SOCI331 Research Methods for Sociology
Week 1 Forum
Foundation of Social Research
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For this forum, you are required to answer both Parts 1 and 2
Part 1
Introduce yourself to the class in 50 words or less! Also acknowledge you have read the syllabus and welcome message and that you understand the course policies, expectations and due dates.
Part 2
Discuss the difference between scientific and non scientific knowledge.
In your own words, explain the 8 components of a research paper and what they entail (bullet points)?
What is the Belmont Report and why is it important for human research efforts?
Instructions for all Forums:
Each week, learners will post one initial post per week. This post must demonstrate comprehension of the course materials, the ability to apply that knowledge in the real world. Learners will engage with the instructor and peers throughout the learning week. To motivate engaged discussion, posts are expected to be on time with regular interaction throughout the week. All posts should demonstrate college level writing skills. To promote vibrant discussion as we would in a face to face classroom, formatted citations and references are not required. Quotes should not be used at all, or used sparingly. If you quote a source quotation marks should be used and an APA formatted citation and reference provided.
SOCI331 Research Methods for Sociology
Week 2 Forum
Research Design and Measurement
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Forum Question:
This Forum includes several steps:
Develop three research questions on a topic for which you are most interest.
Access the “Types of Research Design” site.
Select the appropriate research design for your research questions.
In your own words, explain the purpose of the design, what these type of studies tell you and what they don’t tell you and.
Finally, explain why this design is appropriate for the respective research questions.
A research question is a…
clear
focused
concise
complex
arguable
Instructions for all Forums:
Each week, learners will post one initial post per week. This post must demonstrate comprehension of the course materials, the ability to apply that knowledge in the real world. Learners will engage with the instructor and peers throughout the learning week. To motivate engaged discussion, posts are expected to be on time with regular interaction throughout the week. All posts should demonstrate college level writing skills. To promote vibrant discussion as we would in a face to face classroom, formatted citations and references are not required. Quotes should not be used at all, or used sparingly. If you quote a source quotation marks should be used and an APA formatted citation and reference provided.
SOCI331 Research Methods for Sociology
Week 3 Forum
Validity, Reliability, and Sampling
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Forum Question:
The Forum includes several steps:
Identify a “different” research problem that would be best studied using a non-probability sample.
Discuss why this research problem is best studied using a non-probability sample, and what type of non-probability sample you would likely use.
Find a peer-reviewed journal article (no more than five years old) related to that research problem.
Discuss the sampling strategy/process used in the article. What details are included, and what information regarding the sampling was ignored?
Instructions for all Forums:
Each week, learners will post one initial post per week. This post must demonstrate comprehension of the course materials, the ability to apply that knowledge in the real world. Learners will engage with the instructor and peers throughout the learning week. To motivate engaged discussion, posts are expected to be on time with regular interaction throughout the week. All posts should demonstrate college level writing skills. To promote vibrant discussion as we would in a face to face classroom, formatted citations and references are not required. Quotes should not be used at all, or used sparingly. If you quote a source quotation marks should be used and an APA formatted citation and reference provided.
SOCI331 Research Methods for Sociology
Week 4 Forum
Experimental and Survey Research (Quantitative Research) and Survey Tutorial
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Forum Question:
After engaging in your own research concerning experimental research (peer-reviewed journal article no more than five years old), complete these steps:
Cite and summarize at least one example of social science research from a peer-reviewed journal (no more than five years old) that was completed using experimental methods.
Describe the type of design used in the research.
Next, complete the tutorial below.
Tutorial on survey research
Access the following tutorial site on survey research: http://www.statpac.com/surveys/
Access one of the topics covered in this site and complete the tutorial
Summarize that part of the tutorial.
What did you learn from this site?
Instructions for all Forums:
Each week, learners will post one initial post per week. This post must demonstrate comprehension of the course materials, the ability to apply that knowledge in the real world. Learners will engage with the instructor and peers throughout the learning week. To motivate engaged discussion, posts are expected to be on time with regular interaction throughout the week. All posts should demonstrate college level writing skills. To promote vibrant discussion as we would in a face to face classroom, formatted citations and references are not required. Quotes should not be used at all, or used sparingly. If you quote a source quotation marks should be used and an APA formatted citation and reference provided.
SOCI331 Research Methods for Sociology
Week 5 Forum
Qualitative Field Research and Ethics
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Forum Question: Select from one of the two sets of questions (Paradigms and the Belmont Report)
Class-
Paradigms are large systems of thought that are accepted by most people, especially within a certain time or place. So, you could say that paradigms of scientific thought (how we explain things in the physical environment) in western history have included belief in magic, belief in gods, belief in herbs/witchcraft, and belief in the scientific method. The era we are in adheres to the scientific method paradigm, as that is what we use to explain physical phenomena. Some people argue that the next paradigm we will be in will be the postmodern one. But currently most people believe in the scientific method, i.e. we believe that modern science produces valid knowledge. Note also that some writers may use the term “paradigm” for any number of subsets of thought, for example some call qualitative and quantitative research separate paradigms, and some consider different theories to be different paradigms – for example conflict, feminist, functionalist, etc. however the foremost writer on the subject of scientific paradigms, Thomas Kuhn, considers scientific paradigms to be comprised of much larger systems and eras of thought as I have described here. See Kuhn, T. S. (1962). The structure of scientific revolutions. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. for more information if interested.
