1. Sociological Research Methods

2. Outline
 Research Methods Overview
 Scientific Method
 Methods (Ethnography, Interviews, surveys,
experiments)
 Issues in sociological research
 Values, Objectivity, Reactivity

3. Research Methods
 Methods are used to show if a theory’s claim is true
 Quantitative-data put into numbers for statistical
comparison
 Qualitative-can’t be converted to numbers – data
relates to meaning
 Ex. Interviews or observation
 Scientific method-provides researchers with steps to
follow: begin with a general question
 Literature Review-thorough search through
previously published studies relevant to topic

4. Scientific Method
 Does watching violence on TV cause kids to behave
violently?
 1.Form a hypothesis- theoretical statement explaining
relationship b/w two or more variables
 Variable-one of two or more phenomena that a
researcher believes are related
 2.Clearly define the variables so can measure accurately
 3. Predict possible outcomes
 4. Researcher collects data (experiment meant to isolate
variables)
 5. Analyze the data

5. Does watching
violence on television
cause children to
behave violently?
Albert Bandura (1965)
Children more likely
to hit the clown doll
themselves if they
saw the TV actors
being rewarded for
their violent
behavior
If the actors were
punished, children
were less likely to hit
clown doll

6. Which Method to Use?
 Each sociological method has its own benefits and limitations
 Ethnography-method based on studying people in their own
environment in order to understand the meanings they
attribute to their activities
 Participant observation-researcher observes and becomes a
member in a social setting
 Access-process by which ethnographer gains entry to a field
setting
 Has to be negotiated carefully
 Researchers can either be overt or covert in their role
 Fieldnotes-detailed notes describing activities and interactions
with those being studied
 Reflexivity-researcher’s identity can affect what’s going on

7. Ethnography
 Advantages
 Excel at telling stories that might otherwise might not
get told
 Challenge preconceptions and stereotypes
 Disadvantages
 Lack of replicability-research that can be repeated by
other researchers
 Degree of representativeness
 Bias-opinion held by researcher that might affect the
research

8. Interviews
 Interviews-face-to-face information-seeking
conversation with subjects, or respondents
 can be combined with other methods
 Researcher must ID target population-entire group
researcher would like to be able to generalize about
 Sample-smaller group who are representative of larger
group
 Researcher must get informed consent-subjects must
know what they’re getting into and explicitly agree to
participate

9. Interviews
 Researchers must be careful to avoid leading
questions-questions that predispose a respondent to
answer in a certain way
 Double-barreled questions-questions that involve
too many difficult issues at one time
 Advantages
 Respondents speak in own words
 Discover issues that may have been overlooked
 Disadvantages
 Not always truthful
 Not representative

10. Surveys
 Survey-method based on questionnaires administered
to a sample of respondents selected from target pop.
 Tends to be macro and quantitative
 Answers are coded (turned into numerical data)
 Pitfalls: leading questions, bias, double-barreled
questions, & negative questions-ask respondents what
they don’t think instead of what they do
 Questions should be clear, and order of questions
matters
 Representative sample-findings can be generalized
to entire population

11. Surveys
 Probability sampling-sample group mathematically
represents the larger population
 Simple random sample-each member of pop. has an
equal chance of being selected
 Weighting-proportion of certain variables (race, gender,
etc…) more closely reflects larger population

12. Surveys
 Advantages
 Quick, vast amt. of data, can study large # of people
 Strong reliability-degree to which same questions will
produce similar answers
 Disadvantages
 Don’t allow for full range of expression
 Weak on validity-degree to which a researcher is
measuring what he thinks he is measuring
 If goal of research is to support a point of view (POV)

13. Experimental Methods
 Sociologists have two goals when using experimental
methods:
 Develop tools with which to observe, record & measure data
 Control for all other variables
 Experiments-formal tests of specific variables and
effects, performed in a controlled setting where all aspects
of situation can be controlled
 Experimental group-the part of a test group that receives
the experimental treatment
 Control group-part of a test group that is allowed to
continue without intervention

14. Experimental Methods
 Experiments-(Does marriages counseling help couples
stay together?)
 Experimental group-the part of a test group that
receives the experimental treatment
 Control group-part of a test group that is allowed to
continue without intervention
 Independent variable-factor that is predicted to cause
change
 Dependent variable-factor that is changed by the
independent variable

15. What does it mean to
be a boy or girl?
People treated baby
differently depending on
what sex they thought it was.
When subjects thought the
baby was a boy, they handled
it less gently and talked in a
louder voice.
When subjects thought it was
a girl, they held the baby
closer to themselves and
spoke more softly.

16. Experiments
 Advantages
 Manipulate social world
 Can be repeated (have replicability)
 Isolate variables in a controlled setting away from “real
world” distractions
 Disadvantages
 Seek to eliminate elements that will have an unforeseen
effect

17. Existing Resources
 Existing sources-any data that has already been
collected and is available for future research
 Advantages
 Able to work with info you couldn’t get yourself
 Able to learn about many social worlds/time periods
 Disadvantages
 Can be misused if original questions answered in source
aren’t same

18. Issues in Sociological Research
 Value-free sociology: ideal whereby researchers identify
facts without allowing their own beliefs to interfere
 Comes from Max Weber’s “Science As a Vocation”
 Separate facts from values
 A debate continues between
 Basic research-search for knowledge without agenda
 and
 Applied research-research designed to allow researcher to
use what is learned to create some sort of change
 Bias can be shown in terms of choosing a project, sample,
wording, etc…

19. Objectivity and Reactivity
 Objectivity-impartiality/facts speak for themselves
 What is a fact?
 Racist, sexist “facts” dominated
 What presently passes for fact may someday be
challenged
 Reactivity-ways people and events react to being
studied
 Hawthorne effect-specific example of reactivity;
desired effect is result of research
 Our presence as researchers sometimes has effect on
subjects