(Ch 5) How sociologists do research

Macro level

They study broad matters as race relations, the military, and the global economic crisis

Micro Level

Study individualistic matters as pelvic examinations, how people interact in street corners, shyness

Research Questions

Identifying, refining, evaluating

Identifying

finding questions, can be from personal experience, literature, social theory, social trends/troubles

refining

refining your question, to manage the size/scope of the project

Evaluating

must have social importance and scientific relevance

Stages of a research model

1- Selecting a topic
2- defining the problem
3- reviewing the literature
4- formulating a hypothesis
5- choosing a research model
6- collecting the data
7- analyzing the results
8- sharing the results

Selecting a Topic

Something you want to know more about. Something that drives the sociologist’s interest or their drive to learn more about social life

Defining the Problem

After selecting a topic, they examine specific aspects of a topic

Reviewing the Literature

Read what has been published, it helps narrow down the problem, identify areas that are already known, and learn what areas need to be researched

Hypothesis

Is a statement of what you expect to find according to predictions from a theory
A hypothesis predicts a relationship between or among variables

Variables

Are factors that change, or vary from one person or situation to another

Formulating a Hypothesis

Hypothesis will need operational definitions, which are precise ways to measure the variables

Choosing a Research Method

Decide how you will collect your data

Collecting the Data

Operational definitions measure the validity of the data gathered
Must be sure the data are reliable

Reliability

means that if other researchers use your operational definitions, their findings will be consistent with you

Analyzing the Results

Testing your data depending on the technique which applies to the observations made. Those that apply to observations of people in small settings to the analysis of large-scale surveys
If hypothesis has been part of the research, it has to be tested

Sharing the Results

Sociologists will write a report to share their findings with the scientific community

Basic Research Methods (research design)

Basic Research Methods (research design)
Surveys
Participant observation
Case studies
Secondary analysis
Documents
Experiments
Unobstructive measures

Why is research important?

Research is needed to test common sense ideas, since not all of them are true. All human behaviour is eligible for sociological scrutiny