Research Methods in Social Sciences: Empiricism, Statistics, and Data Analysis, Exams of Social Work

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Introduction to social research methods

Methods of Acquiring Knowledge - Method Way of knowing Tenacity - From habit or superstition Intuition - From hunch or feeling Authority - From an expert Rationalism - A logical conclusion Empiricism - From direct sensory observation Empiricism and research methods - -Research methods is about designing ways of developing explanations about behaviour. -Such explanations are based on observable data. *Data are measurements *A collection of measurements is a data set -Science is a way of finding out new things - it is a method based on observation (and usually measurement of some form). The Scientific Method -

• An approach to acquiring knowledge that involves formulating specific questions and systematically finding answers. -It accepts that out knowledge is fallible *We need to test knowledge and criticise it if we find contrary evidence. We can then refine it in the face of new evidence. The Research Process -

-Find a research idea -Convert idea into a hypothesis -Define and Measure Variables -Identify Participants -Select a research strategy and design -Conduct the study -Evaluate the study -Report the results *Use establishing guidelines for format and style to prepare an accurate report. -Refine your research idea *Use your result to modify your original idea. Evaluating the Data - -Statistics are used to organise and summarise the findings of a study so that we can make sense of them and communicate them to others. -Statistics help researchers determine whether their hypothesis is justifiable based on the results they obtained. Statistical Definitions: Population - -The set of all individuals of interest in a particular study. Eg: kids in school in grade prep. people that suffer from depression.

Statistical Definitions: Sample - -Set of individuals selected from a population, usually intended to represent the population in a research study. Population & Sample - THE POPULATION (all of the individuals of interest) > the sample is selected from the population > THE SAMPLE (the individuals selected to participate in the research study) > the results from the sample generalized to the population > THE POPULATION (all of the individuals of interest). Statistical Definitions: Parameter - -A value that describes a population. Statistical Definitions: Statistic - -A value that describes a sample. Statistical Definitions: Sampling Error - -The discrepancy, or amount of error, that exists between a sample statistic and the corresponding population parameter. Statistical Definitions:

Descriptive Statistics - -Procedures to summarise, organise and simplify data. Eg: when we talk about frequency so for example 40% female and 60% male, so not exact numbers. Statistical Definitions: Inferential Statistics - -Techniques that allow us to draw inferences from our sample data about our population. Statistical Definitions: Variable - -A characteristic or condition that changes or has different values for different individuals. Eg: height Statistical Definitions: Constant - -A characteristic or condition that does not vary but is the same for every individual. Eg: we can calculate students workload by the number of lectures in a unit times the average number of hours each student student spends preparing and revising each lecture. -Which component is a constant? no. of lectures

-Which component is a variable? hours spent studying. Research Methods Design Correlational - -Two or more variables are observed to determine whether there is a relationship between them. Research Methods Design Experimental - -One variable is manipulated while another variable is observed and measured. *Independent variable: the variable that is manipulated by the researcher. Way to remember Iv: Forms the groups, have control over. *Dependent variable: the variable that is observed and measured. Way to remember DV: Outcome, the effect. Research Methods Design Quasi-experimental - -Many research studies involve comparing groups that were not created by manipulating an independent variable. Instead the groups are usually determined by a participant variable or time variable. In these quasi experimental studies, the variable that determines the grouping is called a quasi- independent variable.

Variables and Measurement Construct - -Attributes or characteristics that cannot be directly observed but are useful for describing or explaining behaviour. Constructs need to be defined. Eg: self-esteem Variables and Measurement Operational definition: - -Identifies a measurement procedure (a set of operations) for measuring an external behaviour; -And uses the resulting measurements as a definition and a measurement of the hypothetical construct. Levels of Measurement Nominal Ordinal Interval Ratio - Nominal: consists of a set of categories that have different names. Eg: cars so mazda, volkswagon, holden. Ordinal: consists of set of categories that are organised in an ordered sequence. Eg: low, medium high

Interval: consists of ordered categories that are all intervals of exactly the same size. Eg: temperature. so difference between 10 degrees and 20 degrees is the same as the degree between 20-30 degrees. Ratio: is an interval scale with an absolute zero. Why is Level of Measurement Important? - -Level of measurement infuences the kind of statistic that can or cannot be used.