Steps in Social Scientific Research Design

DR. CHARLES KELLY

STEPS IN SOCIAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH DESIGN

In drafting your research design proposal you should try to apply the model of social scientific research. The major steps in social scientific research includes the following:

I.Identification of a particular problem

a. Your topic should be a social problem that you are trying to explain, e.g., juvenile

delinquency. Tell the reader why this topic is important.

b. Importance is determined by the number of people affected by the problem, and the

cost of the problem to society. The cost may be measured by money, by people, or

by resources.

c. Cite statistics or expert opinion regarding the importance of the problem (you must do

a literature review in the Library).

II.Hypotheses development

a. State your hypothesis.

b Identify your independent, control and dependent variables.

c What is the origins or justification of the hypothesis (you must do a literature review

in the Library and summarize research relating your hypothesis’ variables).

III.Conceptualization

a. Define the concepts stated in the hypotheses?

b. Relate them to other definitions (Literature Review)

c. Are your concepts consistent with general usage of the terms? (Literature Review)

IV.Operationalization

a. How would you translate the concept definitions into operational indicators?

b. What empirical criteria would you employ to observe the presence, absence or

degree of your concepts (variables)?

c. What is your rationale for using these indicators/measures? (Literature Review)

d. What level of measurement (type of data) i.e., nominal, ordinal, interval or ration

are you using?

V.Methods

a. Describe the methods you will employ in your research design (Literature Review).

b. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages to the methods in general (Literature Review).

c. Discuss the population/universe that is the focus of your study, i.e., that group you

will make generalizations about.

d. Discuss how you selected your sample or the subjects for your study.

VI.Analysis and Interpretation

a. What is the level of your analysis micro or macro?

b. Present your data in tabular, graphic and chart form.

c. Discuss how you regroup your data from nominal, ordinal, interval or ratio data.

VII.Conclusion

a. Discuss three reservations you have regarding your study, i.e., your method, your

sample, your measurements etc.

b. Assuming that your study is valid, what three recommendations would you make.

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1st Assignment - Annotated Bibliography and Introduction

GUIDELINES TO EVALUATING FEEDBACK EXERCISES

Each assignment should be evaluated on the basis of 100 points. Below are the criteria and suggested weights for evaluating the different assignments.

Annotated bibliography. Students are required to do an annotated bibliography using the appropriate bibliographical style for their discipline (see example provided).

Evaluators are to evaluate the annotated bibliography as follows:

Quantity of Sources - 5 - to 8 sources50%

Variety of Sources - Periodicals, Journals, Books

And Reports20%

Description of Annotation - 3 or 4 lines20%

Consistency and Completeness of Citations10%

Introduction. Students should write a page and one half (1/1/2 p.) for the introduction. In this introduction student should state and justify why their topic is significant. Evaluators are to evaluate the introduction:

Sources3 sources supporting statistically or qualitatively 50%

why topic is important

Writing Stylestudents should write in paragraph form, clear 30%

well-organized sentences. Avoid listing,

one sentence paragraphs, telegraphing and redundancies.

End Notesstudents should have end notes properly 20%

citing sources they used in their introduction.

[End Notes should be different from annotated

bibliography].

Feedback Assignment 2

GUIDELINES TO EVALUATING FEEDBACK EXERCISE II

Each part of your assignment should be evaluated on the basis of 100 points. Below are the criteria and suggested weights for evaluating the different assignments.

Hypothesis Development and Conceptualization. Student should write 2 - 3 pages for this section. In this section students should state what their hypothesis is. What are the independent, dependent variables and what might be a control variable. Students should review the literature for any studies that may discuss these variables and briefly summarize them. For conceptualization students should define all variables, independent, dependent and control variables; they should review the literature and cite source for definitions.

Hypothesis Development

1 - 1 1/2 written in clear English30%

Identifying independent, dependent and control variables and

stating the relationship in clear English.30%

Summarizing the Literature regarding your hypothesis and

citing at least 3 studies.40%

Conceptualization

1 - 1 1/2 pages30%

Defining concepts clearly30%

Reviewing Literature and citing at least 3 sources to support

your definitions of terms. Once source for each variable.40%

Feedback Assignment 3

GUIDELINES TO EVALUATING FEEDBACK EXERCISE ( 2 - 3 PAGES)

Operationalization/Methods Students should have at least one quantitative measure for each concept (i.e., your dependent variable, independent variable and control variable).

Attitudinal variables should be measured by scaled responses to questions. Attitudinal variables should have at least one question for each variable with a quantitative scale organizing anticipated responses. Behavioral variables should have measures or scales that are quantitative and indicate multiple variation points. Specify your level of measurement, i.e., nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio. Students should identify the method they will employ and describe the subjects they will study. Your discussion of method should cite sources regarding the appropriateness of the method, its strengths and limitation. Specify the level of analysis that data will be collected (macro or micro level) and sampling techniques, you will employ (random: systematic or pure, quota or strata sampling). Cite literature for method description as well as measures for variables.

