Untitled Quiz

Social Research Methods

• Understanding social research methods is important to prevent errors and difficulties in social research.
• It helps in being aware of the full range of methods available.
• Knowledge of research methods helps in understanding the work of other social scientists.
• Social research is academic work conducted by sociologists, anthropologists, educational researchers, human geographers, social policy experts, political scientists, and criminologists. It's driven by developments in social changes and society.

Research Methods and Methodology

• Research methods are tools used by social scientists to explore topics. Examples include surveys, interviews, and focus groups.
• Methodology refers to the wider approach taken in a research project and the rationale behind the research method used.
• Questions regarding social research include: why conduct social research, gaps in existing academic knowledge, inconsistencies in existing literature, and what is going on in society that is unresolved.

The Role of Theoretical Frameworks

• Theories guide research topics and interpretations.
• Theories can influence research, and research outcomes can influence theories.
• Quantitative studies use hypotheses and theoretical ideas to drive data collection and analysis.
• Qualitative research often entails strategies that allow theoretical ideas to emerge from the data.

Main Elements of Social Research

• Research Questions: Explicit statements about the topic of investigation.
• Sampling: The selection of relevant cases, often people, that are germane to the research questions.
• Data Collection: The process of gathering data from the sample.
• Data Analysis: The process of managing, analyzing, and interpreting data.
• Writing up: The reporting of findings and conclusions.

Data Analysis

• Data management includes error checking, transcribing audio recordings in qualitative studies, and inputting quantitative data in SPSS or Excel.
• Data reduction summarizes large data volumes to aid interpretation.
• Qualitative analysis involves coding data into themes, while quantitative analysis often involves addressing missing data.
• Analyzing data draws conclusions from the findings and contextualizes the study using the existing literature.

Realities of Social Research

• Real-world research often involves false starts, mistakes, and revisions to the plan.
• Researchers should acknowledge the complexities and messiness of social research through transparent and realistic reporting.

Research Strategies

• Deductive approach involves formulating hypotheses based on existing theories; data collection and analysis are geared toward testing the hypothesis.
• Inductive approach involves forming theory through data analysis; data collection and analysis are geared toward generating insights and developing theories.

Qualitative Research Strategies

• Interpretivism emphasizes the importance of understanding human behaviors through subjective perceptions.
• Hermeneutics emphasizes the influence of history, culture, and language on human understanding.
• Verstehen aims to place oneself in the position of the people being studied.

Epistemological Considerations

• Positivism seeks to use scientific methods to study the social world, emphasizing a focus on external reality and empirical data.
• Realism considers the existence of an objective reality independent of human perception.
• Interpretivism holds that the social world is based on subjective interpretations, experiences, meanings, and understanding.

Different Research Designs

• Cross-sectional design: A design used to study a population's traits simultaneously at a single point in time.
• Longitudinal design: A design used to study changes in a population over time (panel studies or cohort studies).
• Experimental design: A design that may establish a cause-and-effect relationship between variables (classical experiments or quasi-experiments).
• Case study design: A detailed investigation of a specific instance, such as a person or entity.

Ethical Considerations

• Values, ethics, and politics influence social research.
• Issues of deception, informed consent, confidentiality, potential for harm, and researcher biases must be addressed thoughtfully.
• Understanding diverse perspectives and diverse positions from both the researcher and the participant improve social research.
• Strategies to address ethical concerns including maintaining anonymity, ensuring informed consent, respecting privacy, and avoiding deception.