Have you ever wondered how sociologists collect their data? How do they find out what the latest trends, patterns and issues are? If you read a statistic (for example, that 70% of students claim they enjoy doing homework) you would (understandably) want to know how the researcher got to this conclusion. How many students did they ask? Did they interpret students' answers correctly?
Sociological research methods are integral to sociological research. This explanation introduces how sociologists use these methods to carry out sociological research.
- We will learn the definition of sociological research methods and discover its context and process.
- We will also discuss the reasons for carrying out sociological research.
- Finally, we will study the advantages and disadvantages of different research methods in sociology.
What are sociological research methods?
First of all, let's clarify what we mean by sociological research methods.
Sociological research methods can be defined as a step-by-step process involving collecting, analysing, and interpreting data to gain knowledge or a better understanding of the world we live in.
Sociological research focuses on various issues, including social groups, institutions, systems, developments, and changes in society. Sociologists draw upon the principles of social science and use a range of research methods in pursuit of patterns that would explain how society works. The choice of methods depends upon practical, philosophical, and ethical considerations and the nature of the topic.
In 1925, the famous researcher Margaret Mead went to the South Pacific territory of American Samoa to live with the local communities and study them. She observed their lives and conducted interviews and psychological tests to learn whether their experience of adolescence depended on their cultural upbringing. She then published a book interpreting her findings.
Modern-day research methods can be a lot more sophisticated than the above study, but they are based on the same principles.
Society is in a process of constant evolution leaving gaps or inconsistencies in the existing literature. That provides fertile ground for asking more questions and searching for more answers.
Fig. 1 - Research methods are used to study society.
What are the 4 types of research methods in sociology?
The two main forms of research in sociology are primary research and secondary research. Let's look at some definitions:
Choosing one method or the other affects both the process of the research study and the sources the researcher can use, not to mention their findings.
The other two types of research methods that people refer to are qualitative and quantitative methods. We will explore what these means below.
Types of research in sociology: quantitative and qualitative methods
Depending on their topic, research goals, and the type of data they want, sociological researchers employ a variety of research methodologies: quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method approaches.
Quantitative research methods in sociology
Quantitative research techniques produce numerical data that covers a broad range. If a sociologist wants to look at social trends or study the relationship between two or more components, they may choose approaches that provide quantitative data.
Qualitative research methods in sociology
On the other side, qualitative methods produce information that isn't numerical and is much more in-depth. If a sociologist wants to describe and/or analyse various facets of social life in-depth, they might use qualitative research methods.
Mixed-method research in sociology
Mixed-methods research or triangulation uses a combination of both quantitative and qualitative techniques, either to support or refute their findings or simply because both research methods are equally legitimate.
Examples of research methods in sociology
There are several approaches sociologists may use to gather and analyse data. Examples of some include:
Advantages and disadvantages of sociological research methods
Let's briefly go over the positive and negative aspects of the types of research and methodologies we have covered above.
Advantages and disadvantages of primary and secondary research
Primary research is directly collected, so it is also more likely to be relevant, up-to-date, and can come up with unexpected results. However, it can be expensive, impractical, biased, potentially unethical, or inaccessible.
Secondary data can be easily accessible, time and cost-effective, and more likely to be unbiased and ethical. It can also be irrelevant, difficult to access, and still be biased, though.
Advantages and disadvantages of quantitative and qualitative methods
Quantitative research can study large samples, can usually be generalised, be time and cost-effective, be more objective, and avoid bias. However, the data can be surface-level, can be impersonal and/or irrelevant, and can be inflexible.
Qualitative research provides data that is rich in detail, particularly relevant, and unique; and can be flexible. However, qualitative data can be difficult to generalise, have smaller samples, be less objective, and be more time-consuming and costly.
Fig. 2 - Different research methods have different strengths and weaknesses.
How do sociologists choose research methods?
There are a number of factors that form part of the context for sociological research and its methods.
Sociologists may have a specific view of the nature of social phenomena, which influences whether they adopt quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods of research.
Some sociologists believe that society should be studied scientifically as a collection of objectively measurable 'social facts'. Thus, quantitative methods broadly define a range of research instruments that aim to measure social phenomena in numerical terms.
Others believe that such a view is too restrictive and adopt a more profound, detail-oriented practice. Therefore, qualitative methods focus on categorical terms or 'thick descriptions'. These are insights about research subjects focusing in-depth on details and particularities. Hence, they are typically presented in a narrative format.
You can measure the socioeconomic status of a school student by asking how much their parents earn, which provides quantitative data. On the other hand, you could ask them to describe their lifestyle, which provides qualitative data.
Existing literature forms a key part of the research background. Sociologists must familiarise themselves with existing research in order to build upon it instead of repeating it.
Suppose a researcher wants to investigate the association between gender and academic achievement. They would need to study the existing body of literature to see what other researchers have already found and use their research to fill in the gaps.
Researchers should consider whether they will adopt inductive or deductive reasoning in their investigations. The inductive approach seeks to develop new theories, whilst the deductive approach aims to test existing ones. Researchers adopting inductive methods tend to collect data first to see where it will lead them. While those using deductive methods test whether the data collected fits or reinforces an already existing theory.
Researchers must obey the rules of research quality and adopt appropriate values, including an excellent grasp of research integrity and ethics. There is a lot of debate about the extent to which research can and should be value-free.
The table below presents an example of a step-by-step research scenario outlining the research process and a general overview of the sociological method.
STEPS OF THE RESEARCH PROCESSES | EXPLANATION |
Social Phenomena | You observe that only a minority of the less affluent students in your group got offers from top universities. |
Theory | You read existing literature and find out that Pierre Bourdieu suggested that every individual has social and cultural capital that they can use to exert influence in society. |
Hypothesis | Your hypothesis: The more social and cultural capital a person has, the more likely they are to get an offer from a top university. |
Research design | You want to find out if there is indeed a pattern that could describe students' achievement from various socioeconomic backgrounds - therefore, you need a quantitative element. You want to have detailed accounts of students' university application process - therefore, you need a qualitative element too. |
Motto measures of concepts | You choose to send a questionnaire to all the students applying to university and ask them about their socioeconomic status and whether they got their offer. You will use this data to create charts and trace whether there is a cause-effect relationship between having social and cultural capital and getting an offer from a top university. You then choose two case studies: one person who did get an offer, and one who did not. You will conduct semi-structured interviews. |
Select research subjects/participants | Since you observed this social phenomenon at your college, you will use an opportunity sample for your quantitative stage and a purposive sample for the qualitative one. |
Administer research tools/collect data | Conduct the questionnaires and interviews. |
Process/analyse/interpret data | Look at the data, search for patterns, put them in charts, and examine the language students used in the interviews to investigate whether there is a pattern. |
Report Findings/Conclusions | Write the report of your findings. |
Table 1 - Step by step explanation of the Research Process.
Sociological Research Methods - Key takeaways
Explanations 
Exams 
Magazine 
