Sociology

Yasmin Ziaeian
Sociological Research
• sciologists use empirical evidence combined with the scientific method or an
interpretive framework to deliver sound sociological research

• sciologists rely on a theoretical foundation that provides an interpretive

perspective through which they can make sense of scientific results
Sociological Research
sociological study involve following steps

defining a specific question

gathering information and resources

forming a hypothesis

testing the hypothesis

analyzing and drawing conclusions

after that : to publish the results and anticipate further development when future
researchers respond to and retest findings.
Approaches to sociological research

START POINT

Sociologists can use the scientific method to

collect, interpret and analyze the data. They
apply scientific logic and objectivity to maintain
as much objectivity, focus, and consistency as
possible in a particular study.
Ask a question
The first step is to ask a question, describe a problem, and identify the specific
area of interest.
When sociologists forming the basic research questions they develop an
operational definition they define the concept in terms of the physical or
concrete steps it takes to objectively
measure it.
the concept is translated into an
for example observable variable,
,,good driver" a measure that has different values.

a driver who has never received

a traffic violation
Research Existing Sources
The next step is to conduct background research through a literature review,
which is a review of any existing similar or related studies.

This step helps researchers gain a broad understanding of work previously

conducted on the topic at hand and enables them to position their own research
to build on prior knowledge.

This step also allows them to sharpen the focus of their research question and
avoid duplicating previous research.
Formulate a Hypothesis
A hypothesis is an assumption about how two or more variables are related;

A hypothesis makes a supposed statement about the relationship between those

variables

The hypothesis formulates this guess in the form of a testable proposition.

Research Methods
Planning the research design is a key step in any sociological study.
In study’s design, sociologists generally choose from 4 widely used methods:
• survey,
• experiment,
• field research,
• textual or secondary data analysis (or use of existing sources).

The topic of study influences which method or methods are put to use.
Surveys
As a research method, a survey collects data from subjects who respond to a
series of questions about behaviors and opinions, often in the form of a
questionnaire.

The survey is one of the most widely used research methods.

The standard survey format allows individuals a level of anonymity in which

they can express personal ideas.
Experiments
Sociologists create artificial situations that allow them to manipulate variables.
They selects a set of people with similar characteristics, such as age, class,
race, or education. those people are divided into two groups: experimental and
control group.

The experimental group is exposed to the independent variable(s) and the

control group is not.

Then both groups would be tested for differences to see if variables had an
effect.
Field Research
Sociologists rather study subjects into theirs world.
Field research refers to gathering primary data from a natural environment
without doing a lab experiment or a survey.

The purpose of Field Research is to observe specific behaviors in that setting.

3 types of field research:

• participant observation
• ethnography
• the case study
Field Research
• participant observation- lets researchers study a naturally occurring social
activity without imposing artificial or intrusive research devices, like fixed
questionnaire questions.
• ethnography- is the extended observation of the social perspective and
cultural values of an entire social setting; focus the systematic observation of
an entire community.
• case study- is an in-depth analysis of a single event, situation, or individual. A
major criticism of the case study as a method is that a developed study of a
single case, while offering depth on a topic, does not provide enough
evidence to form a generalized conclusion.
Secondary Data or Textual Analysis
• Secondary data do not result from firsthand research collected from primary
sources, but are drawn from the already-completed work of other
researchers.

• One methodology that sociologists employ with secondary data is content

analysis - is a quantitative approach to textual research that selects an item
of textual content (i.e., a variable) that can be reliably and consistently
observed and coded, and surveys the prevalence of that item in a sample of
textual output.
Sociological Research
Sociological research is a fairly complex process. Methods available to
researchers have advantages and disadvantages. The power of a study can
depend on the choice and implementation of the appropriate method of
gathering research.

Depending on the topic, a study might use a single method or a combination of

methods.

It is important to plan a research design before undertaking a study.

Survey
Method Implementation Advantages Challenges

Survey Questionnaires • Yields many • Can be time consuming

Interviews responses • Can be difficult to
• Can survey a large encourage participant
sample response (low response
• Data generalizable rates)
• Quantitative data • Captures what people
are easy to chart say they think and
believe but not
necessarily how they
behave in real life
Fieldwork
Method Implementation Advantages Challenges

Fieldwork Observation Yields detailed, • Time consuming

Participant accurate real- • Data are often descriptive
observation life information and not conducive to
Ethnography generalization
Case study • Researcher “bias” is
difficult to control for
• Qualitative data are
difficult to organize
Experiment
Deliberate manipulation of social setting to compare experimental
and control groups.

Tests cause and effect relationships

• The experiment itself, by observing people, can influence their behavior

• Artificial conditions of research
• Ethical concerns about people’s well-being
Secondary Data Analysis
• Analysis of government data (census, health, crime statistics)
• Research of historic documents
• Content analysis

Makes good use of previous sociological information

• Data could be focused on a purpose other than yours

• Data can be hard to find
• Taking into account the historical or cultural context of texts
Ethical issues
Sociologists must take ethical responsibility for any study they conduct.

They must guarantee the safety of their participants.

they must ensure that participants have been fully informed before consenting
to be part of a study.

Sociologists must try to maintain value neutrality.

They must gather and analyze data objectively, setting aside their personal
preferences, beliefs, and opinions.
Vocabulary
• case study in-depth analysis of a single event, situation, or individual
• content analysis a quantitative approach to textual research that selects an item of
textual content that can be reliably and consistently observed and coded, and surveys
the prevalence of that item in a sample of textual output
• empirical evidence- evidence corroborated by direct experience and/or observation
• field research gathering data from a natural environment without doing a lab
experiment or a survey
• qualitative data information based on interpretations of meaning
• quantitative data information from research collected in numerical form that can be
counted
• scientific method a systematic research method that involves asking a question,
researching existing sources, forming a hypothesis, designing and conducting a study,
and drawing conclusions
• secondary data analysis using data collected by others but applying new interpretations