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Social Research Methods

Social Research Methods. The Research Process and the Quality of Research. Shipman ’ s 4 key questions about the quality of research. (Shipman (1988) The Limitations of Social Research )

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Social Research Methods

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  1. Social Research Methods The Research Process and the Quality of Research

  2. Shipman’s 4 key questions about the quality of research (Shipman (1988) The Limitations of Social Research) 1. If the investigation had been carried out again by different researchers using the same methods, would the same results have been obtained? = RELIABILITY • subject error (different results on different days) • subject bias (try to please researcher) • Observer error and bias

  3. Question 2 Does the evidence reflect the reality under investigation? Has the researcher found out what he/she thinks or claims it’s about? = VALIDITY (internal validity) • Eg. Cook and Campbell list of threats to internal validity

  4. Question 3 3. What relevance do the results have beyond the situation investigated? = GENERALISABILITY (external validity) • Threats to external validity • Selection (specific to group) • Setting (specific to setting) • History (particular past experience) • Construct effects (only this group has these constructs)

  5. Question 4 4. Is there sufficient detail on the way the evidence was produced for the credibility of the research to be assessed? = CREDIBILITY

  6. These associated with quantitative research (& especially experiments or quasi-experiments) Qualitative equivalents from Marshall, C & Rossman, G (1995) Designing Qualitative Research

  7. Criteria of soundness

  8. Stages in carrying out research Bell, C and Newby, H (eds) (1984) Doing Sociological Research Suggest a distinction between • Normative accounts of research - How it should be done • Descriptive accounts - how it is actually done

  9. Normative • Conceptualising the issues, getting a focus, developing a research question. Use literature review, search journals, use statistical abstracts • Choose a research strategy • Select methods • Organise the practicalities - access, sampling, instruments etc • Collect data - fieldwork, transcribe, code etc. • Analyse data • Report and possibly • Act on findings

  10. Descriptive Much more messy. • Do in a different order - e.g. Collect data before getting a research question • (esp. if using emergent methods - e.g. grounded theory) • Re-do parts if they didn’t work • Start again from the beginning • Key = not following to the letter, but to the spirit • Careful, and self-critical development

  11. Developing a Research Question • Research area - very broad, the set of ideas, theories, social worlds etc. • Research topic - part of the above • Classic approach (normative) says do this first • In experiment, need hypothesis • But others take varying view • E.g. Lincoln, Y S and Guba, E G (1985) Naturalistic Inquiry • and Strauss, A & Corbin, J (1990) Basics of Qualitative Research. • The grounded theory approach. • Still no harm in trying to develop research question.

  12. Developing a research question 2 • Need to narrow • Need to know background literature (literature search) • Group decisions (keep all ‘on board’) • Negotiate with sponsors • Have a personal stake - not in results, but in area. Keeps you going in bad times • Be realistic about what you can achieve with given resources.

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