Chapter 2

Sociological Research
Methods

What is Sociological Inquiry?

Is the systematic analysis of the
motivations and behavior of
individuals within groups.

WHY IS SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH

NECESSARY?

Common Sense and

Sociological Research
Common sense may tell us that
people who threaten suicide will
not commit suicide.
Sociological research indicates
that people who threaten to kill
themselves may attempt
suicide.

Common Sense and

Sociological Research
Common sense may tell us that
suicide is caused by despair or
depression.
Research shows that some younger
people commit suicide because
they believe there is no way out of
their problems.

 Historically, the commonsense view of

suicide was that it was a sin, a crime, and a
mental illness.
Emile Durkheim related suicide to the issue
of cohesiveness in society.
In Suicide, Durkheim documented his
contention that a high suicide rate was
symptomatic of large-scale societal
problems.
His approach to research still influences
researchers.

Discussion
Why is it important to rely on
research rather than personal
experience?

How Much Do You Know About

Suicide?
True or False?
In the United States, suicide occurs on
the average of one every 16 minutes.

How Much Do You Know About

Suicide?
True
A suicide occurs on the average of every
16 minutes in the United States.
This differs with respect to the sex,
race/ethnicity, and age of the individual.
Men are four times more likely to kill
themselves than are women.

How Much Do You Know About

Suicide?

True or False?
Alcohol and drugs are outlets for anger
and thus reduce the risk of suicide.

How Much Do You Know About

Suicide?
False.
Excessive use of alcohol or drugs may
enhance a person's feelings of anger
and frustration, making suicide a
greater possibility.
This risk appears to be especially high for
men who abuse alcohol or drugs.

Sociology and Scientific

Evidence
Sociology involves debunking,
unmasking false ideas or opinions.
There are two approaches to
analyzing issues involving values:
Normative
Empirical

The Normative Approach

The normative approach uses
religion, customs, habits, traditions,
and law to answer important
questions.
It is based on beliefs about what is right
and wrong and what ought to be in
society.

The Empirical Approach

The empirical approach attempts to
answer questions through systematic
collection and analysis.
This is referred to as the scientific
method, and is based on the assumption
that knowledge is gained by direct,
systematic observation.

Sociology and Scientific

Standards
Two basic scientific standards must
be met:
Scientific beliefs should be supported by
good evidence or information.
These beliefs should be open to public
debate and critiques from other
scholars, with alternative interpretations
being considered.

Types of Empirical Studies

Descriptive studies attempt to describe
social reality or provide facts about some
group, practice, or event.
Designed to find out what is happening
to whom, where, and when.
Explanatory studies attempt to explain
cause and effect relationships and to
provide information on why certain events
do or do not occur.

Theory and Research Cycle

A theory is a set of logically interrelated
statements that attempts to describe,
explain, and (occasionally) predict social
events.
Research is the process of systematically
collecting information for the purpose of
testing an existing theory or generating a
new one.

THE SOCIOLOGICAL
RESEARCH PROCESS

Research can be quantitative

or qualitative.
Quantitative research focuses on
data that can be measured
numerically (comparing rates of
suicide, for example).
Qualitative research focuses on
interpretive description rather than
statistics to analyze underlying
meanings and patterns of social
relationships.

Conventional Research
Model
1. Select and define the research
problem.
2. Review previous research.
3. Formulate the hypothesis.

 Hypothesisa statement of the

relationship between two or more concepts
Example: Depression causes suicide.

The independent variable is presumed to

cause or determine a dependent variable.
Example: depression

The dependent variable is assumed to

depend on or be caused by the independent
variable.
Example: suicide

Conventional Research
Model
4. Develop the research design.
5. Collect and analyze the data.
In random sampling, every member of
an entire population being studied has
the same chance of being selected.
In probability sampling, participants
are deliberately chosen because they
have specific characteristics including
age, sex, race/ethnicity, or education.

Conventional Research
Model
6. Draw conclusions and report the
findings.
Validity is the extent to which a study or
research instrument accurately measures
what it is supposed to measure.
Reliability is the extent to which a study
or research instrument yields consistent
results when applied to different
individuals at one time or to the same
individuals over time.

RESEARCH METHODS

Research Methods:
1.Survey Research

A survey is a poll in which the researcher

gathers facts or attempts to determine the
relationships among facts.

Respondents are persons who provide data

for analysis.
Questionnairea printed research
instrument containing a series of items.
Interviewa data collection encounter in
which an interviewer asks the respondent
questions and records the answer.

Discussion
Have you ever been asked to
participate in a survey? What did
you think of the experience?

Research Methods:
Secondary Analysis of Existing Data
Researchers use existing material
and analyze data that were
originally collected by others.
Sources include public records,
official reports, and data from earlier
surveys.

Research Methods:
Field Research
Field Research is the study of social
life in its natural setting: Observing and
interviewing people where they live,
work, and play. Generates observations
that are best described verbally rather
than numerically

Approaches to Field
Research
Participant observation
Collecting observations while part of the
activities of the group being studied.

Case Study - An in-depth, multifaceted

investigation of a single event, person, or

social grouping.
A collective case study involves multiple
cases.

Approaches to Field
Research
Unstructured interview
an extended, open-ended interaction
between an interviewer and an
interviewee.

Research Methods:
Experiments
Experiments are carefully designed
situations in which the researcher
studies the impact of certain variables
and subjects' attitudes or behavior.
Experimental groupthe group that
contains the subjects who are exposed to
an independent variable
Control groupthe group containing the
subjects that are not exposed to the
independent variable

ETHICAL ISSUES IN
SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH

ASA Code of Ethics

Sociologists must follow the American
Sociological Association's Code of Ethics.
1. Disclose research findings in full and
include all possible interpretations of the
data.
2. Safeguard the participants right to
privacy and dignity while protecting
them from harm.

ASA Code of Ethics

3. Protect confidential information
provided by participants.
4. Acknowledge research collaboration
and disclose all financial support.

Discussion
Why is it important to abide by the
ethical guidelines?

Roles of the Sociologists

As Social reformer
As an Administrator
A Research Scientist
A teacher
A policy consultant
As a technician

References
Colon, Salvacion. 2006. Sociology: A
Simplified Approach
Kendall, Diana. 2013. Sociology in
Our Times. 9th edition.
Omas-as, R.L. et al. 2003. General
Sociology: Society, Culture,
Population Dynamics and Gender
Development. Trinitas Publishing

The end