[v: TOC]
Contents
About the Authors
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Science, Society, and Social Research
What Is the Problem?
Overgeneralization
Selective or Inaccurate Observation
Illogical Reasoning
Resistance to Change
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?
Evaluation: Does More Social Capital
Result in More Community Participation?
How Well Have We Done Our Research?
Are Our Answers Correct?
Measurement Validity
Generalizability
Causal Validity
Conclusion
KEY TERMS
HIGHLIGHTS
EXERCISES
Discussing Research
Finding Research
Critiquing Research
Doing Research
2. The Process and Problems of Social Research
What Is the Question?
What Is the Theory?
What Is the Strategy?
Deductive Research
Domestic Violence and the Research Circle
Inductive Research
An Inductive Study of Response to a Disaster
Descriptive Research: A Necessary Step
What Is the Design?
Cross-Sectional Designs
Longitudinal Designs
Panel Designs
Repeated Cross-Sectional Designs
Cohort Designs
Units and Levels of Analysis
But Is It Ethical?
Honesty and Openness
The Uses of Science
Research on People
Conclusion
KEY TERMS
HIGHLIGHTS
EXERCISES
Discussing Research
Finding Research
Critiquing Research
Doing Research
3. Conceptualization and Measurement
What Do We Have in Mind?
Conceptualization
Variables and Constants
How Will We Know When We?ve Found It?
Using Available Data
Constructing Questions
Single Questions
Indexes and Scales
Making Observations
Content Analysis
Collecting Unobtrusive Measures
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
Did We Measure What We Wanted To Measure?
Measurement Validity
Face Validity
Content Validity
Criterion Validity
Construct Validity
Reliability
Test-Retest Reliability
Interitem Reliability (Internal Consistency)
Alternate-Forms Reliability
Interobserver Reliability
Can We Achieve Both Reliability and Validity?
Conclusion
KEY TERMS
HIGHLIGHTS
EXERCISES
Discussing Research
Finding Research
Critiquing Research
Doing Research
4. Sampling
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?
Probability Sampling Methods
Simple Random Sampling
Systematic Random Sampling
Cluster Sampling
Stratified Random Sampling
Nonprobability Sampling Methods
Availability Sampling
Quota Sampling
Purposive Sampling
Snowball Sampling
Conclusion
KEY TERMS
HIGHLIGHTS
EXERCISES
Discussing Research
Finding Research
Critiquing Research
Doing Research
5. Causation and Experimental Design
Causal Explanation
What Causes What?
Association
Time Order
Nonspuriousness
Mechanism
Context
Why Experiment?
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 in Experiments?
Threats to Internal Causal Validity
Noncomparable Groups
Endogenous Change
History
Contamination
Treatment Misidentification
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
EXERCISES
Discussing Research
Finding Research
Critiquing Research
Doing Research
6. Survey Research
Why Is Survey Research So Popular?
How Should We Write Survey Questions?
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
What Are the Alternatives for Administering Surveys?
Mailed, Self-Administered Surveys
Group-Administered Surveys
Telephone Surveys
Reaching Sampling Units
Maximizing Response to Phone Surveys
In-Person Interviews
Maximizing Response to Interviews
Electronic Surveys
A Comparison of Survey Designs
Ethical Issues in Survey Research
Conclusion
KEY TERMS
HIGHLIGHTS
EXERCISES
Discussing Research
Finding Research
Critiquing Research
Doing Research
7. Qualitative Methods: Observing, Participating, Listening
What Makes Methods ?Qualitative??
Case Study: Beyond Caring
How Does Participant Observation Become a Research Method?
Choosing a Role
Complete Observation
Mixed Participation/Observation
Complete Participation
Entering the Field
Developing and Maintaining Relationships
Sampling People and Events
Taking Notes
Managing the Personal Dimensions
How Do You Conduct Intensive Interviews?
Establishing and Maintaining a Partnership
Asking Questions and Recording Answers
How Do You Run Focus Groups?
Analyzing Qualitative Data
The Phases of Analysis
Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research
Conclusion
KEY TERMS
HIGHLIGHTS
EXERCISES
Discussing Research
Finding Research
Critiquing Research
Doing Research
8. Qualitative Data Analysis
What Is Distinctive About Qualitative Data Analysis?
Qualitative Data Analysis as an Art
Qualitative Compared to Quantitative Data Analysis
Techniques of Qualitative Data Analysis
Documentation
Conceptualization, Coding, and Categorizing
Examining Relationships and Displaying Data
Authenticating Conclusions
Reflexivity
Alternatives in Qualitative Data Analysis
Ethnography
Ethnomethodology
Qualitative Comparative Analysis
Narrative Analysis
Conversation Analysis
Case-Oriented Understanding
Grounded Theory
Visual Sociology
Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis
Ethics in Qualitative Data Analysis
Conclusions
KEY TERMS
HIGHLIGHTS
EXERCISES
Discussing Research
Finding Research
Critiquing Research
Doing Research
9. Elementary Data Analysis
Why Do Statistics?
Case Study: The Likelihood of Voting
How to Prepare Data for Analysis
What Are the Options for Displaying
Univariate Distributions?
Graphs
Frequency Distributions
What Are the Options for Summarizing Distributions?
Measures of Central Tendency
Mode
Median
Mean
Median or Mean?
Measures of Variation
Range
Interquartile Range
Variance
Standard Deviation
How Can We Tell Whether Two Variables Are Related?
Reading the Table
Controlling for a Third Variable
Analyzing Data Ethically: How Not to Lie with Statistics
Conclusion
KEY TERMS
HIGHLIGHTS
EXERCISES
Discussing Research
Finding Research
Critiquing Research
Doing Research
10. 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
Case Study: Treating Substance Abuse
Reporting Research
Writing and Organizing
Conclusion
HIGHLIGHTS
EXERCISES
Discussing Research
Finding Research
Critiquing Research
Doing Research
Appendix A: Finding Information
Elizabeth Schneider
Russell K. Schutt
Appendix B: HyperRESEARCH?:
A Software Tool for Qualitative Data Analysis
Ann Dupuis
Appendix C: Secondary Data Sources
Appendix D: How to Use a Statistical Package
Lisa M. Gilman
Joan Saxton Weber
References
Glossary/Index