What is social research? How does it compare to other ways of representing social life?

1. What is social research? • How does it compare to other ways of representing social life?

2. Social research differs from other ways of representing social life (e.g., journalism) by emphasizing each of the following approaches (see Ragin, Constructing Social Research, chapter 1):

3. It addresses phenomena that are socially significant in some way. • It addresses social theory, either directly or indirectly.

4. It incorporates large amounts of appropriate evidence, purposefully collected, as we’ll discuss in a moment. • And it engages in various forms of systematic analysis of the evidence.

5. Some of these features are found in other ways of representing social life.

6. All four features, however, are typically combined in social research (whether sociology, anthropology, political science, environmental studies, or other disciplines or disciplinary combinations).

7. Recall that the third of the four features of social research is that it incorporates large amounts of appropriate evidence, purposefully collected. • This revolves around research design, which includes the following issues:

8. (a)data collection technique • (b) sampling • (c) sample selection bias • (d) data collection design

9. And of course, social researchers systematically analyze the data obtained by means of research designs.

10. In fact, we’ll see that all four features of social research—(1) socially significant issues; (2) theoretical frameworks; (3) purposefully collective, appropriate evidence; & (4) systematic analysis—are integral to understanding, using, & critiquing statistical methods.

11. All of this leads us to consider the goals of social research (see Ragin, Constructing Social Research, chapter 2).

12. The goals of social research vary according to the particular kind of research. • Depending on the particular kind of research, the goals of social research include the following:

13. Identifying general patterns & relationships • (2) Testing & refining theories • (3) Making predictions

14. Interpreting culturally or historically significant phenomena • Exploring diversity • Giving voice • Advancing new theories

15. What basic kinds of research strategy are used as we work toward these goals? • Among the basic research strategies are the following:

16. (1) Qualitative research: either as case studies or on commonalities that unite a few cases. • (2) Comparative research: on the diversity that exists across a moderate number of cases. • (3) Quantitative research: on the correspondence between two or more attributes across a large number of cases.

17. Qualitative research: examples

18. Comparative research: examples

19. Quantitative research: examples

20. As we learn statistics and read Constructing Social Research, we’ll be exploring what kinds of research are compatible or not with statistical methods.

21. We’ll be asking, moreover: In what ways do statistical methods promote or impede insight into meaningful aspects of social relations, social & political activism, & public policy?