SOCIOLOGY
A Down-to-Earth Approach 8/e
James M. Henslin
Chapter Five:
How Sociologists
Do Research
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Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research
What is a Valid
Sociological Topic?

Macro - Broad Matters

Micro - Individualistic Matters
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Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research
Common Sense and the
Need for Research

What Everyone Knows
May Not Be True

Move Beyond Guesswork
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Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research
A Research Model

Selecting a Topic

Defining a Problem

Reviewing the Literature

Formulating a Hypothesis
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Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research
A Research Model

Choosing a Research Method

Collecting Data

Analyzing Results

Sharing Results
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Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research
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Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research
Research Methods
Surveys

Selecting a Sample
Random Sample
Stratified Random Sample

Asking Neutral Questions
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Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research
Research Methods
Questionnaires

Self-Administered

Allow the Largest Sample

Low Cost

Loss of Researcher Control
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Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research
Research Methods

Interviews
More Researcher Control
Time Consuming
Interviewer Bias

Structured Interviews
Open-Ended Questions

Establishing Rapport
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Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research
Research Methods
Participant Observation (Fieldwork)

Researcher Participates

Problems with Generalizability

Done for Exploratory Work

Generates Hypotheses
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Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research
Research Methods
Secondary Analysis

Analyze Data Collected by Others

Researcher Cannot Be Sure of
Data Quality
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Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research
Research Methods
Documents

Examine Books, Newspapers,
Diaries, etc.

Limited Scope

Cannot Study Topic Unless
Access is Granted
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Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research
Research Methods
Experiments

Experimental Group

Control Group

Independent Variables

Dependent Variables
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Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research
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Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research
Research Methods
Unobtrusive Measures

Observe People Without
Them Knowing

Question of Ethics
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Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research
Deciding Which
Method to Use

Available Resources

Access to Subjects

Purpose of Research

Researcher’s Background and Training
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Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research
Deciding Which
Method to Use

Quantitative Research Methods
Emphasis on Precise Measurement
Uses Statistics and Numbers

Qualitative Research Methods
Emphasis on Observing, Describing, and
Interpreting Behavior
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Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research
Gender in Sociological
Research

Affects Orientation and Attitudes

Interviewer Bias

Women and Men Lead Different Lives
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Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research
Ethics in Sociological
Research

Openness, Honesty, and Truthfulness
Forbids Falsifying Results
Condemns Plagiarism

Subjects’ Informed Consent

Subjects’ Anonymity
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Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research

Ethics in Sociological
Research
Protecting Subjects: The Brajuha
Research
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Chapter 5: How Sociologists Do Research
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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