SUNY College at Buffalo Department of Sociology

Soc 300W: Methods in Social Research

Study Guide 1

Dr. Zhang Jie

INTRODUCTION

First Class

§ Syllabus

§ Textbook

§ Exams

§ Term Paper

§ Classroom Environment

§ Attendance Policies

§ Grading Scale

§ Schedule

§ Class Website: http://faculty.buffalostate.edu/zhangj

Emailing Etiquette

§ Subject Line must be filled up

§ Salutation is always needed

§ Good English is required for each message

§ Signature with enough information is always appreciated

Readings

§ Handout 1

§ Handout 2

CHAPTER 1: HUMAN INQUIRY AND SCIENCE

I. Looking For Reality

A. Ordinary human inquiry

B. Tradition

C. Authority

D. Errors in inquiry and some solutions

1. Inaccurate observations

2. Overgeneralization

3. Selective observation

4. Illogical reasoning

E. What’s really real?

1. The premodern view

2. The modern view

3. The postmodern view

II. The Foundations of Social Science

A. Theory, not philosophy or belief

B. Aggregates, not individuals

C. A variable language

III. Some Dialectics of Social Research

A. Inductive and deductive theory

B. Qualitative and quantitative data

C. Pure and applied research

IV. The Ethics of Social Research

A. Voluntary participation

B. No harm to subjects

CHAPTER 2: PARADIGMS, THEORY, AND SOCIAL RESEARCH

I. Some Social Science Paradigms

A. Macrotheory and microtheory

B. Structural Functionalism

C. Conflict Theory

D. Symbolic Interactionism

E. Exchange Theory

II. Elements of Social Theory

III. Two Logical Systems

A. The traditional model of science

1. Theory

2. Operationalization

3. Observation

B. Deductive and inductive reasoning: A case illustration

IV. Deductive Theory Construction

V. Inductive Theory Construction

VI. The Links Between Theory and Research

CHAPTER 3: THE ETHICS AND POLITICS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH

I. Ethical Issues in Social Research

A. Voluntary participation

B. No harm to participants

C. Anonymity and confidentiality

D. Deception

E. Analysis and reporting

F. Institutional Review Boards

G. Professional codes of ethics

II. Two Ethical Controversies

A. Trouble in the tearoom-Laud Humphreys

B. Observing human obedience-Stanley Milgram

III. The Politics of Social Research

A. Objectivity and ideology

1. Social research and race

2. The politics of sexual research

CHAPTER 17: READING AND WRITING SOCIAL RESEARCH

I. Organizing a Review of the Literature

II. Reading Social Research

III. Using the Internet Wisely

A. Searching the web

B. Evaluating the quality of internet materials

IV. Writing Social Research

A. Some basic considerations

1. Audience

2. Form and length of report

3. Aim of the report

B. Organization of the report

1. Purpose and overview

2. Review of the literature

3. Avoiding plagiarism

4. Study design and execution

5. Analysis and interpretation

6. Summary and conclusions

C. Guidelines for reporting studies

1. Research note

2. Working paper