Social Research Methods Introduction Chapter 1 Neuman and Robson
How do we know about the world around us? Authority Tradition Common sense Media Personal experience Overgeneralization Selective observation Premature closure Halo effect
“Confirmation Bias” Read Bob McDonald’s “Howling at the Moon” We tend to interpret information in a manner that confirms our existing beliefs At the same time we ignore or overlook any new information that contradicts what we already “know”
The Nature of Scientific Theory A. The Two Tasks of Science Discovery Explanation B. Properties of scientific knowledge Assertions about relationships Empirical referents Sensory verification Deductive structure Allows for prediction
The Nature of Scientific Theory (cont.) C. Desirable characteristics of science Abstract, verifiable, intersubjective agreement D. Goals of science Provide method to understand causality and to predict E. Causality Association Time order Non-spuriousness Theoretical justification
The Nature of Scientific Theory (cont.) F. Testable propositions and parsimonious explanations G. Problems unique to the social sciences Empirical measurement Control Ethics Bias The human subject
H. What is Research? Real Research = the systematic process of collecting and analyzing information Criteria for research Start with clear question/problem Plan of how to proceed (methodology) Acknowledgement of assumptions Data gathered to solve problem (not indiscriminate) Cyclical process The research process (see p. 9 in text)
Research Design Influenced by: Current knowledge Cost Ethics Skills
Dimensions of Research A. Style of Research Exploratory Descriptive Explanatory B. Purpose or Focus Basic Applied
Dimensions of Research (cont.) C. Time Dimension Cross-sectional (eg. Doing survey is common) Longitudinal Time-series Panel Cohort Case Studies
Dimensions of Research (cont.) D. Data Collection Technique Quantitative Experiments Surveys Quantitative content analysis Existing statistics Qualitative Interviews Focus groups Field research Historical research Qualitative content analysis
Quantitative Research Qualitative Research Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010 Meaningfully expressed by numbers Provides counts and measures Meanings, concepts, and definitions Quality assessed through words, images, and description Schools of Thought
The Quantitative-Qualitative “Divide” in Research Is really an artificial divide Deductive vs inductive Hard vs soft science Value-free vs value-laden Objective vs subjective Nomothetic vs. idiographic The research process more accurately can be described as a cyclical search for social truth
The Wheel of Research