Social Research Methods

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Social Research Methods

The Research Process and the Quality of Research

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Shipman’s 4 key questions about the quality of research (Shipman (1988) The Limitations of Social Research)

1. If the investigation had been carried out again by different researchers using the same methods, would the same results have been obtained?

= RELIABILITY subject error (different results on different days) subject bias (try to please researcher) Observer error and bias

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Question 2

Does the evidence reflect the reality under investigation? Has the researcher found out what he/she thinks or claims it’s about?

= VALIDITY (internal validity)

Eg. Cook and Campbell list of threats to internal validity

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Question 3

3.What relevance do the results have beyond the situation investigated?

= GENERALISABILITY (external validity) Threats to external validity

Selection (specific to group) Setting (specific to setting) History (particular past experience) Construct effects (only this group has these

constructs)

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Question 4

4.Is there sufficient detail on the way the evidence was produced for the credibility of the research to be assessed?

= CREDIBILITY

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These associated with quantitative research (& especially experiments or quasi-experiments)

Qualitative equivalents

from Marshall, C & Rossman, G (1995) Designing Qualitative Research

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Criteria of soundness

Qualitative Quantitative

Truth value/credibility Internal validity

Applicability/ transferability External validity

Consistency/

replicability/

dependability

Reliability

Neutrality/not biased/Confirmability

Objectivity

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Stages in carrying out research

Bell, C and Newby, H (eds) (1984) Doing Sociological Research

Suggest a distinction between

Normative accounts of research - How it should be done

Descriptive accounts - how it is actually done

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Normative

Conceptualising the issues, getting a focus, developing a research question. Use literature review, search journals, use statistical abstracts

Choose a research strategy Select methods Organise the practicalities - access, sampling, instruments etc Collect data - fieldwork, transcribe, code etc. Analyse data Report

and possibly Act on findings

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Descriptive

Much more messy. Do in a different order - e.g. Collect data before

getting a research question (esp. if using emergent methods - e.g. grounded theory)

Re-do parts if they didn’t work Start again from the beginning Key = not following to the letter, but to the spirit Careful, and self-critical development

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Developing a Research Question

Research area - very broad, the set of ideas, theories, social worlds etc.

Research topic - part of the above

Classic approach (normative) says do this first In experiment, need hypothesis

But others take varying view E.g. Lincoln, Y S and Guba, E G (1985) Naturalistic Inquiry and Strauss, A & Corbin, J (1990) Basics of Qualitative

Research. The grounded theory approach.

Still no harm in trying to develop research question.

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Developing a research question 2

Need to narrow Need to know background literature

(literature search) Group decisions (keep all ‘on board’) Negotiate with sponsors Have a personal stake - not in results, but in

area. Keeps you going in bad times Be realistic about what you can achieve with

given resources.