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As 102-Module 1-Introduction To Social Science Research - 1-1 PDF
As 102-Module 1-Introduction To Social Science Research - 1-1 PDF
AS 102: INTRODUCTION TO
SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH
METHODS I
o Provides the basis for nearly all government policies in our economic
system.
o Solves various operational and planning problems of business and
industry. e.g. Operations research and market research, along with
motivational research.
o Studies social relationships and seeks answers to various social
problems.
1.1.4: Processes (Stages) of Research
¨ Research processes (stages) include:
Theory
Method
Epistemology
1.2 Historical Overview of
Research in Social Sciences
¨ The historical overview of research in social sciences cuts across
several phases, each of which is partly determined by the
changed circumstances of those responsible for carrying it out:
§ Natural sciences arose from curiosity about the world, as well as the
endeavor to transform nature in favor of human necessities of life,
both of which had not been possible to pursue freely in the era of
slavery of the ancient society (Büchel, 1992).
1.2.1 Research in Natural and Social
Sciences
Ø Subject of study:
§ The aim of the natural sciences is to discover the laws that rule the
world (Büchel, 1992).
§ The focus lies hereby on the natural and not on the social world,
although the differentiation is not always simple. There are
historically three core areas of the natural sciences: chemistry,
biology and physics. Nevertheless this is not a final list of research
areas, since many other disciplines were later born out of these.
§ Compared to the social sciences, the natural sciences rely more
on mathematically based methods. While physics or chemistry
rely to a large extend on controlled experimental settings, such
settings cannot be created so easily for most investigations in
economics or sociology.
1.2.1 Research in Natural and Social
Sciences
Ø Philosophical stances:
§ With thinkers including Karl Popper and Thomas Kuhn, fundamental
criticism of natural science approaches has emerged during the 20th
century.
§ Before Popper, the way in which knowledge is created was not
questioned by most scientists, most of whom adopted an inductive
epistemology, in which a finding is regarded as general truth when a
sufficient number of experiments have led to the same outcome.
§ Criticizing this, Popper put forward that a theory cannot be confirmed
by induction, but only falsified by a simple observation. For instance, a
scientist observing the color of swans on a lake who has seen a number of
only white swans cannot conclude that all swans are white. Rather his
theory (‘all swans are white’) must be tried to falsify through the search of
a black swan.
1.2.1 Research in Natural and Social
Sciences
Ø Philosophical stances:
§ Later criticism by Kuhn addressed the values or “paradigms”
which exist when scientific investigations are carried out, and
which are usually accepted without any reflection by scientists.
ü Financial boundaries play a role in most research projects, but can
become especially severe when expensive equipment has to be
employed. Examples include experiments for which space shuttles
have to be launched
1.2.1 Research in Natural and Social
Sciences
q Social Science
Ø Definition:
§ The disciplines of social sciences are viewed as those that deal
with “human society, societal groups, individuals in their
relationships with others or institutions of societies and material
goods as expression of human cohabitation”
1.2.1 Research in Natural and Social
Sciences
Ø Origin:
¨ The social sciences are much younger than the natural sciences.
Even though the social interactions in a society have probably
been of interest for many centuries, scientific studies of social
interactions began as late as during the 19th century with
sociological publications including “Suicide” by Émile Durkheim
and “Système de politique positive” by Auguste Comte, the
latter of which also set stone for a positivist approach to social
sciences.
1.2.1 Research in Natural and Social
Sciences
Ø Subject of Study:
¨ In contrast to the natural sciences, the study objects of social
sciences can take notice of the forecast of scientists. Subject of
study are the phenomena of social interaction and coexistence.
Social Sciences can rather be classified by their common
perspective then through a specific subject of study. This
perspective consists of the understanding and studying of a
social aspect of society, a group of people or a single
individual.
1.2.1 Research in Natural and Social
Sciences
Ø Methods:
¨ One of the mainly used methods is the observation, as a social
science counterpart of the natural sciences experiment.
¨ Among the first popular stances in the social sciences is the
positivist position, which had been advocated by early social
scientists like Comte who argued that studies of social reality
should apply the same methods as the natural sciences.
1.2.1 Research in Natural and Social
Sciences
Ø Philosophical Stances:
¨ It was criticized by advocates of interpretivism, who argue
that the social reality cannot be measured in the same way as
natural events. Rather, scientists have to aim at grasping the
subjective meaning of social actions. This thought is, e.g.,
reflected in Max Weber’s notion of Verstehen.