Measures For Each Variable40 points

Description of Methods30 points

Literature Review (4 sources)20 points

Description of Subject and Sampling

Technique10 points

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Feedback Assignment 4

EVALUATION GUIDELINES FOR ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION AND THE CONCLUSION

2 - 3 PAGES

Analysis

1) a univariate analysis for each variable (the independent, dependent and control variables) (this does not apply to those using the experimental method). You should have at least three illustrations for you univarite analysis, a chart, a table and a graph and a discussion of each. 30 points

2) bivariate analysis - correlate your independent and dependent variables and discuss the relationship. Illustrate with a table. 20 points

3) a multi variate analysis illustrate the relationship between your independent and dependent variables after you introduce your control variable. You should have an illustration or each variation point of your control variable. Discuss the relationship after you introduce your control variables.

You should identify your level of measurement i.e., nominal, ordinal, interval or ratio for each variable. You might want to do this in your final research design in your operationalization section. For this assignment make sure you do it here. 50 points

100 points

Conclusions - Identify at least three limitations to your study. Revieweach section and discuss some of the problems your study confronts, e.g., internal and external validity, reliability or any other reservation, sampling problems, the use of secondary data, etc. Explain them away.

50 points

Assuming that your study findings are valid, suggest three recommendations that logically follows from your study; i.e., now that we have evidence supporting this conclusion - society should etc.

50 points

100 points

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FINAL RESEARCH DESIGN

Should reduce number of subheadings and integrate the narrative as much as possible, e.g., subheadings could be:

Introduction

Hypothesis and Conceptualization

Method and measurements

Data Analysis and Conclusions

All feedback assignments and quizzes need to be attached to final research design. Final research design is the revised integrated feedback assignments.

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HYPOTHESES

Identify the key concepts of the following hypotheses. Also, identify the implied independent and dependent variables. Establish temporal order of the concepts/variables, if any and explain. If there is no temporal order, restate the hypotheses by reversing the relationship of the concepts of the independent and dependent variables.

