Putting the pieces together The introduction Purpose statement Literature Review Research Design...
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Transcript of Putting the pieces together The introduction Purpose statement Literature Review Research Design...
Putting the pieces together
The introductionPurpose statementLiterature ReviewResearch DesignData CollectionMethodology
Introduction/Purpose• The introduction & Purpose
statement are critical• Some readers might only read that
part (lazy professors; editor; grants)• You better clearly identify your
purpose and its importance on the first page.
Three Purposes of Research
1. Exploration2. Description3. Explanation
Identify Units of Analysis
What or whom to study:• Individuals• Groups• Organizations• Institutions• Social artifacts
Units of Analysis and Faulty Reasoning• Ecological fallacy – assuming
something learned about an ecological unit says something about the individuals in the unit.
• Reductionism – Reducing something to a simple explanation when in reality it is complex.
Identify Time Dimension• Cross-Sectional Studies• Longitudinal Studies
Trend Cohort Panel
How to Design a Research Project
1. Define the purpose of your project.2. Specify exact meanings for the
concepts you want to study.3. Choose a research method.4. Decide how to measure the results.
How to Design a Research Project
5. Decide whom or what to study.6. Collect empirical data.7. Process the data.8. Analyze the data.9. Report your findings.
Elements of a Research Proposal• Problem or objective• Literature review• Subjects for study• Measurements
Elements of a Research Proposal• Data-collection methods• Analysis• Schedule• Budget (maybe)
Why these need to be clear?
• To get your prospectus approved• To get funding (grants)• To get approval from IRB
So you are still clueless
Look to the literatureFind Empirical Research Find Empirical Research Examples and Map themExamples and Map themFind Empirical Research Find Empirical Research Examples and Map themExamples and Map them
QualitativeQualitativeQualitativeQualitative Quant.Quant.Quant.Quant. OtherOtherOtherOther MixedMixedMixedMixed
Focus GroupsFocus Groups SurveySurvey Q-MethodologyQ-Methodology TriangulationTriangulation
InterviewsInterviews Random samplesRandom samplesAdvocacy Research
Advocacy Research
Sequential Sequential
EthnographyEthnography StatisticsStatistics Content Analysis Content Analysis
EthnomethodologyEthnomethodology
Secondary Data analysis
Secondary Data analysis
ConcurrentConcurrent
MiscMisc
Remember• You are writing developing two
research designs• 1 broader one for your thesis• 1 narrower one for your paper• They are obviously related but not
interchangeable.
Advice
Be as clear and specific as possible• What is “crime policy”?• What is “assessment”?• What is “privacy”?• What is “identity”?• What do you mean by “immigration”
(legal, illegal, both)?
Advice
In the research design/methodology section, use the lingo but define the lingo. Case study, ethnography, in-depth interviews (what does that mean?); focus group (elaborate).
Include a justification section for your design that includes references.
Drafting and redrafting • Moving from first to final draft is a
multistage process that sees you working systematically through the development of:
logic and argument coherence and consistency fluency and readability and finally, copy editing
APSA Citation Style
Erskine, Hazel. 1974. “The Polls: Fear of Violence and Crime.” Public Opinion Quarterly 38 (1): 131-15.
Ferraro, Kenneth and Randy LaGrange. 1987. “The Measurement of Fear of Crime.” Sociological Inquiry 57 (1): 70-101.
Garofalo, James. 1981. “The Fear of crime: Causes and Consequence.” Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 82 (2): 839-857.
Warr, Mark. 1990. “Dangerous Situations: Social Context and Fear of Victimization.” Social Forces 68, 3: 891-907.
Example: Pape (2003)