1. The Practice of Social Research
Chapter 4 – Research Design

2. Chapter Outline Three Purposes of Research
The Logic of Nomothetic Explanation
Necessary and Sufficient Causes
Units of Analysis
The Time Dimension
How to Design a Research Project
The Research Proposal
The Ethics of Research Design
Quick Quiz

3. Three Purposes of Research
Exploration
To satisfy the researcher’s curiosity and desire for better understanding
To test the feasibility of undertaking a more extensive study
To develop the methods to be employed in any subsequent study
Examples?

4. Three Purposes of Research
Description
Describe situations and events through scientific observation
Examples?

5. Three Purposes of Research
Explanation
Descriptive studies answer questions of what, where, when, and how
Explanatory studies answer questions of why
Examples?

6. The Logic of Nomothetic Explanation
Goal: to find a few factors that can account for many of the variations in a given phenomenon

7. Example: Legalization of Marijuana
Idiographic Approach
Nomothetic Approach
Information from parents, teachers, clergy
Previous experiences
Others?
Political orientation
Others?

8. The Logic of Nomothetic Explanation
Criteria for Nomothetic Causality
The variables must be correlated
Correlation – an empirical relationship between two variables such that changes in one are associated with changes in the other, or particular attributes in one are associated with particular attributes in the other.
The cause takes place before the effect
The variables are nonspurious
Spurious Relationship – a coincidental statistical correlation between two variables shown to be caused by some third variable

10. The Logic of Nomothetic Explanation
Nomothetic Causal Analysis and Hypothesis Testing
Hypotheses are not required in nomothetic research.
To test a hypothesis:
Specify variables you think are related
Specify measurement of variables
Hypothesize correlation, strength of relationship, statistical significance
Specify tests for spuriousness

11. The Logic of Nomothetic Explanation
False Criteria for Nomothetic Causality
Complete Causation
Exceptional Cases
Majority of Cases

12. Necessary and Sufficient Causes
A necessary cause represents a condition that must be present for the effect to follow.
A sufficient cause represents a condition that, if it is present, guarantees the effect in question.
Most satisfying outcome in research includes both necessary and sufficient causes.

15. Unit of Analysis
Unit of Analysis – the what or whom being studied (most often individuals in social science research).
Individuals versus Aggregates

16. Unit of Analysis Individuals Groups Organizations Social Interactions
Most common unit of analysis for social research
Groups
Organizations
Social Interactions

18. Unit of Analysis Individuals Groups Organizations Social Interactions
Students, voters, parents, children, Catholics
Groups
Gang members, families, married couples, friendship groups
Organizations
Corporations, social organizations, colleges
Social Interactions
Telephone calls, dances, online chat rooms, fights

19. Unit of Analysis Social Artifacts
Social Artifact – any product of social beings or their behavior.

20. Unit of Analysis Faulty Reasoning about Units of Analysis
The Ecological Fallacy – erroneously drawing conclusions about individuals solely from the observations of groups.
Reductionism – a strict limitation (reduction) of the kinds of concepts to be considered relevant to the phenomenon under study.
Sociobiology – a paradigm based on the view that social behavior can be explained solely in terms of genetic characteristics and behavior.

21. The Time Dimension
Cross-Sectional Study – a study based on observations representing a single point in time, a cross section of a population.

22. The Time Dimension
Longitudinal Study – a study design involving the collection of data at different points in time.
Trend Study – a study in which a given characteristic of some population is monitored over time.
Cohort Study – a study in which some specific subpopulation, or cohort, is studied over time.
Panel Study – a study in which data are collected from the same set of people at several points in time.

23. The Time Dimension
Comparing Types of Longitudinal Studies - example: Religious Affiliation
Trend Study – looks at shifts in religious affiliation over time.
Cohort Study – follows shifts in religious affiliation among those born during the Depression.
Panel Study – follows the shifts in religious affiliation among a specific group of people over time.

24. The Time Dimension Approximating Longitudinal Studies
Researchers can draw approximate conclusions about longitudinal processes even when cross-sectional data is not available.
Imply processes over time
Make logical inferences
Ask individuals to recall past behavior
Cohort analysis

25. The Time Dimension Examples of Research Strategies
Exploration, Description, or Explanation?
Sources of data?
Unit of analysis?
Dimensions of time relevant?

26. How to Design a Research Project
Define the purpose of your project – exploratory, descriptive, or explanatory?
Specify the meanings of each concept you want to study
Select a research method
Determine how you will measure the results

27. How to Design a Research Project
Determine whom or what to study
Collect empirical data
Process the data
Analyze the data
Report your findings

29. The Research Proposal Elements of a Research Proposal
Problem or Objective
Literature Review
Subjects for Study
Measurement
Data Collection Methods
Analysis
Schedule
Budget

30. Quick Quiz

31. Chapter 4 Quiz
1. Social researchers tend to choose _____ as their units of analysis.
social interactions
social artifacts
groups
individuals
aggregates

32. Chapter 4 Quiz
ANSWER: D. Social researchers tend to choose individuals as their units of analysis.

33. Chapter 4 Quiz 2. Scientific inquiry comes down to
making observations.
interpreting what you have observed.
both of the above
none of the above

34. Chapter 4 Quiz
ANSWER: C. Scientific inquiry comes down to making observations and interpreting what you have observed.

35. Chapter 4 Quiz
3. A _____ is an empirical relationship between two variables such that changes in one are associated with changes in the other.
nomothetic explanation
regression analysis
correlation
spurious relationship

36. Chapter 4 Quiz
ANSWER: C. A correlation is an empirical relationship between two variables such that changes in one are associated with changes in the other.

37. Chapter 4 Quiz 4. Which of these are among the purposes of research?
exploration
description
explanation
all of the above

38. Chapter 4 Quiz
ANSWER: D. Exploration, description, and explanation are among the purposes of research.

39. Chapter 4 Quiz
5. What do social researchers mean when they say there is a causal relationship between education and racial tolerance?
There is a statistical correlation between the two variables.
A person’s educational level occurred before their current level of tolerance.
There is no third variable that can explain the observed correlation.
All of these choices.

40. Chapter 4 Quiz
ANSWER: D. When social researchers say there is a casual relationship between education and racial tolerance they mean: there is a statistical correlation between the two variables, a person’s educational level occurred before their current level of tolerance, and there is no third variable that can explain the observed correlation.

41. Chapter 4 Quiz 6. A _____ is probabilistic and usually incomplete.
nomothetic explanation
correlation
spurious relationship
theory

42. Chapter 4 Quiz
ANSWER: A. A nomothetic explanation is probabilistic and usually incomplete.

43. Chapter 4 Quiz
7. A _____ represents a condition that, if present, guarantees the effect in question.
hypothesis
sufficient cause
practical issue
necessary cause
dependent variable

44. Chapter 4 Quiz
ANSWER: B. A sufficient cause represents a condition that, if present, guarantees the effect in question.