This document provides an overview of key concepts in social research. It discusses what social research is, why it is conducted, and its various elements and processes. Some key points covered include: - Social research draws on social sciences and allows the study of everyday life from new perspectives. - The research process involves developing research questions, reviewing literature, selecting methods, collecting and analyzing data, and writing up results. - Research can take quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods approaches across a range of designs like experiments, surveys, case studies, and comparisons. - Researchers must consider ontology, epistemology, and theory in designing their approach. - Developing a clear research question is important for

1. SOC4028 - Researching Social Life
Week 2: What is Social Research &
Planning a Research Project
DR. NATHAN KERRIGAN
OFFICE: C303
STUDENT CONSULTATION HOURS: THURSDAY 1400-1600
EMAIL: NATHAN.KERRIGAN@BCU.AC.UK

2. Social research
‘Social research draws on social sciences for
conceptual and theoretical inspirations.’ (Bryman,
2015: 3)
In social research, the researcher will be drawing
from various social fields (e.g. sociology, social
policy, politics, geography, international relations,
criminology) to form research questions, topics,
decisions on how to interpret and draw
implications from research findings etc.
Why do social research?
• Social research enables us to study routine
processes of everyday life from a new point of view
• It allows us to break free from the immediacy of
our personal circumstances to see things in a wider
social context
• It is the basis of new theoretical and conceptual
formations is various social fields
• Social research builds our awareness of cultural
differences that allows us to see the social world
from many perspectives
• Social research provides practical help is assessing
the results of policy initiatives
• An understanding of society through research is
useful for various professions, e.g. industrial
consultants, researchers, social workers, managers,
journalism, business, criminal law and justice etc.

3. Elements of research process
•Research question
•Literature review
•Concepts and theories
•Methods/ methodology
• Sampling
• Data collection
• Data analysis
•Results/ discussion
•Writing up
•The messiness of social research
• researching sensitive topics e.g. intimate partner
violence
• Personal biases
• Difficulties in accessing data
• Sampling biases
• Choice of appropriate method
• Formulating feasible research questions
• Validity-can the results of the study be
generalised?
• Ethical concerns

4. Strategies: Theory
Theory helps explain observable regularities
(Bryman, 2015:18)
Deductive
Inductive
 Abductive

5. Strategies: Epistemological and
Ontological considerations
Epistemological issue concerns with what is (or
should be) regarded as acceptable knowledge
in a discipline. Can social world be studied with
the same principles, procedures and ethos as
natural science?
 Positivism
Interpretivism
Relativism
Ontological concerns are around the study of
nature of being. A primary goal of ontological
inquiry, is to provide as complete and
encompassing account of the broad nature and
structure of reality as possible. Ontological
framework asks whether social research can be
considered objective at all, or should they be
considered social constructions built up from
perceptions and actions of social actors.
Objectivism
Constructionism
 Subjectivism

6. Strategies: Quantitative and Qualitative
Quantitative research strategy emphasises
quantification in the collection and analysis of
data and that:
•Entails a deductive approach to the
relationship between theory and research, in
which the emphasis is on testing theories
•Incorporates practices and norms of natural
scientific model and positivism
•Embodies a view of social reality as an
external, objective reality
Qualitative research strategy usually
emphasises words rather than quantification in
the collection and analysis of data and that:
•Takes an inductive approach and emphasis is
on generation of theory
•Looks at how individuals interpret their social
life
•Embodies a view of social reality as a
constantly shifting emerging property of
individual’s creation

7. Social Research Continuum
Ontology: What can we do?
Epistemology: How can we know
Methodology: how can we find out
Method: what tool to use
Objectivism Subjectivism
Positivism Interpretivism
Quantitative Qualitative
e.g. experiments, surveys etc. e.g. interviews, ethnography

8. Research Design and Research Methods
A Research Design provides a framework for
the collection and analysis of data. Choice of
research design reflects decisions about
priorities given to the dimensions of the
research process (Bryman, 2016: 40).
A Research Method is simply a technique for
collecting data. Choice of research method
reflects decisions about the type of instruments
or techniques to be used (Bryman, 2016: 40).
.

9. Types of research design
Experimental
Experiments usually involve a study of the relationship between two groups (variables). It involves manipulation of
independent variables in order to determine their influence on dependent variables. E.g. Does teachers’ expectations of
school children’s abilities influence students’ performance.
Cross-sectional
‘A cross-sectional design entails the collection of data on more than one case (usually quite a lot more than one) and at a
single point in time in order to collect a body of quantitative or quantifiable data in connection with two or more variables
(usually many more than two), which are then examined to detect patterns of association’ (Bryman, 2016:53).
Longitudinal
Survey of the same sample that is repeated on more than one occasion over time. Typically used to map change in social
research
Case study
Detailed and intensive analysis of one case e.g. a single community, school, family, person, event, or organization. Often
involves qualitative research, but not always.
Comparative
Using the same methods to compare two or more meaningfully contrasting cases. Can be qualitative or quantitative. Often
cross-cultural comparisons

10. Bringing research strategy and research
design together
Both quantitative and qualitative strategies
can be executed through any of the research
designs covered in this chapter – although
experimentation is rarely used in qualitative
research.
Survey research is the most typical form for
quantitative strategies
Ethnographic studies are most typical of
qualitative strategies.

11. Planning a research project
Identifying research questions
Start thinking about your research early on.
Totally open-ended research is risky, so is too narrow
ones. Research question must be researchable!
Research questions help to focus your literature
searches, data collection, analysis and writing. They
should help you establish connections with established
sociological theory.
Make sure your research questions have a clear,
social-scientific angle. At the very least they should
hold out the prospect of making an original
contribution-however small-to the topic
Which of the following is a feasible research question
for your small scale proposal for this module:
1. Do university students in England have a say in
their curriculum development at the
undergraduate level?
2. What are the differences in academic success
among male and female students in
undergraduate study in BCU?
3. How are BAME students’ accounts of
undergraduate experience similar and different
from non-BAME student experiences in your
cohort?
4. How do Sociology undergraduate students of BCU
frame their experience of university education on
social media?

12. Formulating suitable research questions
Personal interest/experience
Theory
The research literature
Contradictions in society
New development in society
Social problem

13. Checklist for a research proposal
What is the topic; what are the objectives?
Why is the topic important?
What are your research questions?
What does the literature say?
How will you collect the data?
Why are these methods appropriate?
Who will your research participants be, and how will they be selected?
Is access required to an organisation?
What resources will you need?
What is the timetable?
What problems do you foresee?
Are there any ethical problems?
How will you analyse the data?

14. Before the seminars read:
Read: Bryman, A. (2015)
Part 1: Chapter 1: Nature and process of social research
Chapter 2: Social research strategies
Chapter 3: Research Design
Chapter 4: Planning a research project