Overview of Sociological Research/Formulating a Research Question September 9, 2015

Rules of evidence/logical fallacies Is the evidence accurate? Does the evidence support the conclusion? Is any relevant evidence left out? Hasty generalization Unreliable authority Wrong level False cause/spurious relationship

Goals of research Exploratory: new topic Descriptive: gathering information Explanatory: explain patterns, answer why Evaluation: assess outcomes Types of research: Basic, Applied, Evaluation

Research Designs Experimental designs Quantitative designs Qualitative designs Mixed method designs

Experimental Design Control group and experimental group Random assignment Pre-test and post-test

Quantitative Methods Quantitative methods: Analysis is primarily numeric/statistical Self-administered surveys (mail/computer) Structured interview (telephone/in- person) Secondary data analysis

Qualitative Methods Qualitative methods: Analysis is interpretive Ethnography/field work Participant observation Unstructured/semi-structured interviews Life histories/oral histories Focus groups

Choosing the right method Generalizability Sensitivity of topic Previous knowledge of categories Goals of research (exploratory, descriptive, explanatory, evaluation) Resources and timeline

Time dimension Cross-sectional Longitudinal ◦ Panel ◦ Cohort ◦ Trend

The research process: Using the scientific method

Course assignments follow the research process Formulate research question (in class) Journal assignment Design overview assignment Develop instrument (survey questions and survey drafts) Collect data Make conclusions

Characteristics of a good research question Focused Specific Measurable/observable Answerable within your chosen research framework (survey) Doable with resources and time you have

Projects: Investigating social problems Racial inequality Gender inequality Transportation College completion College costs