Introduction to Social Research Methods

1. Introduction to Social Research Methods

2. Reasons for Research • Exploratory – testing the feasibility or value of working in an area • Description – classify situations, events, or groups • Prediction – establish predictors • Explanation – theory building and testing

3. Social Research • Generates constructs of theoretical interest and attempts to explicate or account for in some way • Describes relations among these constructs • Uses hypothesized relations between constructs and observed variables used to measure constructs (assumed operationalism – constructs can be measured or observed)

4. Hypotheses • Hypothesized relations among constructs • Construct A causes Construct B • “Technology efficacy leads to higher information literacy” • Hypothesized relations between constructs and observable indicators • Response X is a valid indicator of Construct A • Information literate is defined as scoring 90% or better on a bibliographic test

5. Productive Theory Driven • Address important or significant phenomena • Provide plausible and empirically defensible explanations for phenomena • Consistent with existing theories • Facilitate new insights or unforeseen implications

6. Desired Properties of a Theory • Parsimony – uses the fewest constructs to explain phenomena • Generality – explains a wide range of findings

7. Constructing Social Theories • Discovery – looking for causes of constructs • Demonstration – providing evidence for the existence of a construct • Refutation – dismiss constructs • Replication – further evidence of constructs

8. Strategies for Theory Construction • Observation – looking for patterns, consistencies, or inconsistencies (focused on dependent variable) • Control – isolate variables to examine variable of interest • Manipulation – vary participant attributes, conditions, stimuli, etc. (focused on independent variable)

9. Discovery • Develop new hypotheses • Operate inductively – move from observation to hypothesis development • Implicit theoretical orientation guides research

10. Demonstration • Uses data to support validity of hypothesis • Conclusions can only be consistent with a hypothesis – there is no proof • Deductive – the hypothesis generates and guides the research

11. Refutation • Looks to refute competing hypotheses • Process of elimination suggests the validity of a construct • Indirectly supports hypotheses

12. Replication • Looks to account for researcher bias through replication of research • Increases confidence in hypothesis through consistent replication of findings

13. Two Types of Approaches • Quantitative – the search for truth • Qualitative – the search for understanding

14. Quantitative • Objective – measurable, quantifiable • Scientific methods • Controlled conditions • Samples usually larger than 30 • Test theories • Researcher is isolated • Statistical analysis

15. Quantitative Goals • Seeks answers to questions such as: • How many? • How often? • How much? • How does A compare to B? • Seeks to establish: • Relationships • Causation

16. Quantitative Processes • Hypotheses developed based on theory (Literature review conducted early) • Social reality defined as variables • Variables measured using instruments • Statistical analysis conducted on the data collected

17. Quantitative Example 4,000,000 Americans believe they have been abducted by aliens

18. Competing Theories • Abductees are mentally ill • There is a government conspiracy • Memories of alien encounters are accurate recollections • Memories of alien encounters are symptomatic of sleep paralysis – a sleep disorder

19. Example Continued • Hypotheses • Recollections of alien abduction can be attributed to sleep paralysis • Variables • People – sample population • Abduction – must define this as a construct • Sleep Paralysis – need a medical definition

20. Example Continued • Instruments • Classification checklist for alien abduction which can be turned into a questionnaire • Standard to measure sleep paralysis • Data collection • Analysis • Use inferential statistics to compare groups

21. The data suggest that Ned is an alien.

22. Qualitative • Subjective – interpretive • Often unstructured or exploratory • Uncontrolled conditions • Small sample sizes • Seeks description and understanding • Theories developed from findings • Researcher is integrated • No statistical analysis

23. Qualitative Goals • Seeks to find out what is going on • Seeks to understand perceptions and meaning • Explores phenomena and ideas • Seeks rich, complex responses from participants • Not necessary to answer questions • Deepening questions is valuable

24. Qualitative Processes • A research question is generated based upon phenomena, not theory • Data is collected in a natural environment • Observation • Interviews • Focus Groups • Data Analyzed through coding, classification, themes, etc. • Theory development occurs and is grounded in the findings

25. Qualitative Example

26. Influences • Ontology • Epistemology • Theoretical Perspective • Methodology • Methods

27. Ontology • “The map is not the territory” • “I think, therefore I am”

28. Epistemology • Objectivism • Constructivism • Subjectivism

29. Theoretical Perspective • Phenomenology • Hermeneutics • Critical Inquiry • Feminism • Positivism

30. Methodology • Survey Research • Ethnography • Grounded Theory • Action Research • Discourse Analysis • Phenomenological

31. Methods • Sampling • Questionnaire • Observation (participant - non-participant) • Focus group • Interview • Case study • Life History

32. Analysis

33. Which To Use?

34. Qualitative Quantitative