Welcome To Sociological Research Methods

1. Welcome To Sociological Research Methods Chuck Brown, Ph.D. Albright College

2. Three Types of Research (Chap. 2) • Quantitative (Deductive) • You start with a theory, and then collect data to test the theory • Qualitative (Inductive) • You collect data and then develop (induce) a theory that explains the data you collected • Descriptive (Can be either quantitative or qualitative)

3. 4 Categories for Research (Chap. 1) • Descriptive • E.g. Who is homeless, how many are there? • Exploratory • E.g. What is it like to be homeless? • Explanatory • What causes homelessness? • Evaluative • Did the new state initiative to curb homelessness work?

4. Three Methods of Research (Chaps. 6 & 7) • Surveys • Interviews • Participant Observation (Field Research) • There are others…

5. Two Types of Samples (Chap. 4) • Non-Probability Samples • Cannot generalize findings • Probability Samples • Can generalize findings

6. Variables (Chap. 3) • Independent Variable • Dependent Variable

7. Kids who have a delinquent record are more likely to come from single parent homes Women are more likely than men to cheat in a marriage relationship Rebellious kids are more likely to listen to at least one of the following musical styles: hip-hop, heavy metal, industrial, and/or goth Freshman students who join fraternities or sororities will adjust easier to college life than those who live in dorms Lawyers are more likely to commit murder than accountants Identifying Independent and Dependent Variables

8. 4 Levels of Measurement (Chapter 3) • Qualitative • Nominal (Categorical) • Quantiative • Ordinal • Interval • Ratio See page 64

9. Three Criteria For Determining Causation (Chap. 5) • Correlation (association) • Time Order • Non-Spuriousness

10. Correlation • Positive • Negative • None

11. B. Positive Correlation #2 A. Positive Correlation #1 Depression Suicide Rate Depression Suicide Rate As Depression Increases, Suicide Increases As depression decreases, suicide decreases C. Negative Correlation #1 D. Negative Correlation #2 Suicide Rate Social Integration Social Integration Suicide Rate As Social Integration Decreases Suicide Increases As social integration increases suicide decreases Correlation Of Variables

12. As income increases crime decreases • Religiosity decreases with income • Political conservatism increases with religiosity • Individuals with large noses have a better sense of smell than individuals with smaller noses • Pipe smokers are more likely to live longer than non-smokers • The faster one drives the greater the risk of getting into an accident • Athletes will score higher on the history 101 exam than non-athletes

13. Reliability & Validity (Chaps. 1, 3 & 5) • Reliability (are we consistent?) • Validity (are our statements and/or conclusions about reality correct based on our research?) • Measurement validity • (did we accurately measure what we set out to measure?) • External Validity (aka cross-population generalizability) • When findings about one group, population or setting hold true for other groups, populations or settings • Causal (internal) Validity • The truthfulness of an assertion that A causes B

14. 11 Steps in Qualitative (Inductive) Research • Step 1: Choose a topic • Gender • Step 2: Narrow the focus • Gender and scrapbooking • Step 3: Conduct a literature review • Use J-Stor and SocIndex to start • Step 4: Formulate a research question • e.g. what functions does scrapbooking serve in the lives of women scrappers? • Step 5: Operationalize your variables • Step 6: Set up a research design • Choose a method (e.g. interviews) • Identify the population and determine how the sample will be chosen • Step 7: Write up a research proposal to receive funding • Step 8: Gather data • Step 9: Code and analyze the data (HyperResearch) • Step 10: Develop (induce) a theory to account for the data • Step 11: Write up and present the results

15. Step 1: Choose a topic Crime: Stealing Step 2: Narrow the focus The role of religion on stealing Step 3: Conduct a literature review Use J-Stor and SocIndex to start Step 4: Develop a theory to test Step 5: Formulate a research question from your theory e.g. Does church attendance have an effect on stealing? Step 6: Formulate a hypothesis from your research question People who attend church are less likely to steal Identify dependent and independent variables 12 Steps in Quantitative (Deductive) Research

16. Step 7: Operationalize and conceptualize your variables • Step 8: Set up a research design • Choose a method (e.g. surveys) • Identify the population and determine how the sample will be chosen • Step 9: Write up a research proposal to receive funding • Step 10: Gather data to test hypothesis (use one or more methods) • Step 11: Code and analyze the data (SPSS) • Step 12: Write up and present the results

17. Literature Reviews • The purpose • To show others that you have read the research relevant to your study • To link your research to previous research • To show problems in previous research • An example…. • RQ: Is there a link between playing chess and academic achievement? • Start your search narrow and end up with broad categories • Literature on chess and academic achievement • Literature on other games and academic achievement • Literature on things like games (e.g. sports, race, gender, etc. and academic achievement) • Literature on chess • Literature on academic achievement