NCJ Number
50173
Date Published
1975
Length
145 pages
Annotation
CONCEPTS IN AND THE CONDUCT OF QUANTITATIVE SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH ARE ADDRESSED, WITH AN ORIENTATION TOWARD STUDENTS AND THEIR NEEDS.
Abstract
THE PRIMARY METHOD OF SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH IS BASED ON THE SYSTEMATIC OBSERVATION OF SOCIAL OR POLITICAL REALITIES. THIS EMPHASIS ON CAREFUL AND OBJECTIVE OBSERVATION SEPARATES THE APPROACH OF THE SOCIAL SCIENTIST FROM THE APPROACH OF RESEARCHERS IN NONSCIENTIFIC FIELDS. THE SOCIAL SCIENTIST IS ORIENTED TOWARD AN EMPIRICAL WORLD AND ESTABLISHES EVIDENCE BY TESTING IDEAS AGAINST EXPERIENCE, E.G., BY CONDUCTING A SURVEY OR A CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT. THE SELECTION OF A PROBLEM FOR RESEARCH IS EXAMINED, AND CRITERIA FOR PROBLEM SELECTION ARE PROVIDED. THEORETICAL ANALYSIS IN SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH IS CONSIDERED IN TERMS OF REAL AND NOMINAL DEFINITIONS OF CONCEPTS, INCREASING THE VALUE OF CONCEPTS, KINDS OF VARIABLES AND CHOOSING A VARIABLE STRATEGY, PROPOSITIONS AND CAUSE AND EFFECT RELATIONSHIPS, AND THE STRUCTURE AND EVALUATION OF THEORY. DATA COLLECTION ENCOMPASSES EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES, QUESTIONNAIRES AND INTERVIEWS, THE ART OF ASKING QUESTIONS, SAMPLING METHODS, SAMPLING CONTENT AND ANALYSIS, AND RECORDING SHEETS. TOOLS OF ANALYSIS AND PROCEDURES FOR COMPLETING A RESEARCH REPORT ARE EXAMINED. APPENDIXES CONTAIN INFORMATION ON THE USE OF COMPUTERS TO PROCESS DATA, GUIDELINES FOR USING THE IBM 29 CARD PUNCH, AND THE 1968 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION STUDY CODEBOOK. REFERENCES AND AN INDEX ARE PROVIDED. (DEP)