sample
Description
Purpose
Each individual in a
population has an
Random equal chance of being
chosen
Used when there is no
need to insure
inclusion of certain
categories
Population first
divided into groups
Stratified based on certain
Random characteristics;
random sample drawn
within each category
Used when
representation of
certain population
categories is
important
Avoiding Researcher Bias
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Researcher bias occurs when the researcher
tends to ignore data which go against his or her
hypotheses
This can be prevented using one or more of the
following strategies
– Allowing other researchers access to one’s data for
alternative interpretation
– Use of blind investigators who do not know if a
subject is part of an experimental or control group
– Use of double blind investigators who know neither
the nature of the subjects, or of the hypotheses being
tested
6. Analyzing the Data
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Analysis of data is the process by which large and
complicated collections of data are organized so
that comparisons can be made and conclusions
drawn
Sociologists use a variety of statistics to assist in
this process
Two issues are especially important in data
analysis:
• Validity—the data accurately represent the reality being
tested
• Reliability—the findings can be repeated
7. Prepare the Research
Report
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Sociological research is
generally reported in one or
more of the following ways:
– Papers presented at professional
meetings
– Published in technical or
scholarly journals
– Published as books or
monographs
– Published as final reports to
funding agencies