1.Research Process

Chapter 1: The What and the Why of Statistics

•The Research Process

•Asking a Research Question

•The Role of Theory

•Formulating the Hypotheses

–Independent & Dependent Variables: Causality

–Independent & Dependent Variables: Guidelines

•Collecting Data

–Levels of Measurement

–Discrete and Continuous Variables

•Analyzing Data & Evaluating Hypotheses

–Descriptive and Inferential Statistics

•Looking at Social Differences

   

     The Research Process

Examine a social relationship, study the relevant literature Formulating the Hypotheses

Develop a research design

Collecting Data

Analyzing Data

Evaluating the Hypotheses

Contribute new evidence to literature and begin again

Asking the Research Question

Asking a Research Question

What is Empirical Research?

•Research based on information that can be

   verified by using our direct experience. 

•

•To answer research questions we cannot rely

on reasoning, speculation, moral judgment, 

   or subjective preference

•

•Empirical:

–“Are women paid less than men for the same

types of work?”

•Not Empirical:

–“Is racial equality good for society?”

The Role of Theory

•A theory is an explanation of the

relationship between two or more 

observable attributes of individuals or

groups.

•Social scientists use theory to attempt

to establish a link between what we

observe (the data) and our

understanding of why certain

phenomena are related to each other in

a particular way.