Making Sense of the Social World: Methods of Investigation, Sixth Edition
By Daniel F. Chambliss and Russell K. Schutt
Detailed Contents
About The Authors
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. Science, Society, and Social Research
Learning About the Social World
Overgeneralization
Selective or Inaccurate Observation
Illogical Reasoning
Resistance to Change
Research That Matters
Can Social Scientists See the Social World More Clearly?
Social Research in Practice
Description: How Often Do Americans “Neighbor”?
Exploration: How Do Athletic Teams Build Player Loyalty?
Explanation: Does Social Context Influence Adolescent Outcomes?
Research in the News | Social Media and Political Polarization?
Evaluation: Does More Social Capital Result in More Community Participation?
How Well Have We Done Our Research?
Careers and Research: Jessica LeBlanc, Research Assistant
Measurement Validity
Generalizability
Causal Validity
Conclusion
Key Terms
Highlights
Student Study Site
Exercises
Chapter 2. The Process and Problems of Social Research
What Is the Question?
What Is the Theory?
What Is the Strategy?
Deductive Research
Research in the News | Control and Fear: What Mass Killings and Domestic Violence Have in
Common
Domestic Violence and the Research Circle
Inductive Research
Research That Matters
An Inductive Study of Response to a Disaster
Descriptive Research: A Necessary Step
What Is the Design?
Cross-Sectional Designs
Longitudinal Designs
Trend Designs
Panel Designs
Cohort Designs
Units and Levels of Analysis
Careers and Research: Kristin M. Curtis, Senior Research Program Coordinator
Conclusion
Key Terms
Highlights
Student Study Site
Exercises
Chapter 3. Ethics in Research
Historical Background
Ethical Principles
Protecting Research Subjects
Avoid Harming Research Participants
Obtain Informed Consent
Avoid Deception in Research, Except in Limited Circumstances
Maintain Privacy and Confidentiality
Research That Matters
Maintaining Honesty and Openness
Achieving Valid Results
Research in the News | Some Social Scientists Are Tired of Asking for Permission
Encouraging Appropriate Application
Careers and Research: Manan Nayak, Senior Project Director
Conclusion
Key Terms
Highlights
Student Study Site
Exercises
Chapter 4. Conceptualization and Measurement
What Do We Have in Mind?
Conceptualization
Research That Matters
Variables and Constants
Research in the News | Are Teenagers Replacing Drugs With Smartphones?
How Will We Know When We’ve Found It?
Using Available Data
Content Analysis
Constructing Questions
Single Questions
Indexes and Scales
Making Observations
Combining Measurement Operations
How Much Information Do We Really Have?
Nominal Level of Measurement
Ordinal Level of Measurement
Interval Level of Measurement
Ratio Level of Measurement
Comparison of Levels of Measurement
Careers and Research: Dana Hunt, PhD, Principal Scientist
Did We Measure What We Wanted to Measure?
Measurement Validity
Face Validity
Criterion Validity
Construct Validity
Reliability
Can We Achieve Both Reliability and Validity?
Conclusion
Key Terms
Highlights
Student Study Site
Exercises
Chapter 5. Sampling and Generalizability
How Do We Prepare to Sample?
Define Sample Components and the Population
Evaluate Generalizability
Assess the Diversity of the Population
Consider a Census
What Sampling Method Should We Use?
Research That Matters
Probability Sampling Methods
Simple Random Sampling
Research in the News | What Are Best Practices for Sampling Vulnerable Populations?
Cluster Sampling
Stratified Random Sampling
Nonprobability Sampling Methods
Availability Sampling
Careers and Research: Ross Koppel, PhD, Sociologist
Quota Sampling
Purposive Sampling
Snowball Sampling
Conclusion
Key Terms
Highlights
Student Study Site
Exercises
Chapter 6. Causation and Experimental Design
Causal Explanation
What Causes What?
Research in the News | Police and Black Drivers
Association
Research That Matters
Time Order
Nonspuriousness
Mechanism
Context
Why Experiment?
Careers and Research: Sruthi Chandrasekaran, Senior Research Associate
What If a True Experiment Isn’t Possible?
Nonequivalent Control Group Designs
Before-and-After Designs
Ex Post Facto Control Group Designs
What Are the Threats to Validity?
Threats to Internal (Causal) Validity
Noncomparable Groups
Endogenous Change
History
Contamination
Treatment Misidentification
Threats to Generalizability
Sample Generalizability
Cross-Population Generalizability
Interaction of Testing and Treatment
How Do Experimenters Protect Their Subjects?
Deception
Selective Distribution of Benefits
Conclusion
Key Terms
Highlights
Student Study Site
Exercises
Chapter 7. Survey Research
Why Is Survey Research So Popular?
How Should We Write Survey Questions?
Research in the News | Social Interaction Critical for Mental and Physical Health
Be Clear; Avoid Confusing Phrasing
Minimize Bias
Allow for Disagreement
Don’t Ask Questions They Can’t Answer
Allow for Uncertainty
Make Response Categories Exhaustive and Mutually Exclusive
How Should Questionnaires Be Designed?
Build on Existing Instruments
Refine and Test Questions
Maintain Consistent Focus
Order the Questions
Make the Questionnaire Attractive
Careers and Research: Grant A. Bacon, Research Associate
What Are the Alternatives for Administering Surveys?
