The Basics of Social Research

Journal week 1

Having read chapter 1, we have discussed it and found out several basic variations in social research. We learn how the introduction to research paper is being written as well as consider general rules of organizing our research. Also, we use the chapter 1 to talk over identifying an urgent social problem we see. It asserts a considerable impact of variables on our depiction of the problem. The qualitative and quantitative functions of experiment have been studied as well. As was found out from this chapter, the social research may be brought into use by physicians, police officers, newspaper reporters, business workers and professionals.  

Critical Analysis

I understood that the concept of gods in psychology does not actually meet everyone. Nevertheless, it wonders me how the figures in the chapter 1 made me curious. I liked the simple way they explain the details.

Summary week 2

Chapter 2 overlooks the importance of paradigms for the research. To improve the research, it is important to identify whether it is more deductive or inductive. In addition, we distinguished among macro theory, micro theory, and mesothoery. If we talk about mesotheory we can specify that it would interfere with progress of research, whereas macro theory relates to the entire society. In order to understand social life, diverse paradigms are being used by social scientists, as we see in this chapter. These paradigms can appeal to social problems as well. Besides, we can easily see the difference between paradigm and theory.

Critical analysis

The author expresses his viewpoint while discussing definition of theory and paradigms. He provides an impressive example of them. Still, it was not necessary to mention some figures. They should have been replaced by the other figures to improve our understanding of research.

Week 3

We found in chapter 3 the ways ethics in the study affects either social or political spheres. It is displayed submission of milligram to the experiment of authority there too. A series of social psychological experiments form a core of the experiment generally, and detected the readiness to submit to an authority figure by the participants of research, instructing them to put into action acts, staying in conflict with the individual conscience of their own. The video demonstrates that there is no harm for participants in the study. Also, you can see the difference between “anonymous and confidential by name,” to catch the comprehension of that “confidential means private, secret, not universally available or known only to select few.” The Belmont report contains the principles that serve to ensure the protection of the rights and personal privacy of each participant of research. The advantages and principles controlled by ethics are provided by aforementioned report. It also helps scholars to reduce the risk for partakers.

Critical analysis

The narrative style of the chapter helps to facilitate its comprehension. I was amazed by the brevity and shortness of the presentation of material as well as by the video that demonstrates the key point of this chapter briskly. The materials were of great importance to me because served for better understanding of the section.

Week 4

Current week contents contain the information about correlation and designing of our study. It is significant to know that “correlation is a single number that describes the degree of relationship between two variables.” The section formulate the aim of study, it also displays how the concepts of exploration, description and explanation differ among themselves. To an addition, “the processes of conceptualization, operationalization, and measurement” were discussed in the section 5. The other important things that we have learned are an analogy to validity and reliability, and nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio levels of measurement.

Critical analysis

The significant shift from a general idea to efficient and particular thoughts is set up the current week. We read a lot of useful information; sections 4 and 5 are also rich in details and examples. Though, despite this, the best variant is the reduced in details and shortened examples. The tutor successfully conveyed a steady image of various researches’ types.

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