The Sociological Research The Sociological Research ProcessProcess

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Everyday knowledgeEveryday knowledge

Based on:Based on: Personal experience;Personal experience; Belief;Belief; Socio-cultural environment Socio-cultural environment

(traditions, cultural values, (traditions, cultural values, behavioral norms).behavioral norms).

Not scientific, because:Not scientific, because: Sample is limited;Sample is limited; Thinking and memory are selective.Thinking and memory are selective.04/10/2304/10/23

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Ideal type model paradigmIdeal type model paradigm

Sociological questions:Sociological questions: FactualFactual

what happened?what happened? ComparativeComparative

did this happen everywhere?did this happen everywhere? DevelopmentalDevelopmental

has this happened over time?has this happened over time? TheoreticalTheoretical

what underlies this phenomenon?what underlies this phenomenon?

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Stages of research processStages of research process

Define the problem

Review the literature

Formulate a hypothesis

Select a research design

Carry out the research

Interpret the results

Report the findings

Discussion

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HypothesesHypotheses

Simple descriptive (Simple descriptive (distribution of a distribution of a variablevariable););

Correlation descriptive (Correlation descriptive (guess about the guess about the simultaneous distributions of 2 or more simultaneous distributions of 2 or more variablesvariables););

Causal (Causal (change in the value of one change in the value of one variable causes a change in the value of variable causes a change in the value of another variableanother variable) .) .

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Cause and effectCause and effect

Need to distinguish correlation from Need to distinguish correlation from causation between causation between variablesvariables

Working out a causal Working out a causal mechanism mechanism (not just (not just why but exactly how?)why but exactly how?)

Isolate Isolate independentindependent and and dependentdependent variablesvariables

Hold some variables constant – using Hold some variables constant – using ‘‘controlscontrols’’

Need background information to identify Need background information to identify correct mechanismcorrect mechanism

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The Sociological Research The Sociological Research ProcessProcess

There are 2 types of sociological research:There are 2 types of sociological research:

1)1) QuantitativeQuantitative – the goal of this research – the goal of this research is scientific objectivity, and the focus is is scientific objectivity, and the focus is on data that can be measured on data that can be measured numericallynumerically

2)2) QualitativeQualitative – the goal of this research is – the goal of this research is to provide to provide interpretive descriptioninterpretive description (words) rather than statistics, and to (words) rather than statistics, and to analyze underlying meanings and analyze underlying meanings and patterns of social relationshipspatterns of social relationships

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Quantitative ResearchQuantitative Research

Quantitative research consists of 6 stepsQuantitative research consists of 6 steps

1)1) Select and define the research problemSelect and define the research problem – find a “gap” in your knowledge, and set out to – find a “gap” in your knowledge, and set out to fill itfill it

2)2) Review previous researchReview previous research – study previous research, refine your search, – study previous research, refine your search, and plan to avoid the same mistakesand plan to avoid the same mistakes

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Quantitative ResearchQuantitative Research

3)3) Formulate the hypothesisFormulate the hypothesis – propose a statement linking two concepts (or – propose a statement linking two concepts (or variables)variables)

For exampleFor example: : Concept #1 – underage Concept #1 – underage drinkingdrinking

Concept #2 – teen fatalitiesConcept #2 – teen fatalities

Possible hypothesis:Possible hypothesis:

“Teens who use alcohol are more “Teens who use alcohol are more likely to die likely to die before the age of 19 before the age of 19 than teens who do not.”than teens who do not.” 04/10/2304/10/23 99

Quantitative ResearchQuantitative Research

4)4) Develop the research designDevelop the research design

– – consider what (eg. marriage) or whom (eg. consider what (eg. marriage) or whom (eg. Nova Scotians) who are going to studyNova Scotians) who are going to study

- pick a method to use (eg. Experiment, survey, - pick a method to use (eg. Experiment, survey, field research, etc.)field research, etc.)

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Quantitative ResearchQuantitative Research

5)5) Collect and analyze the dataCollect and analyze the data – after you collect your data, ensure that it is – after you collect your data, ensure that it is reliable (ie. It yielded consistent results) and reliable (ie. It yielded consistent results) and valid (ie. it accurately measured what you set valid (ie. it accurately measured what you set out to measureout to measure

For exampleFor example: :

If you write an IQ test, it will usually If you write an IQ test, it will usually yield a yield a consistent result (reliability), consistent result (reliability), but it may not but it may not necessarily be an necessarily be an accurate measure of accurate measure of your intelligence your intelligence (validity)(validity)04/10/2304/10/23 1111

Quantitative ResearchQuantitative Research

6)6) Draw conclusions and report your findingsDraw conclusions and report your findings

– state what you discovered and what problems – state what you discovered and what problems you encounteredyou encountered

For exampleFor example: :

““This research concludes that teens who This research concludes that teens who use use alcohol are in fact more likely to die alcohol are in fact more likely to die before before the age of 19 than teens who the age of 19 than teens who do not.”do not.”

