Principles_of_Sociological_Inquiry
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Contents
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Preface
Relevance, Balance, and Accessibility
Chapter 1
Introduction
Research Methods for Everyday Life
1.1 How Do We Know What We Know?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Different Sources of Knowledge
Ontology and Epistemology
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
1.2 Science, Social Science, and Sociology
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
The Science of Sociology
Specific Considerations for the Social Sciences
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
1.3 Why Should We Care?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Consuming Research and Living With Its Results
Research as Employment Opportunity
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
1.4 Design and Goals of This Text
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Chapter Layout
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISE
Chapter 2
Linking Methods With Theory
What’s Theory Got to Do With It?
2.1 Micro, Meso, and Macro Approaches
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Sociology at Three Different Levels
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
2.2 Paradigms, Theories, and How They Shape a Researcher’s Approach
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Paradigms in Social Science
Sociological Theories
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
2.3 Inductive or Deductive? Two Different Approaches
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Inductive Approaches and Some Examples
Deductive Approaches and Some Examples
Complementary Approaches?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
2.4 Revisiting an Earlier Question
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISE
Chapter 3
Research Ethics
Ethics in Sociological Research
3.1 Research on Humans
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Human Research Versus Nonhuman Research
A Historical Look at Research on Humans
Institutional Review Boards
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
3.2 Specific Ethical Issues to Consider
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Informed Consent
Protection of Identities
Disciplinary Considerations
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
3.3 Ethics at Micro, Meso, and Macro Levels
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
3.4 The Practice of Science Versus the Uses of Science
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Doing Science the Ethical Way
Using Science the Ethical Way
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
Chapter 4
Beginning a Research Project
Choosing a Topic
Do you like to watch movies? Do you have a pet that you care about? Do you wonder what you and your peers might do with your degrees once you’ve finished college? Do you wonder how many people on your campus have heard of the BP oil spill of 2010, ho...
4.1 Starting Where You Already Are
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
How Do You Feel About Where You Already Are?
What Do You Know About Where You Already Are?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
4.2 Is It Empirical?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
4.3 Is It Sociological?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
What Is Sociology?
What Is Not Sociology?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
4.4 Is It a Question?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Sociologists as Paparazzi?
Some Specific Examples
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
4.5 Steps
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Feasibility
Field Trip: Visit Your Library
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
Chapter 5
Research Design
How to Design a Research Project
5.1 Goals of the Research Project
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Exploration, Description, Explanation
Idiographic or Nomothetic?
Applied or Basic?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
5.2 Qualitative or Quantitative? Some Specific Considerations
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Causality
Units of Analysis and Units of Observation
Hypotheses
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
5.3 Triangulation
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
5.4 Components of a Research Project
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Searching for Literature
Reviewing the Literature
Additional Important Components
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
Chapter 6
Defining and Measuring Concepts
Measurement, Conceptualization, and Operationalization
6.1 Measurement
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
What Do Social Scientists Measure?
How Do Social Scientists Measure?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISE
6.2 Conceptualization
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Concepts and Conceptualization
A Word of Caution About Conceptualization
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
6.3 Operationalization
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Indicators
Putting It All Together
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISE
6.4 Measurement Quality
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Reliability
Validity
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
6.5 Complexities in Measurement
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Levels of Measurement
Indexes, Scales, and Typologies
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
Chapter 7
Sampling
Who or What?
7.1 Populations Versus Samples
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
7.2 Sampling in Qualitative Research
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Nonprobability Sampling
Types of Nonprobability Samples
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
7.3 Sampling in Quantitative Research
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Probability Sampling
Types of Probability Samples
There are a variety of probability samples that researchers may use. These include simple random samples, systematic samples, stratified samples, and cluster samples.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
7.4 A Word of Caution: Questions to Ask About Samples
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Who Sampled, How Sampled, and for What Purpose?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISE
Chapter 8
Survey Research: A Quantitative Technique
Why Survey Research?
8.1 Survey Research: What Is It and When Should It Be Used?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
KEY TAKEAWAY
EXERCISE
8.2 Pros and Cons of Survey Research
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Strengths of Survey Method
Weaknesses of Survey Method
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
8.3 Types of Surveys
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Time
Administration
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
8.4 Designing Effective Questions and Questionnaires
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Asking Effective Questions
Response Options
Designing Questionnaires
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
8.5 Analysis of Survey Data
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
From Completed Questionnaires to Analyzable Data
Identifying Patterns
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
Chapter 9
Interviews: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches
Why Interview Research?
9.1 Interview Research: What Is It and When Should It Be Used?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISE
9.2 Qualitative Interview Techniques and Considerations
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Conducting Qualitative Interviews
Analysis of Qualitative Interview Data
Strengths and Weaknesses of Qualitative Interviews
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
9.3 Quantitative Interview Techniques and Considerations
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Conducting Quantitative Interviews
Analysis of Quantitative Interview Data
Strengths and Weaknesses of Quantitative Interviews
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
9.4 Issues to Consider for All Interview Types
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Power
Location, Location, Location
Researcher-Respondent Relationship
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
Chapter 10
Field Research: A Qualitative Technique
Why Field Research?
10.1 Field Research: What Is It and When to Use It?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
10.2 Pros and Cons of Field Research
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Strengths of Field Research
Weaknesses of Field Research
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
10.3 Getting In
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Choosing a Site
Choosing a Role
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
10.4 Field Notes
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Writing in the Field
Writing out of the Field
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISE
10.5 Analysis of Field Research Data
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
From Description to Analysis
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISE
Chapter 11
Unobtrusive Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches
Why Unobtrusive Research?
11.1 Unobtrusive Research: What Is It and When to Use It?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
11.2 Pros and Cons of Unobtrusive Research
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Strengths of Unobtrusive Research
Weaknesses of Unobtrusive Research
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
11.3 Unobtrusive Data Collected by You
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Content Analysis
Indirect Measures
Analysis of Unobtrusive Data Collected by You
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
11.4 Analyzing Others’ Data
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
11.5 Reliability in Unobtrusive Research
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISE
Chapter 12
Other Methods of Data Collection and Analysis
Why Additional Methods?
12.1 Focus Groups
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
12.2 Experiments
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
12.3 Ethnomethodology and Conversation Analysis
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISE
Chapter 13
Sharing Your Work
Research as Public Activity
13.1 Deciding What to Share and With Whom to Share It
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Sharing It All: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Knowing Your Audience
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISE
13.2 Presenting Your Research
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
13.3 Writing Up Research Results
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
13.4 Disseminating Findings
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
Chapter 14
Reading and Understanding Social Research
Sociology in Everyday Life
14.1 Reading Reports of Sociological Research
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
14.2 Being a Responsible Consumer of Research
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
KEY TAKEAWAY
EXERCISE
14.3 Media Reports of Sociological Research
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
14.4 Sociological Research: It’s Everywhere
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISE
Chapter 15
Research Methods in the Real World
Applying What You’ve Learned
15.1 Doing Research for a Living
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Evaluation Research
Market Research
Policy and Other Government Research
KEY TAKEAWAY
EXERCISE
15.2 Doing Research for a Cause
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISE
15.3 Public Sociology
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
15.4 Revisiting an Earlier Question: Why Should We Care?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Transferable Skills
Understanding Yourself, Your Circumstances, and Your World
KEY TAKEAWAYS
EXERCISES
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