Scribd
Upload
135 views21 pages

01.3 The Research Process

The document outlines the key steps in the social science research process according to the functionalist paradigm. It describes 5 steps: 1) exploration of research topics and questions through literature review and identifying relevant theories, 2) research design including selecting a method and operationalizing constructs, 3) a research proposal detailing the plan, 4) execution through data collection and analysis, and 5) reporting of findings. The goal is to systematically study social phenomena using objective quantitative or qualitative techniques.

Uploaded by

Samaki Alsat
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
135 views21 pages

01.3 The Research Process

The document outlines the key steps in the social science research process according to the functionalist paradigm. It describes 5 steps: 1) exploration of research topics and questions through literature review and identifying relevant theories, 2) research design including selecting a method and operationalizing constructs, 3) a research proposal detailing the plan, 4) execution through data collection and analysis, and 5) reporting of findings. The goal is to systematically study social phenomena using objective quantitative or qualitative techniques.

Uploaded by

Samaki Alsat
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 21

Social Science Research Methods

1. Introduction to Research
1.3 The Research Process
Key Topics
1. Overview of the Research Process

2. Exploration

3. Research Design

4. Research Proposal

5. Research Execution and Reporting


Functionalism

• Majority of social science research has


followed the functionalist paradigm
• Functionalists believe that social order or
patterns can be understood in terms of their
functional components
• A problem can be broken down into
components and studied with objective
techniques like surveys and experiments
1. Overview of the Research Process

• A series of activities must be performed in


functionalist research, categorized into three
phases:
1. Exploration
2. Research design
3. Research execution
1. Overview of the Research Process
2. Exploration

• Exploration includes:
1. exploring and selecting research questions
for further investigation
2. examining the published literature to
understand the current state of knowledge
3. identifying theories that may help answer the
research questions
2. Exploration

• Research questions are specific questions


about a behavior, event, or phenomena
• Research questions can delve into issues of
what, why, how, when, and so forth.
• More interesting research questions are
those that appeal to a broader population,
address real and complex problems, and
where the answers are not obvious.
2. Exploration

• More interesting: “How can firms innovate”


• Less interesting: “How can Kosovo firms
innovate in the service-sector”
• More interesting: “How can the
unemployment rate be reduced”
• Less interesting: “How can the female
unemployment rate for agricultural workers
in Gjakova be reduced”
2. Exploration

• The purpose of a literature review


1. to survey the current state of knowledge in
the area of inquiry
2. to identify key authors, articles, theories,
and findings in that area
3. To identify gaps in knowledge in that
research area
2. Exploration

• Identify one or more theories that can help


address the desired research questions
• A theory will help identify which constructs
(identified by the literature review) are
logically relevant to the target phenomenon
• Theories can be used as the basis for
postulating hypotheses for empirical testing
3. Research Design

• The research design process is concerned


with creating a blueprint of the activities
required to answer the research questions
1. Selecting a research method
2. Operationalize constructs
3. Plan a sampling strategy
3. Research Design

• Operationalization is the process of


designing precise measures for abstract
theoretical constructs
• Major problem in social science research
– Many of the constructs, such as
prejudice, alienation, tolerance,
satisfaction, utility, etc. are hard to define
and measure accurately
3. Research Design

• Must decide what research method to


employ for collecting data to address the
research questions
• Quantitative methods such as experiments
or survey research
• Qualitative methods such as case research
or possibly a mixed methods combination
3. Research Design

• Researchers must also carefully choose the


target population from which they wish to
collect data, and a sampling strategy to
select a sample from that population.
• Should we survey individuals or firms? All
individuals or specific types of individuals?
4. Research Proposal

• A research proposal details all of the


decisions made in the preceding stages of
the research process and the rationale
behind each decision.
• There are five key components of a good
research proposal
4. Research Proposal

1. Should address what research questions


you wish to study and why
2. The prior state of knowledge in this area
3. Theories you wish to employ along with
hypotheses to be tested
4. How to measure constructs and what
research method to be employed
5. Desired sampling strategy
5. Research Execution and Reporting

• Having decided who to study (subjects),


what to measure (concepts), and how to
collect data (research method), we are now
ready to proceed to research execution
5. Research Execution and Reporting

• Pilot testing helps detect potential


problems in your research design and/or
instrumentation
• Are questions asked intelligible to the
targeted sample?
• Are the measurement instruments used in
the study reliable and valid measures of the
constructs of interest?
5. Research Execution and Reporting

• After successful pilot testing, the researcher


may then proceed with data collection
using the sampled population
• Data may be quantitative or qualitative
• The data are analyzed and interpreted for
the purpose of drawing conclusions
regarding the research questions of interest
5. Research Execution and Reporting

• The research report documents the entire


research process and its findings
• Should outline in detail all the choices made
during the research process as well as the
outcomes of each phase of the research
process
• Must be detailed as to be replicable
Overview of the Research Process

Your group
projects will
cover these
phases

You might also like