NCJ Number
67080
Date Published
1980
Length
199 pages
Annotation
AS AN INTRODUCTORY COURSE IN RESEARCH METHODOLOGY FOR SOCIAL SCIENCE STUDENTS, THE TEXT EXPLAINS EACH PHASE OF SOCIAL RESEARCH WITH GUIDELINES FOR SUCH BASIC TASKS AS WRITING HYPOTHESES OR REVIEWING THE LITERATURE.
Abstract
BEFORE THE DECISIONMAKING PROCESS INVOLVED IN SOCIAL RESEARCH IS INTRODUCED, DISCUSSION FOCUSES ON THE STRUCTURE, METHODS, AND PURPOSES OF KNOWLEDGE. THE FIRST STEP IN THE RESEARCH ENDEAVOR--PROBLEM SELECTION--IS THEN EXAMINED BY LOOKING AT THE SOURCES OF PROBLEMS (CURIOSITY, SIGNIFICANT OTHERS, SOCIAL PROBLEMS, THEORY, ETC.), INFLUENCES ON PROBLEM SELECTION (SOCIAL, POLITICAL, ETHICAL), AND THE FORMULATION OF A RESEARCHABLE PROBLEM. THE LATTER INVOLVES A LITERATURE REVIEW, STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM, AND WRITING OF THE HYPOTHESES). BECAUSE MEASUREMENT OF VARIABLES BECOMES CRUCIAL AS THE PROCESS OF RESEARCH SHIFTS FROM THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS TO ACTUAL EMPIRICAL RESEARCH, A SECTION IS PRESENTED ON THE LEVELS OF MEASUREMENT AND ON SCALING TECHNIQUES (FORCED RANKING SCALES, SUMMATED RATINGS, LIKERT SCALES, GUTTMAN SCALES, EQUAL-APPEARING INTERVALS). SPECIAL APPLICATIONS OF SCALING (SOCIOMETRY, SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL) ARE ADDRESSED AS ARE RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY. ALSO DESCRIBED ARE THE THREE BASIC DESIGNS UTILIZED BY SOCIAL SCIENTISTS: THE CASE STUDY, THE SURVEY, AND THE EXPERIMENT. THE BASIC FEATURES OF EACH DESIGN ARE DESCRIBED, AS WELL AS VARIATIONS IN EACH, AND THEIR LOGIC, ADVANTAGES, AND LIMITATIONS. THE ROLE OF GENERALIZATION, CAUSALITY, CONTROL, AND SAMPLING ARE EMPHASIZED AS IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS IN STUDY DESIGN. ANOTHER SECTION DISCUSSES THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF FOUR MAJOR DATA COLLECTION STRATEGIES: QUESTIONNAIRES, INTERVIEWS, OBSERVATIONS, AND USE OF AVAILABLE DATA. DATA ANALYSIS IS DESCRIBED, WITH SOME MENTION OF STATISTICAL PROCEDURES FOR ANALYZING ONE OR MORE VARIABLES. FINALLY, SUGGESTED TECHNIQUES FOR COMMUNICATING AND INTERPRETING RESEARCH RESULTS ARE REPORTED. EXERCISES AND ADDITIONAL READINGS ACCOMPANY EACH CHAPTER ALONG WITH FOOTNOTES, TABULAR DATA, AND ILLUSTRATIONS. AN INDEX IS INCLUDED. (WJR)