URBS 260 Midterm

Research should be value-free

Research cannot be value-free, but researcher should be open and explicitly about their values

Researchers should use their values to direct and interpret their investigations; values commitment is a good thing for researchers' to have

created inductive thinking

illustrates conditions under which a certain hypothesis holds or does not hold
Ex: studying a person for whom certain counseling techniques are successful

Using an existing model to represent something you are trying to advocate for

An in-depth study of a single case

provide in-depth descriptions of the characteristics of a particular case that cannot be achieved using other methods

illustrates unusual cases, which help in understanding the more common ones
Ex: studying the life of a person who has been married 7 times helps researchers understand more common marriage patterns

examines a case or context never studied
Ex: the study of a particular historical figure may be enhanced, when documented 'de-classified'

Said:
society can be analyzed empirically just like any other subjects of science. Social laws and theories could be established on the basis of psychology and biology

named "social sciences"

the belief that social phenomena are in a constant state of change because they are reliant on social interactions

Involve taking observations at one point in time

There are issues with internal validity- especially with establishing the direction of causation

Also issues with external validity
It helps to use a random selection method to select participants

starting with a theory and making sense of what's happening

argued that society develops its own system of phenomena that produce collectively shared norms and beliefs so called 'social fact'

knowledge gained by sensory experience- using inductive reasoning

the investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion.- theory of knowledge

have an environment that you can control and can change the variable you want to study- deals with cause and effect

turns experiment into reverse and attempts to interpret the nature of the cause of a phenomenon by the observed effects

Call for a tight pre-specification at the outset and are commonly equated with quantitative. Experimental and non experimental research methods

Evolves during data collection and associated with qualitative.

Predetermined theory that brings one to look at social interaction through a particular framework

Observation of social interaction without a specific theoretical base

shaped by the qualitative and quantitative orientations of the study

argued that there was no progress in science, only changing perspectives as the practice of science is shown to control what is permitted to count as knowledge.

He demonstrated how discourse is used to make social regulation and control appear natural.

deriving theories or explanations from qualitative data

Inductive thinking leads to advancement of scientific knowledge, but it also restricts discovery of truth

involve a rich description of a person or group and seek to explain the particular

Starting with an observation to build theories

Here one begins by gathering or examining data and then tries to derive a theory or explanation from the data

people attract people

the recognition that subjective meanings play a crucial role in social actions.
To grasp the subjective meaning of people's lives based on context

said:
scientific research cannot be separated from human influence and social norms

identifying a subset of the population that have a common characteristic
People sharing the same experience are studied at different times, but different people may be studied each time

Cases are examined at a particular time and again at a later time

specific population is studied through time
The same people, households, organizations are studied at different types

said:
defined the moral and social aspects of humanity in terms of material forces

Society is different and its wants are different depending of social structure

inevitable social progress

obedience; electrical shocks to incorrect answers; learners were paid actors.

involve attributions of cause and effect, expressed in terms of general laws and principles- typically quantitative

the belief that social phenomena and their meanings have an existence that is not dependent on social actors- they are facts that have an independent exitance

The theory of social entities and is concerned with what there exists to be investigated

can quickly summarize large data sets

Said: dedcutive thinking

Funding

research subjects- who has access?

research findings- what is 'acceptable' to find

said: scientific method

objective approach that can test theories and establish scientific law
establishes cause and effect

No control, no comparison
No way to know if it would have happened with or without stimulus

To summarize the results of previous research to form a foundation on which to build your own research
To collect ideas on how to gather data
To investigate methods of data analysis
To study instrumentation which has been used
To assess the success of the various research designs of the studies already taken

uses mainly words and other non-numeric symbols in the collection and analysis of data

Mainly inductive (generation of theory), interpretivism, constructionism

Orientation: uses an inductive approach to generate theory
Epistemology: it rejects positivism by relying on individual interpretation of social reality
Ontology: constructionist, in that social reality is seen as a constant shifting product of perception

use numbers and statistics in collection of data

Mainly deductive (testing theory), natural science method (positivism), objectivism

Internal validity is harder to establish

Natural experiments, in which naturally occurring phenomena or changes introduced by people who are not researchers result in experiment-like conditions

ex: the political parties that came at the same time in Alberta and Saskatchewan
drawback: researchers of the 2 movements had to face involved the idea that the 2 provinces may be different in important ways before the 2 movements came to power

Orientation: uses a deductive approach to test theories
Epistemology: is based on a positivist approach inherent in the natural sciences
Ontology: objectivist in that social reality is regarded as objective fact

knowledge comes from reason- from what you know you can make a rational guess

Maintains the structures do underpin social events and discourses, but as these are only indirectly observable, they must be expressed in theoretical terms and are thus likely to be provisional in nature

for all canadian research involving humans

Researchers awareness that their values and decisions have an impact on the research

Personal bias are made explicit

the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions.

A framework for the collection and analysis of data to answer research question

It is a direction, although sometimes vague

Participants must be advised of the risks and potential benefits

be careful of language

given information sheets

combo of inductive and deductive thinking

Identification of problem
Formulation of tentative solutions or hypotheses
Practical or theoretical testing of solutions or hypotheses
Elimination of adjustment of unsuccessful solutions

combined deductive and inductive thinking

Be able to find answers with your research
Clear, concise
Use literary review

a theoretical perspective in which society is viewed as composed of symbols that people use to establish meaning, develop their views of the world, and communicate with one another

Respect for persons
Concern for welfare
Justice

field experiments & lab experiments

said:
maintained that in order to describe social practices adequately we must understand what meanings the practices have for the participants themselves. This required an understanding of the values involved, but without taking sides or making value judgements (often referred to as versehen)

empathy is not necessary or sometimes possible

Is the concern with the well-being of person, groups, community affected by the research
privacy
confidentiality

An explanation of observed regularities or patterns

use qualitative, exploratory approach

associated with generation of theory rather than theory testing