1. Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach 7/e
James M. Henslin
Chapter Five: How Sociologists Do Research
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2. What is a Valid Sociological Topic?
Macro—Broad Matters
Micro—Individualistic Matters
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3. Common Sense and the Need for Research
What Everyone Knows May Not Be True
Move Beyond Guesswork
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4. A Research Model Selecting a Topic Defining a Problem
Reviewing the Literature
Formulating a Hypothesis
A Research Model
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5. A Research Model Choosing a Research Method Collecting Data
Analyzing Results
Sharing Results
A Research Model
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6. Research Methods Surveys Asking Neutral Questions Selecting a Sample
Random Sample
Stratified Random Sample
Asking Neutral Questions
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7. Research Methods Questionnaires Self-Administered
Allow the Largest Sample
Low Cost
Loss of Researcher Control
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8. Research Methods Interviews More Researcher Control Time Consuming
Interviewer Bias
Structured Interviews
Open-Ended Questions
Establishing Rapport
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9. Research Methods Participant Observation (Fieldwork)
Researcher Participates
Problems with Generalizability
Done for Exploratory Work
Generates Hypotheses
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10. Research Methods Secondary Analysis Analyze Data Collected by Others
Researcher Cannot Be Sure of Data Quality
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11. Research Methods Documents Examine Books, Newspapers, Diaries, etc.
Limited Scope
Cannot Study Topic Unless Access is Granted
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12. Research Methods Experiments Experimental Group Control Group
Independent Variables
Dependent Variables
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13. Research Methods Unobtrusive Measures
Observe People Without Them Knowing
Question of Ethics
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14. Deciding Which Method to Use
Available Resources
Access to Subjects
Purpose of Research
Researcher’s Background and Training
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15. Deciding Which Method to Use
Quantitative Research Methods
Emphasis on Precise Measurement
Uses Statistics and Numbers
Qualitative Research Methods
Emphasis on Observing, Describing, and Interpreting Behavior
Deciding Which Method to Use
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16. Gender in Sociological Research
Affects Orientation and Attitudes
Interviewer Bias
Women and Men Lead Different Lives
In Past, Women’s Experiences Neglected
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17. Ethics in Sociological Research
Openness, Honesty, and Truthfulness
Forbids Falsifying Results
Condemns Plagiarism
Subjects’ Informed Consent
Subjects’ Anonymity
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18. Ethics in Sociological Research
Protecting Subjects: The Brajuha Research
Misleading Subjects: The Humphreys Research
Ethics in Sociological Research
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19. How Research and Theory Work Together
Theory Helps Interpretation of Data
Theory Generates Questions for Research
Research Helps Generate Theory
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