Within the scientific method today, are qualitative and quantitative approaches. These are both still scientific, but they have different underlying philosophies, or epistemologies you could say.
Qualitative researchers like to use “interpretivist” approaches meaning that they don’t begin with a theory or a hypothesis. Rather, they first make observations and then look at the data to see what main hypotheses might arise. Qualitative researchers often use methods such as ethnography or nonparticipant observation. Qualitative researchers are interested in “quality” of interactions, or the meanings of interactions to the people involved.
Quantitative researchers like to use “positivist” approaches meaning that they do begin with a theory or hypothesis, and seek to prove or disprove it. They normally begin their research then with a set of questions, or with an experimental design that is aimed at answering their hypothesis. They often use methods such as surveys or experiments. Quantitative researchers are interested in “quantity” – that is, when one variable (x) increases , how much does another variable (y) increase/decrease /stay the same?
Note that the words “methods” and “methodology” both simply refer to what type of method you are
using in your research, for example a survey, an interview, focus groups, observation, etc. There are many types of qualitative and quantitative methods.
Please view this video for a clear overview of quantitative versus qualitative research.
Next, answer these questions (both sections A and B):
(A) Identify a sociological topic of interest to you.
(1) Discuss how three (3) of the specific qualitative research methods could be used to study this topic.
(2) Are some qualitative methods better suited for certain topics? Why?
(3) Which qualitative method raises the biggest ethical concerns, and why?
B) Belmont Report – Access the Belmont link in the course material
(1) Explain what led to the creation of the Belmont Report?
(2) What are some main ethical considerations in research?
Instructions for all Forums:
Each week, learners will post one initial post per week. This post must demonstrate comprehension of the course materials, the ability to apply that knowledge in the real world. Learners will engage with the instructor and peers throughout the learning week. To motivate engaged discussion, posts are expected to be on time with regular interaction throughout the week. All posts should demonstrate college level writing skills. To promote vibrant discussion as we would in a face to face classroom, formatted citations and references are not required. Quotes should not be used at all, or used sparingly. If you quote a source quotation marks should be used and an APA formatted citation and reference provided.
SOCI331 Research Methods for Sociology
Week 6 Forum
Unobstrusive Measures and Evaluation
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State, in your own words, what you think are the most important aspects of unobtrusive research.
Next, please describe one possible topic that may lend itself to an unobtrusive research approach.
Explain the type of data that you will collect for this topic.
Finally, explain the primary research question you trying to address by using an unobtrusive approach to this topic. Be specific in your response!
Instructions for all Forums:
Each week, learners will post one initial post per week. This post must demonstrate comprehension of the course materials, the ability to apply that knowledge in the real world. Learners will engage with the instructor and peers throughout the learning week. To motivate engaged discussion, posts are expected to be on time with regular interaction throughout the week. All posts should demonstrate college level writing skills. To promote vibrant discussion as we would in a face to face classroom, formatted citations and references are not required. Quotes should not be used at all, or used sparingly. If you quote a source quotation marks should be used and an APA formatted citation and reference provided.
SOCI331 Research Methods for Sociology
Week 7 Forum
Qualitative Data Analysis
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Week 7 Forum Topic 2:
Use the online library to find a peer-reviewed journal article (no more than five years old) that uses qualitative methods.
Read the article and write a brief summary of the article
Write a critical review of their qualitative analysis. For example, how were the data codified? Was there a message to finding particular themes in the data? Or, could the authors have presented a better explanation for how the data were categorized and analyzed? Explain in detail.
Instructions for all Forums:
Each week, learners will post one initial post per week. This post must demonstrate comprehension of the course materials, the ability to apply that knowledge in the real world. Learners will engage with the instructor and peers throughout the learning week. To motivate engaged discussion, posts are expected to be on time with regular interaction throughout the week. All posts should demonstrate college level writing skills. To promote vibrant discussion as we would in a face to face classroom, formatted citations and references are not required. Quotes should not be used at all, or used sparingly. If you quote a source quotation marks should be used and an APA formatted citation and reference provided.
SOCI331 Research Methods for Sociology
Week 8 Forum
Quantitative Data Analysis
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Forum Question 1:
Go to the following Census Bureau Fact Finder site: http://factfinder.census.gov
Go to “Community Facts.”
Type in your community, e.g., Jefferson City, Mo.
Click on “General Population and Housing Characteristics” for both the 2000 and 2010 census.
Create a chart that compares Age and Sex (include percentages).
Within at least one paragraph, explain what you think attributes to some of changes? Include at least one journal article no more than five years old to validate your argument.
Be sure to post your chart (example below).
Instructions for all Forums:
Each week, learners will post one initial post per week. This post must demonstrate comprehension of the course materials, the ability to apply that knowledge in the real world. Learners will engage with the instructor and peers throughout the learning week. To motivate engaged discussion, posts are expected to be on time with regular interaction throughout the week. All posts should demonstrate college level writing skills. To promote vibrant discussion as we would in a face to face classroom, formatted citations and references are not required. Quotes should not be used at all, or used sparingly. If you quote a source quotation marks should be used and an APA formatted citation and reference provided.
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