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Lecture week 1.............................................................................................................................................. 3
Lecture week 2: Survey research.................................................................................................................... 4
Seminar week 2: Survey research................................................................................................................... 6
Lecture week 3: Experimental research.......................................................................................................... 6
Seminar week 3: Experimental research......................................................................................................... 6
Lecture week 4: Conversation analysis........................................................................................................... 6
Seminar week 4 Conversation analysis........................................................................................................... 7
Lecture week 5 Ethnography.......................................................................................................................... 7
Seminar week 5 Ethnography......................................................................................................................... 8
1a What is research....................................................................................................................................... 8
The ‘what’ of research..........................................................................................................................................8
Definitions of research.........................................................................................................................................8
Characteristics of research...................................................................................................................................9
Quality in research...............................................................................................................................................9
Who are social researchers?..............................................................................................................................10
In short...............................................................................................................................................................10
1b Knowledge, theories, paradigms, and perspectives..................................................................................11
What is the nature of the subject matter of social research – what is the ‘social world’?................................11
As part of the social world ourselves, what do we and what can we ‘know’ about it?.....................................11
Five ways of knowing.....................................................................................................................................11
Knowledge and truth.....................................................................................................................................11
Situated knowledge.......................................................................................................................................11
What is there in the social world to study, to find out about? And why do people see thngs differently?.......12
What ways are there of looking at the social world that can help us to think about what we want to study
and how we can do it?.......................................................................................................................................12
What are we trying to do when we do social research?....................................................................................13
How do theories help us in our social research?................................................................................................13
Paradigms......................................................................................................................................................14
Using theory in social research......................................................................................................................14
1c Choosing methods................................................................................................................................... 15
Choosing methods..............................................................................................................................................17
2.1a Survey research.................................................................................................................................... 18
Major components of survey research and sources of error.............................................................................18
Major survey research designs...........................................................................................................................18
1
, Modes of data collection....................................................................................................................................18
Questionnaires...............................................................................................................................................18
Face-to-face interviews.................................................................................................................................19
Telephone interviews....................................................................................................................................19
Asking sensitive questions..................................................................................................................................19
2.1b Best practices in survey research.......................................................................................................... 19
3.1Experiments............................................................................................................................................ 21
2
, Lecture week 1
Ways of knowing
- Belief
- Authoritative knowledge
- Experiential knowning
- Theoretical knowing
- Empirical knowledge
Evidence = grounded in demonstrable facts
Opinions = subjective expressions of individual perspectives
Argument = a set of statements or reasons presented in support of a
position
Ontological views (ontology = the study of existence)
- Objectivism
- Constructivism
- Realism
Epistemological approaches (epistemology = the theory of knowledge)
- Positivism
- Interpretivism
- Realism
Descriptive research = aims to describe a population, situation or
phenomenon accurately and systematically. (Who are the…)
Exploratory research = research conducted to investigate a problem that
is not clearly defined, has been under investigated, or is otherwise poorly
understood. (What is like to…)
Explanatory research = research method that explores why something
occurs when limited information is available. (Why do…)
Evaluation research = a systematic analysis that evaluates whether a
program or strategy is worth the effort, time, money, and resources spent
to achieve a goal. (What changes in…)
How to interpret reality?
- Theory = a set of ideas or related concepts which can be used to
explain and understand an event, situation, social phenomena
Scientific methods
- Deductive (or top-down) approach = a logical approach where you
progress from general ideas to specific conclusions.
- Inductive (or bottom-up) approach = begins with a researcher
collecting data that is relevant to the research study.
Typically quantitative-oriented methods:
- Survey research
- Experimental research
Typically qualitative-oriented methods:
- Conversation analysis
- Ethnography
3
Lecture week 1.............................................................................................................................................. 3
Lecture week 2: Survey research.................................................................................................................... 4
Seminar week 2: Survey research................................................................................................................... 6
Lecture week 3: Experimental research.......................................................................................................... 6
Seminar week 3: Experimental research......................................................................................................... 6
Lecture week 4: Conversation analysis........................................................................................................... 6
Seminar week 4 Conversation analysis........................................................................................................... 7
Lecture week 5 Ethnography.......................................................................................................................... 7
Seminar week 5 Ethnography......................................................................................................................... 8
1a What is research....................................................................................................................................... 8
The ‘what’ of research..........................................................................................................................................8
Definitions of research.........................................................................................................................................8
Characteristics of research...................................................................................................................................9
Quality in research...............................................................................................................................................9
Who are social researchers?..............................................................................................................................10
In short...............................................................................................................................................................10
1b Knowledge, theories, paradigms, and perspectives..................................................................................11
What is the nature of the subject matter of social research – what is the ‘social world’?................................11
As part of the social world ourselves, what do we and what can we ‘know’ about it?.....................................11
Five ways of knowing.....................................................................................................................................11
Knowledge and truth.....................................................................................................................................11
Situated knowledge.......................................................................................................................................11
What is there in the social world to study, to find out about? And why do people see thngs differently?.......12
What ways are there of looking at the social world that can help us to think about what we want to study
and how we can do it?.......................................................................................................................................12
What are we trying to do when we do social research?....................................................................................13
How do theories help us in our social research?................................................................................................13
Paradigms......................................................................................................................................................14
Using theory in social research......................................................................................................................14
1c Choosing methods................................................................................................................................... 15
Choosing methods..............................................................................................................................................17
2.1a Survey research.................................................................................................................................... 18
Major components of survey research and sources of error.............................................................................18
Major survey research designs...........................................................................................................................18
1
, Modes of data collection....................................................................................................................................18
Questionnaires...............................................................................................................................................18
Face-to-face interviews.................................................................................................................................19
Telephone interviews....................................................................................................................................19
Asking sensitive questions..................................................................................................................................19
2.1b Best practices in survey research.......................................................................................................... 19
3.1Experiments............................................................................................................................................ 21
2
, Lecture week 1
Ways of knowing
- Belief
- Authoritative knowledge
- Experiential knowning
- Theoretical knowing
- Empirical knowledge
Evidence = grounded in demonstrable facts
Opinions = subjective expressions of individual perspectives
Argument = a set of statements or reasons presented in support of a
position
Ontological views (ontology = the study of existence)
- Objectivism
- Constructivism
- Realism
Epistemological approaches (epistemology = the theory of knowledge)
- Positivism
- Interpretivism
- Realism
Descriptive research = aims to describe a population, situation or
phenomenon accurately and systematically. (Who are the…)
Exploratory research = research conducted to investigate a problem that
is not clearly defined, has been under investigated, or is otherwise poorly
understood. (What is like to…)
Explanatory research = research method that explores why something
occurs when limited information is available. (Why do…)
Evaluation research = a systematic analysis that evaluates whether a
program or strategy is worth the effort, time, money, and resources spent
to achieve a goal. (What changes in…)
How to interpret reality?
- Theory = a set of ideas or related concepts which can be used to
explain and understand an event, situation, social phenomena
Scientific methods
- Deductive (or top-down) approach = a logical approach where you
progress from general ideas to specific conclusions.
- Inductive (or bottom-up) approach = begins with a researcher
collecting data that is relevant to the research study.
Typically quantitative-oriented methods:
- Survey research
- Experimental research
Typically qualitative-oriented methods:
- Conversation analysis
- Ethnography
3
