Examples of interviews in social research are
sociological studies
that are conducted to understand how religious people are. To this effect, a Church survey can be used by a pastor or priest to understand from the laity the reasons they attend Church and if it meets their spiritual needs.
Social researchers
explore almost all areas of human behavior to gain a greater understanding of individuals and societies
— and how to help them make better choices. Anything from a question about a new trend to an age-old behavior can inspire new research.
Social research is
a research conducted by social scientists following a systematic plan
. … Qualitative designs emphasize understanding of social phenomena through direct observation, communication with participants, or analysis of texts, and may stress contextual subjective accuracy over generality. Related to quality.
- Selection of Research Problem.
- Review of Related Literature.
- Formulation of Research Objectives.
- Devising Hypotheses.
- Making the Research Design – methodology.
- Sampling procedure.
- Data Collection.
- Data Analysis and Interpretation.
Social research
attempts to create or validate theories through data (facts) collection and data analysis
. Its goal is exploration, description and explanation. Idiographic social research seeks to provide all possible explanations of a particular case.
There are four main types of Social Research:
Qualitative and Quantitative Research, Primary and Secondary Research
.
Characteristics of social research
factors are recognized,
procedures are described in detail, reference are carefully documented, results are objectively recorded and conclusions are presented with scholarly caution and restraint
. It is interdisciplinary in nature • It sometimes requires courage.
These are (1)
selecting a topic
, (2) defining the problem, (3) reviewing the literature, (4) formulating a hypothesis, (5) choosing a research method, (6) collecting the data, (7) analyzing the results, and (8) sharing the results.
All social science
should respect the privacy, autonomy, diversity, values, and dignity of individuals, groups and communities
. 3. All social science should be conducted with integrity throughout, employing the most appropriate methods for the research purpose.
Social science research allows us to understand the whys and hows of human behavior. The research must follow the five steps of the scientific method which include
asking a question, forming a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, drawing a conclusion, and evaluating those conclusions
.
The major social sciences are
Anthropology, Archaeology, Economics, Geography, History, Law, Linguistics, Politics, Psychology and Sociology
.
What are the major steps in research?
- Identifying the problem.
- Reviewing literature.
- Setting research questions, objectives, and hypotheses.
- Choosing the study design.
- Deciding on the sample design.
- Collecting data.
- Processing and analyzing data.
- Writing the report.
The scientific method, as applied to social sciences, includes a variety of research approaches, tools, and techniques, for collecting and analyzing qualitative or quantitative data. These methods include
laboratory experiments, field surveys, case research, ethnographic research, action research
, and so forth.
Independently validated: good social research should be peer reviewed by researchers who are not involved in the conduct of the study, but who have the
relevant methodological competence to judge the quality and robustness of the design
, and whether the study’s conclusions are supported by the evidence collected.
Objectivity in social research is
the principle drawn from positivism that, as far as is possible, researchers should remain distanced from what they study so findings depend on the nature of what was studied rather than on the personality, beliefs and values
of the researcher (an approach not accepted by researchers …
Three paradigms have come to dominate sociological thinking, because they provide useful explanations:
structural functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism
.