1. Intelligence is positively related to wealth.

2. The smarter you are the richer you’ll become.

3. Age is related to ideology.

4. The older you are, the more conservative you become.

5. Gender is related to career advancement.

6. Men are promoted faster than women.

7. The rate of murder influences whether a state has capital punishment.

8. The higher the rate of murder, the more likely a state will have capital punishment.

9. The more concrete and clear the task, the more centralized decision-making.

10. The greater the alcohol consumption in the state, the higher the highway fatalities.

11. Political party identification is associated with religion.

12. Catholics tend to be Democrats, and Protestants tend to be Republicans.

13. The more educated you are the more likely you’ll vote.

14. Men vote more than women.

15. The greater the prestige of the agency, the higher the morale of the workforce.

16. The more confidence people have, the greater their level of achievement.

17. The greater the class confusion the longer Dr. Kelly’s explanation.

18. The longer Dr. Kelly’s explanation, the greater the class confusion.

19. Gun registration laws influence the rate of armed robberies.

20. The higher the rate of armed robberies, the more restrictive gun registration laws become.

21. Women are more tolerant to pain than men. (more, continued)

22. The greater the class hostility, the more sarcastic Dr. Kelly becomes.

23. African Americans are more likely to vote for Democrats than Republicans.

24. The wealthier you are, the more conservative you’ll become.

METHODS / METHOD
MAJOR
CHARACTERISTICS / EXTERNAL
VALIDITY
GENERALIZING
FROM SAMPLE
POPULATION / INTERNAL
VALIDITY
ACCURACY OF
FINDINGS FOR
SAMPLE / RELIABILITY
PRODUCING THE
SAME RESULT
REGARDLESS OF
TIME AND DATA
COLLECTION / EFFECTIVENESS
COST OF COLLECTING DATA PER UNIT OF ANALYSIS
SURVEYS
A. PERSONAL
INTERVIEW / USE OF QUESTIONNAIRE
OPEN-ENDED
RESPONSE ORGANIZED AFTER COLLECTING
RESPONSES / MODERATE/LOW / MODERATE / LOW PRONE TO
SUBJECTIVE
FACTORS HUMAN
DYNAMICS / LOW EFFECTIVENESS
HIGH COST PROF’L
INTERVIEWER
$300 - $500 PER DAY
4 INTERVIEWS
PER HOUR
B. PHONE SURVEY / PRIMARILY OPEN-
ENDED QUESTIONS
NEED TO ORGANIZE
RESPONSES AFTER
COLLECTING
DATA / HIGH IF SAMPLE
IS DRAWN
CAREFULLY
ALLOWS FOR RANDOM
SAMPLING / HIGH ANONYMITY
CONFIDENTIALITY
VOLUNTEERISM
REDUCES RESPONSE BIAS / MODERATE TO
HIGH INTERVIEWER MAY ALLOW FOR
SUBJECTIVE BIAS / MODERATE SKILLED
INTERVIEWER $8 - $12 PER HOUR
3 INTERVIEWS PER HOUR
C. MAIL/MASS
SURVEY / CLOSED ENDED
RESPONSES ARE
PRE-ORGANIZED / LOW POOR
RESPONSE RATE
OVER REPRESENTATION
OF EXTREME
POINTS OF VIEW / MODERATE TO
HIGH/RESPONSES
ARE GENERALLY
TRUTHFUL FOR
RESPONDENTS / HIGH/STANDARD
QUESTIONS / HIGHEST AMONG
SURVEY METHODS
$1.50 PER SURVEY
POSTAGE/PRINTING
EXPERIMENT / EXPERIMENTAL
GROUP AND CONTROL OF COMPARISON PRE AND POST STUDY USUALLY HAS LAB SETTING / LOW HARD TO GET REPRESENTATIVE
GROUP INTO LABORATORY SAMPLE SIZE GENERALLY SMALL / HIGH LAB LIKE CONTROLS HELP TO ISOLATE IMPACT OF STIMULI / HIGH EXPLICIT
METHODOLOGY
CONSISTENTLY APPLIED / LOW VERY
EXPENSIVE TO GET SUBJECTS TO PARTICIPATE
QUASI
EXPERIMENTS / EXP. GROUP/
CONTROL GROUP
POST STUDY
FIELD STUDY
NO PRE-TEST / MODERATE TO HIGH LARGER DATA BASE ALLOWS FOR BETTER GENERALIZATION / LOW LACK OF CONTROLS MAY RESULT IN IN-
ACCURACIES IN MEASURING SUBJECTS / LOW LACK OF CONTROLS ALLOWS FOR SUBJECTIVE BIASES IN DATA COLLECTION / HIGH LITTLE COST
IN COLLECTING DATA
AGGREGATE DATA
ANALYSIS / SECONDARY DATA
ANALYSIS OF
GROUP DATA / HIGH COLLECTED
DATA ARE
SUFFICIENTLY
LARGE TO
GENERALIZE FROM / MODERATE RELIES
ON REPORTED DATA NOT
UNREPORTED DATA. E.G., CRIME,
UNEMPLOYMENT / HIGH STANDARD
WAY OF COLLECTING DATA / HIGH GOVT. OR SOMEONE ELSE HAS COLLECTED THE DATA FOR THE RESEARCHER
LOW COST
CONTENT ANALYSIS / QUANTITATIVE
ANALYSIS OF
MEDIA CONTENT- RELYS ON
FREQUENCY / HIGH COLLECTED
DATA ARE
SUFFICIENTLY LARGE TO
GENERALIZE FROM / MODERATE SUBJECTIVE ERROR
MAY OCCUR WITH CODING / MODERATE HUMAN ERROR CAN OCCUR WITH INTERPRETATION MORE TRAINING LESS ERROR / HIGH REQUIRES TIME BUT NOT A LOT OF MONEY TO GET DATA
FOCUS GROUPS / EXPERIMENTAL
GROUP W/OUT CONTROLS SELECTED ON THE QUOTO BIAS / LOW IT’S HARD TO CAPTURE DEMOGRAPHICS WITH SMALL NUMBERS / LOW SUBJECTS CAN BE EASILY INFLUENCED BY OTHERS, STIMULI / LOW METHODS
VARY AND THERE IS GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR SUBJECTIVE FACTORS / HIGH COST MODERATE EFFECTIVENESS MAY NEED INCENTIVES TO GET SUBJECTS TO PARTICIPATE

SOCIAL SCIENTIFIC TERMS

nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio

primary/secondary data

sample vs. Population

internal/external validity

random sampling

random vs. quota sample

response bias

normal distribution

mail survey vs. telephone survey vs. personal interview

experimental versus quasi-experimental method

content analysis

focus group

survey method

secondary analysis (aggregated data analysis)

participatory observation

univariate, bivariate, multivariate

typology

description/prescription/prediction/prophecy

inductive/deductive

SOR

behaviorism/behavioralism

a priori assumption

nature vs. nurture

characteristics of behavioralism

empiricism

rationalism

fideism

quantification

verification

spuriousness

macro/micro level of analysis

proposition/hypothesis

law of large numbers

conditions of causality

an annotated bibliography

conceptualization

operationalization

reliability

range, mode, medium, and mean

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