5

Chapter

A Down-to-Earth Approach 10/e

Slides by Dan Cavanaugh

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 What is a Valid
Sociological Topic?

 Macro - Broad Matters

 Micro - Individualistic

Matters

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 2
 Common Sense and the
Need for Research

 What Everyone Knows May

Not Be True

 Move Beyond Guesswork

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 3
 A Research Model

 Selecting a Topic

 Defining a Problem

 Reviewing the Literature

 Formulating a Hypothesis

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 4
 A Research Model

 Choosing a Research Method

 Collecting Data

 Analyzing Results

 Sharing Results
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 5
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 6
 Research Methods

Surveys
 Selecting a Sample
 Random Sample
 Stratified Random Sample

 Asking Neutral Questions

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 7
 Research Methods

Questionnaires
 Self-Administered

 Allow the Largest Sample

 Low Cost

 Loss of Researcher Control

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 8
 Research Methods

 Interviews
 More Researcher Control

 Time Consuming

 Interviewer Bias

 Structured Interviews
 Unstructured Interviews
 Establishing Rapport
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 9
 Research Methods

Participant Observation
 Researcher Participates
 Problems with
Generalizability
 Done for Exploratory Work
 Generates Hypotheses

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 10
 Research Methods

Case Studies
 Focus on Single
 Event
 Situation
 Individual
 Reveals Detail
 Problem with Generalizability
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 11
 Research Methods

Secondary Analysis

 Analyze Data Collected

by Others

 Researcher Cannot Be
Sure of Data Quality
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 12
 Research Methods
Documents
 Examine Books,
Newspapers, Diaries, etc.
 Limited Scope

 Cannot Study Topic Unless

Access is Granted Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 13
 Research Methods

Experiments

 Experimental Group

 Control Group

 Independent Variables

 Dependent Variables
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 14
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 15
 Research Methods

Unobtrusive Measures

 Observe People Without

Them Knowing

 Question of Ethics

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 16
 Deciding Which
Method to Use
 Access to Resources

 Access to Subjects

 Purpose of Research

 Researcher’s Background

and Training
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 17
 Deciding Which
Method to Use
 Quantitative Research
Methods
 Emphasis on Precise
Measurement
 Uses Statistics and Numbers
 Qualitative Research
Methods
 Emphasis on Observing,
Describing, and Interpreting
Behavior
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 18
 How Not to do
Research
 Choose Biased Sample
 Ask Biased Questions
 List Biased Choices
 Discard Undesirable Results
 Misunderstand Subjects
World
 Analyze Data Incorrectly
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 19
 Controversy in
Sociological Research
 Poke into Private
Areas of Lives

 Threatens Those

with a Stake

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 20
 Gender in
Sociological Research
 Affects Orientation
and Attitudes

 Interviewer Bias

 Women and Men Lead

Different Lives
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 21
 Ethics in Sociological
Research
 Openness, Honesty, and
Truthfulness
 Forbids Falsifying Results
 Condemns Plagiarism
 Subjects’ Informed Consent
 Subjects’ Anonymity
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 22
 Ethics in Sociological
Research
 Protecting Subjects: The
Brajuha Research

 Misleading Subjects: The

Humphreys Research

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 23
 How Research and Theory
Work Together
 Neither Research nor
Theory can Stand Alone

 Theories Must Be Tested

 Findings Must be Explained

with Theory
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 24