Conducting Research in the Social Sciences

Conducting Research in the Social Sciences (From: Individuals and Families: A Diverse Perspective (2010))

Social-science research methods are used to ask questions, gather information, to analyze the information and to draw conclusions.

Use the Social-Science Research Process • Use this systematic research method as utilized by other social scientists • Clarify the topic of study by asking questions to determine the importance of the topic, define the terms and set the limits of the topic. • Identify the specific research question to be investigated so that the study has a purpose. • Review available literature on the topic to find out what information is already known. Use secondary sources, as they analyze research and provide evidence. • Summarize the literature review. This leads to a thesis that answers your question

Formulate a Research Question • A research question establishes the purpose of the research. • In family studies, good question indicates the relationship between a topic and individuals and/or families. • Preliminary research will indicate whether a topic is relevant enough to have sufficient sources of information and will help clarify which aspect of a topic to investigate. • Two basic types of questions asked in the social sciences: • Description questions • Require observations of what happens • Explanation questions • Require analyses to determine how and why things happen

Design an Original Investigation • When a review of secondary sources do not result in an answer to your question continue your research by: • Providing a hypothesis, and designing an investigation to gather additional evidence • These investigations are called primary sources because these provide first-hand information. • Form conclusions that indicate whether the hypothesis is true and whether your question has been answered.

Develop a Hypothesis • A hypothesis is a possible answer to your research question. • It is a theory for which evidence is needed. • It is developed after the review of the literature. • A hypothesis presumes the relationship between two or more variables: • Other things being equal if A, then B. • If variable A goes up or down, then B goes up or down with it. • A is the independent variable because it happens first and B is the dependent variable because it depends on A. • A is the cause and B is the effect.

E.g.: When studying ‘emerging adulthood’ • You could ask, “What factors influence an individual’s decision about when to leave home?” • If literature review suggests that the decision is influenced by the make-up of an individual’s family, hypothesis could be: • “Children of remarried parents leave home earlier.”

Select a Research Method • Hypothesis suggests the type of information gathered and how it will be analyzed. • Two types of research methods: • Quantitative methods • Information gathered from many people which can be analyzed to describe, explain and predict patterns of behaviors for groups • Analyzed using stats to generalize from the behavior of the sample group • Qualitative methods • Gathers detailed information from individuals to help understand behaviour. • Assumes that each subject might behave differently and does not usually predict how others will behave. • Analyzed to determine the reasons for the subjects’ behaviour. • Consider several factors when choosing research method. • Theoretical perspective of hypothesis • Choose methods that other researchers have used • Practical considerations like access to the population you want to study

Define a Sample Group • A sample group is the population who will be the subjects of your research • Define your population so that you eliminate other factors that could confuse the effects of the independent variable. • There are two limits when selecting your sample group • Sample group must be representative of the population you want to study. • E.g.: If you want to study students at your school and 55 percent are girls, then 55 percent of your sample must be girls. • Cannot generalize beyond the group from which you draw your sample. • E.g.: If your sample is within your school, you cannot generalize to the rest of Canada

Writing Research Papers • Two major types of research papers. • Essays that are written to support a thesis. • Often done when the secondary research is finished. • Answer to the research question is stated as a thesis. • Reports that summarize and present the results of an original investigation of a hypothesis. • Review, development of thesis, the method, and the results are described. • Results are analyzed to determine whether evidence supports the hypothesis.

Conducting Research in the Social Sciences