{"id":39707,"date":"2011-11-01T15:02:21","date_gmt":"2011-11-01T20:02:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/?page_id=39707"},"modified":"2015-03-21T02:09:46","modified_gmt":"2015-03-21T07:09:46","slug":"course-guide-for-sociological-research-methods","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/course-guide-for-sociological-research-methods\/","title":{"rendered":"Course Guide for Sociological Research Methods"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Course Guide for<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH METHODS<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>(last updated 10\/2011)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Developed by Lisa Wade<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Occidental College<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Disclaimer: This course guide is far from comprehensive, but it does collect what we have in an organized way. If you&#8217;re a methods instructor, and would like to write a guest post, please do!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Research Design<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>On Objectivity<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2008\/09\/22\/estimating-the-racial-prejudice-of-whites-of-different-political-persuasions\/\">Are Numbers Objective?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Sampling<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2011\/04\/23\/wireless-and-landline-only-households-in-the-u-s\/\">The Trouble with Using the Population of (Cell) Phone Owners<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2008\/11\/04\/the-trouble-with-cell-phones\/\">Comparing the Results of Landline-Only Polls and Cell Phone Inclusive Polls<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2010\/11\/29\/shoddy-research-and-cultural-tropes-the-case-of-the-praying-mantis\/\">Using Starving Female Praying Mantis&#8217; Increases the Likelihood that they Will Eat their Suitors<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2009\/05\/14\/excluding-blacks-from-the-national-collective\/\">Who &#8220;Skews&#8221; the Data?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Delimiting Variables<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2011\/03\/13\/the-color-of-food-production-processing-distribution-and-service\/\">How Race Categories Can Obscure Difference<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2008\/09\/22\/estimating-the-racial-prejudice-of-whites-of-different-political-persuasions\/\">Considerations in Collapsing Continuous Variables into Categories<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Operationalization<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2010\/05\/10\/the-relationship-between-the-unemployment-rate-and-job-growth\/\">Of Unemployment<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2009\/09\/18\/uncertainty-in-measuring-maternal-mortality\/\">Of Maternal Mortality<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2009\/07\/10\/guest-post-measuring-abortion-beliefs\/\">Of Abortion Beliefs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2008\/03\/26\/measuring-graduation-rates\/\">Of Graduation Rates<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2008\/05\/18\/popular-misconception-about-sex-identity-sexual-orientation-and-gendered-behavior\/\">Failing to Differentiate Between Sex Identity, Gendered Behavior, and Sexual Orientation<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Research Ethics<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2009\/01\/31\/tuskegee-syphilis-study-recruitment-letter\/\">Tuskegee Syphilis Study Recruitment Letter<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2010\/08\/02\/original-recruitment-flier-for-milgrams-obedience-experiment\/\">The Original Milgram Experiment Recruitment Flyer<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2009\/01\/28\/stanley-milgrams-obedience-experiment\/\">Video of a Replication of the Milgram Obedience Experiment<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Methodological Approaches<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Surveys<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2010\/07\/15\/latinos-attitudes-about-womens-roles-and-some-methodological-issues\/\">A Leading Question in a Survey on Latino Attitudes about Women&#8217;s Roles<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2010\/04\/19\/political-attitudes-on-okcupid-prioritizing-rights-and-flag-burning\/\">The Problem with Forced Choice Questions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2008\/05\/26\/the-trouble-with-multiple-choice\/\">The Trouble with Multiple Choice (hint: people will answer them)<\/a> (humor)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2010\/02\/17\/decision-making-and-the-options-were-offered\/\">Question Language and Likelihood of Being an Organ Donor<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2009\/01\/13\/on-survey-methods\/\">Know Your Respondent<\/a> (humor)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Data Analysis and Interpretation<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Data Requires Interpretation<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2010\/05\/19\/what-explains-differences-in-color-preference-by-sex\/\">What Explains Color Preference By Sex?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2008\/12\/28\/popular-interpretation-of-scientific-data-personality-and-geography\/\">Stereotypes are not Theory: Explaining State Variation in Conscientiousness<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Correlation vs. Causation<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2011\/08\/17\/correlation-or-causation-2\/\">Cancer vs. Cell Phone Usage<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2010\/03\/05\/religion-is-the-opiate-of-the-masses\/\">Which Religion is the Opiate of the Masses?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2009\/03\/07\/correlation-or-causation\/\">Do Statistics Classes Cause Statistical Knowledge?