Research in sociology follows a generally scientific process based on empirical observation and collection of data to support factual statements, rather than just theories. It can be difficult to create controlled environments when studying people, who are variable and subjective. However, sociological research can reach useful conclusions by triangulating different perspectives and methods to identify areas of strong, weak, or no correlation in overlapping results. This allows research to be carried out with reasonable confidence in conclusions about hypotheses.

1. Research Methods
Research in Sociology is, generally speaking, a scientific process.
Science is based on ‘Empirical’ observations.
This means that we must collect data from observation
or experiment, not just theory.
If we attempt to make factual statements without observation or evidence to
support us then we are merely stating unfounded opinions. This is not useful for
Sociology!

2. Scientific Method
This is a
statement/question you
Form a Hypothesis want to prove. i.e. I think
Find out ways to test the elephants are grey.
colour of elephants. This
includes where they are Develop a method to ‘test’ the
and defining ‘an elephant’. Hypothesis.
Run the test and collect the data.
Does the data prove or
Examine the data, look for disprove your original
‘correlations’ and Analyse the data.
hypothesis?
‘differences’ in results. Are elephants grey?
See if the Hypothesis is proven /
unproven.

3. Why only ‘generally speaking’?
On the first slide we said: ‘Research in Sociology is, generally speaking, a scientific process.’
In ‘hard’ science, other scientists can
People are not a constant, it is
check your results by running the same
unlikely that if you run the same
test and getting the same results.
research twice on the same
people, or with two different
groups, that you get identical results.
‘Subjective’ data means you are likely
to interpret conclusions depending
on what you want to see. Someone A large amount of Sociological data is
else looking at the same data may subjective, not objective.
wish to see something else.
‘Hard’ science tries to create
controlled environments where they
can clearly test what happens if they
It is difficult to create a ‘controlled’ change one variable. People are
environment for sociological research. already a ‘variable’ and their
environments are not a constant.

4. How can Sociology reach ‘useful’ conclusions?
If you research a situation from different perspectives and in different ways then it is
possible to see where results ‘overlap’ or ‘trend’ towards each other.
Weak correlation.
This is where we can
Strong correlation. make general
This is the area where statements. These areas
we can make statements may be useful for
with reasonable further research.
confidence.
No correlation.
We can make no useful
statements here.
The data may be useful in
This process is called ‘Triangulation’. other research.
This allows us to carry out research with a reasonable
expectation of reaching ‘useful’ conclusions about our
Hypothesis.