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QuantitativeQuantitative methodology methodology

DeductionDeductionTheory

Hypotheses and questions deriving from the theory

Operationalization of theoretical concepts and variables

Instrument is used to measure variables

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Qualitative ResearchQualitative Research

Qualitative research is more likely to be used Qualitative research is more likely to be used when the research question does not easily when the research question does not easily

lend itself lend itself to numbers and statistics. to numbers and statistics.

11stst step) step) Problem formationProblem formation – clarify your research question– clarify your research question

22ndnd step) step) collect and analyze your datacollect and analyze your data

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Qualitative ResearchQualitative Research

There are 3 unique features to qualitative research: There are 3 unique features to qualitative research:

A)A) The researcher begins with a flexible, general The researcher begins with a flexible, general approach rather than a highly detailed plan approach rather than a highly detailed plan

B)B) The researcher has to decide when the The researcher has to decide when the literature review and theory application should literature review and theory application should take placetake place

C)C) The study presents a detailed view of the topic The study presents a detailed view of the topic

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Qualitative methodologyQualitative methodology

Symbolic interactionism;Symbolic interactionism; Verstehen Verstehen method;method; Goffman’s dramaturgy;Goffman’s dramaturgy; Garfinkel’s enthnomethodology.Garfinkel’s enthnomethodology.

““If men define situations as real, they are If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences.”real in their consequences.”

W.I.ThomasW.I.Thomas

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Quantitative vs Qualitative Quantitative vs Qualitative ResearchResearch

Quantitative research – few concepts Quantitative research – few concepts (variables)(variables), ,

many cases many cases

ExampleExample:: study 100 different incidents of teen deaths, study 100 different incidents of teen deaths, then then report statistics of those who drank report statistics of those who drank underageunderage

Qualitative research – few cases, Qualitative research – few cases, many concepts many concepts

(variables)(variables)

ExampleExample:: study 2 teen deaths, then examine their study 2 teen deaths, then examine their respective family life, school respective family life, school

performance, after-performance, after- school hobbies, school hobbies, childhood experiences, peer childhood experiences, peer interaction, etc.interaction, etc.

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Research methodsResearch methods

Surveys (interview),Surveys (interview), Experiments,Experiments, Document analysis,Document analysis, Participant observation.Participant observation.

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SurveysSurveys

Questionnaires administered to large Questionnaires administered to large populationpopulation

Questions standardized and/or open-ended Questions standardized and/or open-ended (scales)(scales)

Key issue is sampling to ensure Key issue is sampling to ensure representative (random, quotas)representative (random, quotas)

Efficient data collection, answers are Efficient data collection, answers are strictly comparable between respondentsstrictly comparable between respondents

May not access ‘real’ beliefs, and may in May not access ‘real’ beliefs, and may in general be superficial if over-standardizedgeneral be superficial if over-standardized

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Analysis of documentsAnalysis of documents

Primary / secondary;Primary / secondary; Public / privat;Public / privat; Purposive or not.Purposive or not.

Text analysis - Text analysis - contentcontent analysis analysis

““Who says, what, to whom, how and with what Who says, what, to whom, how and with what effect?”effect?”

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EthnographyEthnography

Uses fieldwork: first-hand studies of people Uses fieldwork: first-hand studies of people and their understandingsand their understandings

Participant observationParticipant observation Usually generates rich and in-depth Usually generates rich and in-depth

informationinformation Broader understanding of social processesBroader understanding of social processes Can only be used to study relatively small Can only be used to study relatively small

populationspopulations Difficult to generalize from single studiesDifficult to generalize from single studies

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Sociological researchSociological research

OnetimeOnetime

Cross-sectional: different Cross-sectional: different characteristics of characteristics of population (age, population (age, education, income education, income etc.)etc.)

RepeatedRepeated

Longitude: the same Longitude: the same respondents respondents interviewed few times; interviewed few times; methods remain the methods remain the same.same.

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Theory – research connectionTheory – research connection

Sociological knowledge

Theory

Knowledge about the subject – logically

systemized facts about the research subject

Research

Knowledge about means to get them, i.e.

methodological knowledge

Process of the

sociological research - stages

Sociological information gathering methods

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Ethical problemsEthical problems

Balance of price / benefit (knowledge v. privacy);Balance of price / benefit (knowledge v. privacy); Informed agreement: competence, voluntarism, Informed agreement: competence, voluntarism,

full information;full information; Privacy (sensibility of information, environment, Privacy (sensibility of information, environment,

publishing);publishing); Anonymity, confidentiality (deleting identificators, Anonymity, confidentiality (deleting identificators,

broader categories, micro-aggregation, broader categories, micro-aggregation, introducing errors);introducing errors);

Researchers relationships.Researchers relationships.

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