Principles of Sociological Inquiry: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods

Table of Contents

• Licensing Information

• Chapter 1: Introduction

  • How Do We Know What We Know?
  • Science, Social Science, and Sociology
  • Why Should We Care?
  • Design and Goals of This Text

• Chapter 2: Linking Methods With Theory

  • Micro, Meso, and Macro Approaches
  • Paradigms, Theories, and How They Shape a Researcher’s Approach
  • Inductive or Deductive? Two Different Approaches
  • Revisiting an Earlier Question

• Chapter 3: Research Ethics

  • Research on Humans
  • Specific Ethical Issues to Consider
  • Ethics at Micro, Meso, and Macro Levels
  • The Practice of Science Versus the Uses of Science

• Chapter 4: Beginning a Research Project

  • Starting Where You Already Are
  • Is It Empirical?
  • Is It Sociological?
  • Is It a Question?
  • Next Steps

• Chapter 5: Research Design

  • Goals of the Research Project
  • Qualitative or Quantitative? Some Specific Considerations
  • Triangulation
  • Components of a Research Project

• Chapter 6: Defining and Measuring Concepts

  • Measurement
  • Conceptualization
  • Operationalization
  • Measurement Quality
  • Complexities in Measurement

• Chapter 7: Sampling

  • Populations Versus Samples
  • Sampling in Qualitative Research
  • Sampling in Quantitative Research
  • A Word of Caution: Questions to Ask About Samples

• Chapter 8: Survey Research: A Quantitative Technique

  • Chapter Introduction
  • Survey Research: What Is It and When Should It Be Used?
  • Pros and Cons of Survey Research
  • Types of Surveys
  • Designing Effective Questions and Questionnaires
  • Analysis of Survey Data

• Chapter 9: Interviews: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches

  • Chapter Introduction
  • Interview Research: What Is It and When Should It Be Used?
  • Qualitative Interview Techniques and Considerations
  • Quantitative Interview Techniques and Considerations
  • Issues to Consider for All Interview Types

• Chapter 10: Field Research: A Qualitative Technique

  • Chapter Introduction
  • Field Research: What Is It and When to Use It?
  • Pros and Cons of Field Research
  • Getting In
  • Field Notes
  • Analysis of Field Research Data

• Chapter 11: Unobtrusive Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches

  • Chapter Introduction
  • Unobtrusive Research: What Is It and When to Use It?
  • Pros and Cons of Unobtrusive Research
  • Unobtrusive Data Collected by You
  • Analyzing Others’ Data
  • Reliability in Unobtrusive Research

• Chapter 12: Other Methods of Data Collection and Analysis

  • Focus Groups
  • Experiments
  • Ethnomethodology and Conversation Analysis

• Chapter 13: Sharing Your Work

  • Deciding What to Share and With Whom to Share It
  • Presenting Your Research
  • Writing Up Research Results
  • Disseminating Findings

• Chapter 14: Reading and Understanding Social Research

  • Reading Reports of Sociological Research
  • Being a Responsible Consumer of Research
  • Media Reports of Sociological Research
  • Sociological Research: It’s Everywhere

• Chapter 15: Research Methods in the Real World

  • Chapter Introduction
  • Doing Research for a Living
  • Doing Research for a Cause
  • Public Sociology
  • Revisiting an Earlier Question: Why Should We Care?