<\/a> (humor)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Spurious Relationships<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2011\/03\/18\/illustrating-a-spurious-relationship-passport-ownership-and-diabetes\/\">Does Passport Ownership Cause Diabetes?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2009\/06\/06\/the-contact-hypothesis-and-spurious-relationships\/\">Does Knowing a Gay Person Increase Tolerance for Homosexuality?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Mean vs. Categorical Difference<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2010\/09\/13\/guest-post-delusions-of-dimorphism\/\">Do Overlapping Curve Reveal Gender Difference or Similarity?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Paying Attention to Variance<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2011\/08\/13\/why-variance-matters-race-education-and-income\/\">Uneven Variance in Income among Racial Groups<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Statistical Significance<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2010\/01\/30\/common-mistakes-in-polling-and-poll-results\/\">The Margin of Error Matters<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2009\/02\/07\/statistical-significance-and-fact\/\">&#8220;I&#8217;m Your Statistically Significant Other!&#8221;<\/a> (humor)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Communicating Results<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Types of Graphs<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2011\/01\/07\/the-ultimate-venn-diagram\/\">What is a Venn Diagram?<\/a> (humor)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2008\/06\/21\/venn-diagramming-crazy-insane-ethnocentrism\/\">Venn Diagramming &#8220;Crazy, Insane Ethnocentrism&#8221;<\/a> (humor)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2008\/03\/10\/illustrating-different-kinds-of-relationships\/\">Illustrations of Statistical Relationships and Distributions<\/a> (humor)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2008\/02\/29\/popular-songs-represented-in-figures-and-charts\/\">Popular Songs Represented in Figures and Graphs<\/a> (humor)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>The X and Y Axis<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2010\/06\/03\/guest-post-charting-welfare-numbers\/\">How (Not) to Manipulate the X and Y Axis<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2010\/04\/29\/methods-and-the-misleading-y-axis\/\">Grades vs. Drinks per Week<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2010\/01\/04\/guest-post-recession-resilience-divorce\/\">Is Divorce Waning? Depends on Your X Axis<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2009\/10\/16\/are-more-women-marrying-younger-men-yes-but\/\">Mismatched Y Axes: Are Women Marrying Younger Men?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2008\/09\/22\/estimating-the-racial-prejudice-of-whites-of-different-political-persuasions\/\">When 40% Looks Like 100%: White People&#8217;s Perceptions of Black People<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>(Mis)Representing Data<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2010\/06\/04\/bp-truthfully-misrepresents-how-much-oil-they-are-recovering\/\">Cumulative vs. Daily Collection of Oil by BP after the Gulf Spill<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2009\/06\/05\/absolute-versus-relative-charitable-giving\/\">Absolute vs. Relative Charitable Giving<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2010\/07\/15\/latinos-attitudes-about-womens-roles-and-some-methodological-issues\/\">Misleading Title Misrepresents Findings<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2010\/05\/12\/psychiatric-prescriptions-in-the-u-s-visually-representing-data\/\">Contextualizing Data:\u00a0Psychiatric\u00a0Prescriptions in the U.S.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2010\/01\/15\/guest-post-picking-cherries\/\">Cherry Picking: Is the U.S. #1?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2011\/10\/20\/misportraying-the-occupy-wall-street-protesters\/\">Misportraying the Occupy Wall Street Protesters<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Lying with Statistics<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2009\/08\/19\/meaningless-statistics-from-media-outlets\/\">Examples from The Daily Show<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2009\/07\/29\/statistical-illiteracy-on-the-oreilly-factor\/\">Statistical Illiteracy on the O&#8217;Reilly Factor<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2009\/07\/06\/the-folly-of-two-data-points\/\">The Folly of Two Data Points: Husband Acquisition<\/a> (humor)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2009\/02\/21\/does-being-overweight-contribute-to-premature-death\/\">Misrepresenting the Risk of Death Associated with &#8220;Normal&#8221; and &#8220;Overweight&#8221; BMI<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Publishing<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2011\/10\/18\/the-peer-review-process\/\">The Peer Review Process<\/a> (humor)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Course Guide for SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH METHODS (last updated 10\/2011) Developed by Lisa Wade Occidental College Disclaimer: This course guide is far from comprehensive, but it does collect what we have in an organized way. If you&#8217;re a methods instructor, and would like to write a guest post, please do! &nbsp; Research Design On Objectivity Are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":64489,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-39707","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/39707","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39707"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/39707\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64514,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/39707\/revisions\/64514"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}