1.2.1 Research in Natural and Social
Sciences
Ø Limitations:
¨ Studies in social sciences are often limited by various factors
including:
¨ One was the meta-theoretical (i.e. philosophical concern) about the
deployment of scientific method to deal with ‘social things’
¨ Sometimes the levels of social research methods are referred through
the contrast between the more philosophical “Methodology” (with a
capital initial letter) and the more practical methods (with lower case
initial letters and in the plural). There is a tendency in discussing
SSRM to focus on data-collection, but the other stages of Research
Design and of Data Analysis are equally important.
1.3 Types and Designs of Social
Research
¨ Designing research means going back to your hypotheses or
research questions and thinking about what you are hoping to
be able to do with the data you will collect in order to be able
to test the hypothesis or address the research questions.
(a) Describe the current (or past) situation – that is, in this example,
set out the nature and extent of alcohol consumption between
different groups of students and in different situations;
1.3 Types and Designs of Social
Research
(b) Explain the differences and similarities between different
groups of students and situations by looking for possible causal
relationships;
(c) Explore your data, looking for possible reasons for differences
between students and situations, for ideas about why some
students drink alcohol and what opinions they have on whether
and why this is regarded as a ‘problem’.
q What you can do with social research data falls into two
categories – looking for similarities and differences and
looking for relationships – these form the basis for your
research design.
1.3 Types and Designs of Social
Research
¨ What is Research Design?
o It is the arrangement of conditions for collection and analysis of
data in a manner that aims to combine relevance to the research
purpose with economy in procedure (Selltiz et al., 1962: 50).
q In fact, the research design is the conceptual structure within which
research is conducted; it constitutes the blueprint for the collection,
measurement and analysis of data.
q As such the design includes an outline of what the researcher will do
from writing the hypothesis and its operational implications to the
final analysis of data.
1.3 Types and Designs of Social
Research
q More explicitly, the designing decisions happen to be in respect
of:
i. What is the study about?
ii. Why is the study being made?
iii. Where will the study be carried out?
iv. What type of data is required?
v. Where can the required data be found?
vi. What periods of time will the study include?
vii. What will be the sample design?
viii. What techniques of data collection will be used?
ix. How will the data be analysed?
x. In what style will the report be prepared?
1.3 Types and Designs of Social
Research
¤ What--What was studied? 1. Introduction,
Research Problems/
¤ What about--What aspects of
Objectives, &
the subject were studied? Justification
¤ What for--What is/was the
significance of the study?
¤ What did prior lit./research say? 2. Literature Review
3. Methodology
¤ Whatwas done--How was the (Research sample, data
collection, measurement,
study conducted? data analysis)
iii. It also includes the time and cost budgets since most studies
are done under these two constraints.
1.3 Types and Designs of Social
Research
¨ In brief, research design must, at least, contain-
¨ The research design must make enough provision for protection
against bias and must maximise reliability, with due concern for
the economical completion of the research study.
1.3.1 Types of Research Designs
¨ The design in such studies must be rigid and not flexible and
must focus attention on the following:
i. Formulating the objective of the study (what the study is about and
why is it being made?)
ii. Designing the methods of data collection (what techniques of
gathering data will be adopted?)
iii. Selecting the sample (how much material will be needed?)
iv. Collecting the data (where can the required data be found and with
what time period should
the data be related?)
v. Processing and analysing the data.
vi. Reporting the findings.
1.3.1 Types of Research Designs
(iii) Research design in case of hypothesis-testing research
studies:
¨ Hypothesis-testing research studies (generally known as
¨ Such studies require procedures that will not only reduce bias
and increase reliability, but will permit drawing inferences
about causality.
Uses Types
1.3.1 Types of Research Designs
¨ Additionally to 3 major types of research design proposed by
Kothari (2004), other scholars (e.g. Matthews and Ross, 2010)
propose four major types of research design, namely:
① Experimental
② Cross-sectional
③ Longitudinal
④ Case studies
1.3.1.1 Experimental Research Design
§ Pre-Experimental
§ True Experimental (Random
Controlled Trial)
§ Quasi-Experimental
1.3.1.1 Experimental Research Design
¨ In experimental research, the researcher deliberately does
something to something in order to provoke and then measure a
reaction (test effect of independent variable on dependent
variable).
¨ More for science based projects.
