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1.2 Data Collection

Conducting Research Studies

  • It’s important for the general public to understand the structure and execution of research studies in order to be informed citizens

  • Sociologists progress through the following stages in conducting research on a social problem

Stage One: Formulating a Research Question

  • A research study usually begins with a research question
  • Question may come from the researcher’s own life experiences, personal values, test a particular sociological theory, or reflect current events or concerns of community groups/activist organizations
    • Eg. Why does homelessness exist?

Stage Two: Reviewing the Literature

  • A review of published material on the topic to find out what is already known about it
    • Eg. Governments are not doing enough to lower homelessness in society

Stage Three: Defining Variables

  • Variable: any measurable event, characteristic, or property that varies or is subject to change
  • Researchers must operationally define the variables they study to specify how a variable is to be measured
  • Operational definitions are particularly important for defining variables that cannot be directly observed; specify how a variable is to be measured
    • Eg. Homelessness is defined as a person who lacks a permanent, regular, \n and safe shelter

Stage Four: Formulating a Hypothesis

  • Hypothesis: a prediction about how one variable is related to another variable
  • Dependent variable: the variable that the researcher wants to explain
  • Independent variable: the variable that is expected to explain change in the dependent variable
  • In formulating a hypothesis, researchers predict how the independent variable affects the dependent variable
    • Eg. Communities that lack living wage mandates tend to have higher homelessness rates

Methods of Data Collection

  • Experiments involve manipulating the independent variable to determine how it affects the dependent variable
    • Assess causation by manipulating the independent variable to determine how it affects the dependent variable
    • Requires one or more experimental groups that are exposed to the experimental treatment(s) and a control group that is not exposed
    • Major strength: provides evidence for causal relationships
    • Major weakness: results from small samples and artificial laboratory settings; may not be generalizable to people in natural settings
  • Surveys involve eliciting information from respondents through questions
    • Requires a representative sample
    • Sample: a portion of the population, selected to be representative so that information from the sample is generalizable to a larger population
    • Types of surveys include:
    • Interviews
      • Advantages: interviewers can clarify questions and follow up on answers
      • Disadvantages: cost; lack of privacy and anonymity that may result in respondents refusing to participate or concealing or altering information
    • Questionnaires
      • Advantages: Less expensive and less time-consuming; Provide privacy and anonymity to the respondents thus increasing the likelihood of truthful answers
      • Disadvantage: difficult to obtain an adequate response rate
    • Web-based surveys
      • A new method of conducting survey research through web-based surveys
      • Reduce many of the problems associated with traditional surveys.
  • Field research involves observing social behavior in settings in which it occurs naturally
    • Participant observation: the researcher participates in the phenomenon being studied to obtain an insider’s perspective
    • Nonparticipant observation: the researcher observes the phenomenon being studied without actively participating
    • Sometimes sociologists conduct in-depth detailed analyses or case studies of an individual, group, or event
    • Advantage: Provides detailed information about values, rituals, norms, behaviors, symbols, beliefs, and emotions of those being studied
    • Disadvantages: Researchers' observations may be biased; findings may not be generalizable due to small samples
  • Secondary data: data that have already been collected by other researchers or government agencies or that exist as historical documents
    • Advantages: Researchers avoid time and expense of collecting data and is readily accessible; Often based on large, representative samples
    • Disadvantage: Researcher is limited to the data already collected