Studying humans can be problematic. Unlike amoeba on a petri dish or a leaf growing on a tree, people often change their behavior when they realize they are being studied. Sociologists have developed a scientific method with particular steps to study people as accurately as possible. The steps of the scientific method are as follows:
Step 1: Define the Question or Problem
Step 2: Review the Literature
Step 3: Develop Hypotheses
Step 4: Choose a Research Design and Methods
Step 5: Collect the Data
Step 6: Analyze the Data
Step 7: Develop Conclusions
Step 8: Report Results and Pose New Questions
While all these steps are important, Step 4 is the one people gravitate to when they talk about “doing sociology.” Broadly speaking, research design involves data collection using interviews, fieldwork, observation, photos, texts, and other subjective measures. Let’s consider some of the key points that fall under the heading of research design.
Fundamental to creating an effective research design is determining whether your study will be based on quantitative research design, data collection using systematic and numerical measures to generalize across groups of people, or qualitative research design, data collection using interviews, fieldwork, observation, photos, texts, and other subjective measures. Using the COVID-19 pandemic as an example, a researcher using the quantitative approach might be interested in the number of people exposed to, infected with, or killed by the virus. They might look at COVID victims in terms of their age, race, sex, religion, political affiliation, and socioeconomic status, i.e., social position based on education, occupation, income, and place of residence. In other words, these researchers take a big picture or macro sociology approach, a level of analysis focusing on social systems and populations on a large scale. The methods used by researchers in this category can include, but are not limited to, surveys, a series of questions used to extract specific information from respondents, and secondary analysis, the use of data previously collected for other purposes.
In contrast, the qualitative research design is more in line with micro sociology, a level of analysis focusing on individuals and small groups within the larger social system. Researchers using this approach would be interested in telling the stories of COVID-19 victims, survivors, and their families from a more personal perspective. The research techniques might involve a focus group, a small group interview or guided discussion using a moderator to gain insight into the participants’ opinions on specific topics, and/or in-depth interviews, a one-on-one, open-ended method that probes for deeper meaning and understanding of the responses of the interviewee.
The methods used by sociologists often vary based on the needs of the researchers and the population studied. A researcher is not required to stick with only one method and, in fact, may use several different methods to investigate their topic. For example, someone studying the topic of homelessness may use snowball sampling, a process in which people in the group being studied introduce the researcher to other people to study, along with in-depth interviews and secondary analysis to conduct their research. Sociology offers those interested in doing research a range of tools to help better understand their community, society, and the larger world.
Thompson is a co-owner of UITAC Publishing. UITAC’s mission is to provide high-quality, affordable, and socially responsible online course materials.
Images used in this blog:
- Photo Photo by Edward Jenner from pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-using-a-pipette-4031442/. This image has not been altered.
- Photo by Markus Spiske from pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/coronavirus-statistics-on-screen-3970330/. This image has not been altered.