¨ Pre-Experimental
¨ Quasi-Experimental
¨ True-Experimental
Key:
¤ R = random assignment for equivalent groups
1.3.1.1 Experimental Research Design
¨ Pre-Experimental
¨ Quasi-Experimental …or via repeated measures design,
¨ True-Experimental
matched pairs design or
matched groups design
Key:
¤ R = random assignment for equivalent groups
¨ Pre-Experimental
¨ Quasi-Experimental
¨ True-Experimental
Question:
“Does protein supplementation increase muscle
hypertrophy?”
Pre-Experimental Designs
One Shot Study
T O 1
Pre-Experimental Designs
u One Shot Design
¨ A.K.A. – after-only design
¨ A single measure is recorded after the treatment is
administered
¨ Study lacks any comparison or control of extraneous influences
¨ No measure of test units not exposed to the experimental
treatment
¨ May be the only viable choice in taste tests
¨ Diagrammed as: X O1
Pre-Experimental Designs
One Group Pre-test Post-test
O 1
T O
2
Pre-Experimental Designs
u One Group Pre-test Post-test:
¨ Subjects in the experimental group are measured before and
after the treatment is administered.
¨ No control group
¨ Offers comparison of the same individuals before and after
the treatment (e.g., training)
¨ If time between 1st & 2nd measurements is extended, may
suffer maturation
¨ Can also suffer from history, mortality, and testing effects
¨ Diagrammed as O1 X O2
Pre-Experimental Designs
Static Group Comparison
T O 1
P
Oa
Pre-Experimental Designs
Static Group Comparison
O 1
Oa
Daniel 1:8
Pre-Experimental Designs
u Static Group Comparison:
¨ A.K.A., after-only design with control group
¨ Experimental group is measured after being exposed to the
experimental treatment
¨ Control group is measured without having been exposed to the
experimental treatment
¨ No pre-measure is taken
¨ Major weakness is lack of assurance that the groups were equal
on variables of interest prior to the treatment
¨ Diagrammed as: Experimental Group X O1
Control Group O2
Quasi-Experimental Designs
Time series
O 1 O 2 O 3 T O 4 O 5 O 6
Quasi-Experimental Designs
u Time Series:
¨ Involves periodic measurements on the dependent variable for a
group of test units
¨ After multiple measurements, experimental treatment is
administered (or occurs naturally)
¨ After the treatment, periodic measurements are continued in order
to determine the treatment effect
¨ Diagrammed as:
O1 O2 O3 O4 X O5 O6 O7 O8
True-Experimental Designs
Randomised Group Comparison
T O 1
R
P
O 2
R
O 3
P O 4
True-Experimental Designs
Solomon Four-Group Design
T
O 1
O 2
P O
O 4
R
3
T
O 5
P O 6
True-Experimental Designs
¨ We can work with data about past and current experiences to try
to identify possible cause-and-effect associations.
¨ This will enable you to look at the same people or situations at key
points in time and to consider how the changes over time have
affected different groups of people.
¨ For practical reasons some longitudinal studies cannot involve the same
participants on each of the data-gathering occasions. This may be
because the participants have died or moved and cannot be contacted or
because they no longer want to take part. A study may therefore include
different samples of people but using similar criteria for selection.
1.3.1.3 Longitudinal Research Design
¨ Similarly, while a longitudinal study is usually planned as such, there
are some situations where data is available from the past (a
retrospective longitudinal study) which can be used.
¤ Critical case. Here the case is chosen as one that will enable the
researcher to test a theory or hypothesis. The case includes the
potential to show whether the theory holds up or not. This could be a
case where an event or change has occurred which provides the
researcher with the opportunity to study what happens as a result.
¤ Extreme or unique case. Here the focus is on a situation or group that is
perceived to be different to any other and the focus is on its
uniqueness. It may be the only case where a particular combination of
people and events are found.
1.3.1.4 Case Studies Research Design
¤ Revelatory case: A case that has the potential to shed light on the
research topic.
Step 1
Participant
The researchers need to be
Observations, flexible and sensitive to
the needs of the social
IDIs, FGDs, context within which the
data is obtained.
Cases studies,
etc.
The data is then analysed
Step 2 and interpreted. To look for
themes is more common
than trying to confirm a
hypothesis.
Qualitative Research: Advantages
OR
¨ "a formal, objective, systematic process in which numerical
data are utilized to obtain information about the world"
(Burns & Grove, as cited by Cormack, 1991, p. 140).
1.3.2.2 Quantitative Research
¨ Quantitative Research is based on manipulation and control,
results verified by sense data (by the researcher)
¨ This type of research reaches many more people, but the
contact with those people is much quicker than it is in qualitative
research.
¨ The data is then used to make recommendations about how the
problem should be resolved.