Mailed, Self-Administered Surveys
Group-Administered Surveys
Telephone Surveys
Reaching Sampling Units
In-Person Interviews
Maximizing Response to Interviews
Research That Matters
Electronic Surveys
A Comparison of Survey Designs
Ethical Issues in Survey Research
Conclusion
Key Terms
Highlights
Student Study Site
Exercises
Chapter 8. Elementary Quantitative Data Analysis
Why Do Statistics?
Case Study: The Likelihood of Voting
How to Prepare Data for Analysis
What Are the Options for Displaying Distributions?
Graphs
Frequency Distributions
What Are the Options for Summarizing Distributions?
Measures of Central Tendency
Research in the News | Why Key State Polls Were Wrong About Trump
Mode
Median
Mean
Median or Mean?
Measures of Variation
Research That Matters
Range
Interquartile Range
Variance
Standard Deviation
How Can We Tell Whether Two Variables Are Related?
Reading the Table
Controlling for a Third Variable
Secondary Data Analysis
Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research
U.S. Census Bureau
Careers and Research: Claire Wulf Winiarek, MA, Director of Collaborative Policy Engagement
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Human Relations Area Files
Big Data
Big Data, Big Ethics Issues
Conclusion
Key Terms
Highlights
Student Study Site
Exercises
Chapter 9. Qualitative Methods: Observing, Participating, Listening
What Are Qualitative Methods?
Case Study: Beyond Caring
Ethnography
Careers and Research: Dzenan Berberovic, Director of Development
Netnography
Research in the News | Family Life Wrecked After Hurricane Harvey in Houston, 2017
How Does Participant Observation Become a Research Method?
Choosing a Role
Complete Observation
Mixed Participation or Observation
Complete Participation
Entering the Field
Developing and Maintaining Relationships
Sampling People and Events
Research That Matters
Taking Notes
Analyzing Field Notes
Managing the Personal Dimensions
Systematic Observation
How Do You Conduct Intensive Interviews?
Establishing and Maintaining a Partnership
Asking Questions and Recording Answers
Interviewing Online
How Do You Run Focus Groups?
Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research
Conclusion
Key Terms
Highlights
Student Study Site
Exercises
Chapter 10. Qualitative Data Analysis
What Is Distinctive About Qualitative Data Analysis?
Qualitative Data Analysis as an Art
Qualitative Compared With Quantitative Data Analysis
What Techniques Do Qualitative Data Analysts Use?
Documentation
Conceptualization, Coding, and Categorizing
Examining Relationships and Displaying Data
Authenticating Conclusions
Research That Matters
Reflexivity
What Are Some Alternatives in Qualitative Data Analysis?
Grounded Theory
Narrative Analysis
Conversation Analysis
Careers and Research: Laurel Person Mecca, MA, Assistant Director and Senior Research
Specialist, Qualitative Data Analysis Program
Visual Sociology
Why Are Mixed Methods Helpful?
Research in the News | How to Understand Solitary Confinement
How Can Computers Assist Qualitative Data Analysis?
What Ethical Issues Arise in Doing Qualitative Data Analysis?
Conclusion
Key Terms
Highlights
Student Study Site
Exercises
Chapter 11. Unobtrusive Measures
Creative Sources
Physical Traces
Archives
Observation
Contrived Observation
Content Analysis
Identify a Population of Documents or Other Textual Sources
Determine the Units of Analysis
Design Coding Procedures for the Variables to Be Measured
Select a Sample of Units From the Population
Code Documents and Apply Appropriate Statistical Analyses
Historical Methods
Event-Structure Analysis
Oral History
Comparative Methods
Cross-Sectional Comparative Research
Careers and Research: Kurt Taylor Gaubatz, PhD, Independent Scholar
Research in the News | Britain Cracking Down on Gender Stereotypes in Ads
Longitudinal Comparative Research
Research That Matters
Cautions for Comparative Analysis
Ethical Issues in Unobtrusive Methods
Conclusion
Key Terms
Highlights
Student Study Site
Exercises
Chapter 12. Evaluation Research
What Is the History of Evaluation Research?
What Is Evaluation Research?
Careers and Research: Mary Anne Casey, PhD, Consultant
What Are the Alternatives in Evaluation Designs?
Black Box or Program Theory
Researcher or Stakeholder Orientation
Quantitative or Qualitative Methods
Simple or Complex Outcomes
What Can an Evaluation Study Focus On?
Needs Assessment
Research in the News | No-Cost Talk Therapy?
Evaluability Assessment
Process Evaluation
Research That Matters
Impact Analysis
Efficiency Analysis
Ethical Issues in Evaluation Research
Conclusion
Key Terms
Highlights
Student Study Site
Exercises
Chapter 13. Reviewing, Proposing, and Reporting Research
Comparing Research Designs
Reviewing Research
Case Study: “Night as Frontier”
The Research Design
Analysis of the Design
An Overall Assessment
Case Study: When Does Arrest Matter?
Summarize Prior Research
Critique Prior Research
Present Pertinent Conclusions
Proposing New Research
Research That Matters
Case Study: Community Health Workers and Cancer Clinical Trials
Reporting Research
Careers and Research: Ruth Westby, MPH, Research Associate, IFC International
Research in the News | Do Preschool Teachers Need to Be College Graduates?
Writing and Organizing
Plagiarism
Conclusion
Key Terms
Highlights
Student Study Site
Exercises
Glossary
Appendix A: Finding Information
References
Index