What is research?

Steps of Social Research

Lecture 2
Sociological Research Methods
Roman David
Objectives
 To introduce ‘research’ (what research is)

◦ Provide advice on what to avoid in research (what

research is not)

◦ To introduce steps of research process (~ structure

of your work)

◦ To give you an example of research

What is “research”?
◦ Re-Search, Res-search

◦ Etymology: "act of searching closely"

◦ The process of looking for answers to questions

 Where? Field research, statistical analyses, content
analyses (of interviews, speeches, the media, legal
judgments . . . )
 What about library research?

◦ What is the difference between doing research and

writing essays in other courses?
What Social Research Is and Is Not
What is social research?
 Peer-reviewed process of
acquiring new knowledge,
ideas about the social
world
 Process that uses a
scientific method (social
sciences)
 Attempt to establish
causality
 Look at ASR, AJS, AER, APSR
What is not research?
Knowledge corroborated by
 authorities (because Confucius,
Marx, said so)
 tradition (because family always
been like that)
 common sense (because everybody
says so)
 the media (because I saw it in a BBC
documentary)
 Personal experience (because I know
them)
 Advice 1: Avoid such argumentation!
Steps of the Research Process
 Select a topic
◦ Based on relevance: should the topic be relevant in terms of
theory, policy, both? (Basic research v. applied research)
◦ Based on observation: What do you observe?
 Bonus: Find a puzzle
 Formulate a research question (central in your research!)
 Review/propose possible theoretical answers & formulate
hypotheses
◦ Bonus: find conflicting theories
 Find empirical answers
◦ Prepare a research design
◦ Conceptualize theories Advice 2: Follow closely
◦ Operationalize concepts (not blindly!)
◦ Collect data
◦ Analyze data and report results Advice 3: Structure your
 Interpret data research papers (midterm,
 Disseminate findings final) accordingly
◦ Presentation & article
 My Research as an Example:
• Topic: Transitional justice (t.j.)
• Question: Does transitional justice help dispel retributive desires (r.d.)?
• Theories: existing theories inadequate -> shift from commutative justice to
distributive justice
• H.1-3: reparatory, retributive, reconciliatory policies decrease retributive desires
• Design the project: cross-sectional survey of former political prisoners in CZ (+
justify the case selection) + interviews, observations
• Conceptualization: retributive desires = three-dimensional process encompassing
individual, collective, and abstract desires for retribution
• Operationalization:
• (individual r.d.) Should the result of trial be a punishment?
• (collective r.d.) Should the [p.p.] responsible for your violation be banned?
• (abstract r.d.) Do you support the death penalty?
• Collect the data: Design the questionnaire, conduct the survey, code into SPSS
• Results: t.j. policies decrease r.d., but one of the indicators of retributive policies
(punishment) increases individual r.d.
• Interpretation: in line with theories: punishments were very lenient or
conditional (probation); for these reasons, they increased ret. des.
• Disseminate: APSA; LSR (-), PolPsych (Yes)
Advice 4:While walking those steps,
remember to justify everything

Don’t expose yourself by forgetting to justify

“Why?” you made a particular decision/choice of
◦ your theoretical approach
◦ your case selection, research method, use of data,
your decision to take up a particular source
◦ your position: One should declare a potential source
of your bias, e.g., funding, working with
government/company, membership in the advocacy
group
Can we trust research?
 Researcher?
◦ Conducted by men – a male chauvinist? (androcentrity= focus on the
male)
◦ Conducted by women – a feminist with an agenda? (gynocentrity)

 Statistics? “Lies, damn lies, and statistics”, Benjamin Disraeli

 Ourselves?
◦ See the limitations of your own perspective
◦ Your family background, education (school), marital status

 Don't believe the adverts, Don't believe the experts,

Everyone will sell our souls