1. Writing Research Reports
How to do Research
Slides by Dan Cavanaugh
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2. What is a Valid
Sociological Topic?
 Macro - Broad Matters
 Micro - Individualistic
Matters
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research 2

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
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5. A Research Model
 Choosing a Research
Method
 Collecting Data
 Analyzing Results
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7. Research Methods
Surveys
 Selecting a Sample
 Random Sample
 Stratified Random Sample
 Asking Neutral Questions
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8. Research Methods
Questionnaires
 Self-Administered
 Allow the Largest
Sample
 Low Cost
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9. Research Methods
 Interviews
 More Researcher Control
 Time Consuming
 Interviewer Bias
 Structured Interviews
 Unstructured Interviews
 Establishing Rapport
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10. Research Methods
Participant Observation
 Researcher Participates
 Problems with
Generalizability
 Done for Exploratory
Work
 Generates Hypotheses
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11. Research Methods
Case Studies
 Focus on Single
 Event
 Situation
 Individual
 Reveals Detail
 Problem with
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12. Research Methods
Secondary Analysis
 Analyze Data
Collected by Others
 Researcher Cannot
Be Sure of Data
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13. Research Methods
Documents
 Examine Books,
Newspapers, Diaries,
etc.
 Limited Scope
 Cannot Study Topic
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14. Research Methods
Experiments
 Experimental Group
 Control Group
 Independent Variables
 Dependent Variables
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16. Research Methods
Unobtrusive Measures
 Observe People
Without Them
Knowing
 Question of Ethics
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17. Deciding Which
Method to Use
 Access to Resources
 Access to Subjects
 Purpose of Research
 Researcher’s Background
and Training Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research
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18. Deciding Which
Method to Use
 Quantitative Research
Methods
 Emphasis on Precise
Measurement
 Uses Statistics and
Numbers
 Qualitative Research
Methods
 Emphasis on Observing,
Describing, and
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19. How Not to do
Research
 Choose Biased Sample
 Ask Biased Questions
 List Biased Choices
 Discard Undesirable
Results
 Misunderstand Subjects
World
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20. Controversy in Research
 Poke into Private
Areas of Lives
 Threatens Those
with a Stake
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21. Ethics in Sociological
Research
 Openness, Honesty, and
Truthfulness
 Forbids Falsifying Results
 Condemns Plagiarism
 Subjects’ Informed
Consent
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22. How Research and Theory
Work Together
 Neither Research nor
Theory can Stand Alone
 Theories Must Be Tested
 Findings Must be
Explained with Theory
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23. Thank you for your
Slides by Dan Cavanaugh
Patience.
This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law:
any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network;
preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images;
any rental, lease, or lending of the program. Background photo source: GoGo Images Corporation/Alamy Royalty Free
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