Social Research

Nota:

• Proposal: IntroductionLiterature ReviewTheoryMethodologyAims and ObjectivesSample and DesignMethodsAnalysisEthicsTimetableDissemination

1. 2. unknown
   1. Interpretivist sociology looks at the way society is shaped by the interpretations of the world INTERPRETIVISM : contrasts positivism, considers influence of tradition, understanding human behaviour. Overlaps with: Weber's verstehen, hermeneutic - phenomenological tradition, symbolic interactionalism
   2. Positivism is the term used to describe an approach to the study of society that relies specifically on scientific evidence, such as experiments and statistics POSITIVISM : descriptive, confirmed by the senses, gather of facts. Overlaps with: objective, inductivism, reductivism, phenomenalism, impericalism
   3. Critical Approach
2. 4. Sample and Design
   1. Size/Number
   2. Sampling
      1. Probability Sampling
      2. Purposive Sampling
      3. Saturation
      4. Set amounts???
3. 5. Methodology/Epistemology
   1. Primary
      1. Subjective/Qualitative ie. NVivo
         1. Interviews, Focus Groups, Observation, Documentary Analysis, Discourse Analysis
         2. Emergent Design (not predetermined)
      2. Objective/Quantitative ie. SPSS
         1. Polls, Multiple Choice Surveys, Data frequencies
      3. Mixed Methods aka ???
         1. Pragmatic Approach
   2. Secondary
      1. Academic Journals, Books, Peer-Reviewed Literature
4. 7. Ethics
   1. Confidentiality
   2. Personal Bias: Individual, Faculty or
   3. Data Collection and Storage
   4. Anonymity
5. 3. Aims and Objectives
   1. Approach

      Nota:

      • explains or predicts situations and outcomes http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/dedind.php ----- http://www.esourceresearch.org/eSourceBook/SocialandBehavioralTheories/3TheoryandWhyItisImportant/tabid/727/Default.aspx
      1. Inductive: Observation > Pattern > Tentative Hypotheses > Theory

         Nota:

         • "top down", begins with a hunch or theory
      2. Deductive: Theory > Hypothesis > Observation > Confirmation

         Nota:

         • the study itself helps you to identify the important questions, theories are developed from the study
6. 6. Analysis
7. Theory (paradigms/perspectives)
   1. Structural Functionalism
   2. Conflict Theory
   3. Symbolic Interactionalism or Interpretive Paradigm
   4. Feminism