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