APU SOCI331 2019 March Full Course Latest Question # 00599322 Subject: Education Due on: 03/11/2019 Posted On: 03/11/2019 10:58 AM Tutorials: 1 Rating: 4.6/5

SOCI331 Research
Methods for Sociology

Week 1 Forum

Foundation of Social Research

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For this forum, you
are required to answer both Parts 1 and 2

Part 1

Introduce yourself to the class in 50 words or less! Also
acknowledge you have read the syllabus and welcome message and that you
understand the course policies, expectations and due dates.

Part 2

Discuss the difference between scientific and non scientific
knowledge.

In your own words, explain the 8 components of a research
paper and what they entail (bullet points)?

What is the Belmont Report and why is it important for human
research efforts?

Instructions for all Forums:

Each week, learners will post one initial post per
week. This post must demonstrate
comprehension of the course materials, the ability to apply that knowledge in
the real world. Learners will engage
with the instructor and peers throughout the learning week. To motivate engaged discussion, posts are
expected to be on time with regular interaction throughout the week. All posts should demonstrate college level
writing skills. To promote vibrant discussion as we would in a face to face
classroom, formatted citations and references are not required. Quotes should not be used at all, or used
sparingly. If you quote a source
quotation marks should be used and an APA formatted citation and reference
provided.

SOCI331 Research
Methods for Sociology

Week 2 Forum

Research Design and Measurement

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Forum Question:

This Forum includes several steps:

Develop three research questions on a topic for which you
are most interest.

Access the “Types of Research Design” site.

Select the appropriate research design for your research questions.

In your own words, explain the purpose of the design, what
these type of studies tell you and what they don’t tell you and.

Finally, explain why this design is appropriate for the
respective research questions.

A research question is a…

clear

focused

concise

complex

arguable

Instructions for all Forums:

Each week, learners will post one initial post per
week. This post must demonstrate
comprehension of the course materials, the ability to apply that knowledge in
the real world. Learners will engage
with the instructor and peers throughout the learning week. To motivate engaged discussion, posts are
expected to be on time with regular interaction throughout the week. All posts should demonstrate college level
writing skills. To promote vibrant discussion as we would in a face to face
classroom, formatted citations and references are not required. Quotes should not be used at all, or used
sparingly. If you quote a source
quotation marks should be used and an APA formatted citation and reference
provided.

SOCI331 Research
Methods for Sociology

Week 3 Forum

Validity, Reliability, and Sampling

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Forum Question:

The Forum includes several steps:

Identify a “different” research problem that would
be best studied using a non-probability sample.

Discuss why this research problem is best studied using a
non-probability sample, and what type of non-probability sample you would
likely use.

Find a peer-reviewed journal article (no more than five
years old) related to that research problem.

Discuss the sampling strategy/process used in the
article. What details are included, and
what information regarding the sampling was ignored?

Instructions for all Forums:

Each week, learners will post one initial post per
week. This post must demonstrate
comprehension of the course materials, the ability to apply that knowledge in
the real world. Learners will engage
with the instructor and peers throughout the learning week. To motivate engaged discussion, posts are
expected to be on time with regular interaction throughout the week. All posts should demonstrate college level
writing skills. To promote vibrant discussion as we would in a face to face
classroom, formatted citations and references are not required. Quotes should not be used at all, or used
sparingly. If you quote a source
quotation marks should be used and an APA formatted citation and reference
provided.

SOCI331 Research
Methods for Sociology

Week 4 Forum

Experimental and Survey Research (Quantitative Research) and
Survey Tutorial

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Forum Question:

After engaging in your own research concerning experimental
research (peer-reviewed journal article no more than five years old), complete
these steps:

Cite and summarize at least one example of social science
research from a peer-reviewed journal
(no more than five years old) that was completed using experimental
methods.

Describe the type of design used in the research.

Next, complete the tutorial below.

Tutorial on survey research

Access the following tutorial site on survey research:
http://www.statpac.com/surveys/

Access one of the topics covered in this site and complete
the tutorial

Summarize that part of the tutorial.

What did you learn from this site?

Instructions for all
Forums:

Each week, learners will post one initial post per
week. This post must demonstrate
comprehension of the course materials, the ability to apply that knowledge in
the real world. Learners will engage
with the instructor and peers throughout the learning week. To motivate engaged discussion, posts are
expected to be on time with regular interaction throughout the week. All posts should demonstrate college level
writing skills. To promote vibrant discussion as we would in a face to face
classroom, formatted citations and references are not required. Quotes should not be used at all, or used
sparingly. If you quote a source
quotation marks should be used and an APA formatted citation and reference
provided.

SOCI331 Research
Methods for Sociology

Week 5 Forum

Qualitative Field Research and Ethics

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Forum Question: Select from one of the two sets of questions
(Paradigms and the Belmont Report)

Class-

Paradigms are large systems of thought that are accepted by
most people, especially within a certain time or place. So, you could say that
paradigms of scientific thought (how we explain things in the physical
environment) in western history have included belief in magic, belief in gods,
belief in herbs/witchcraft, and belief in the scientific method. The era we are
in adheres to the scientific method paradigm, as that is what we use to explain
physical phenomena. Some people argue that the next paradigm we will be in will
be the postmodern one. But currently most people believe in the scientific
method, i.e. we believe that modern science produces valid knowledge. Note also
that some writers may use the term “paradigm” for any number of
subsets of thought, for example some call qualitative and quantitative research
separate paradigms, and some consider different theories to be different
paradigms – for example conflict, feminist, functionalist, etc. however the
foremost writer on the subject of scientific paradigms, Thomas Kuhn, considers
scientific paradigms to be comprised of much larger systems and eras of thought
as I have described here. See Kuhn, T.
S. (1962). The structure of scientific revolutions. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press. for more information if interested.

Within the scientific method today, are qualitative and
quantitative approaches. These are both still scientific, but they have
different underlying philosophies, or epistemologies you could say.

Qualitative researchers like to use
“interpretivist” approaches meaning that they don’t begin with a
theory or a hypothesis. Rather, they first make observations and then look at
the data to see what main hypotheses might arise. Qualitative researchers often
use methods such as ethnography or nonparticipant observation. Qualitative
researchers are interested in “quality” of interactions, or the meanings
of interactions to the people involved.

Quantitative researchers like to use “positivist”
approaches meaning that they do begin with a theory or hypothesis, and seek to
prove or disprove it. They normally begin their research then with a set of questions,
or with an experimental design that is aimed at answering their hypothesis.
They often use methods such as surveys or experiments. Quantitative researchers
are interested in “quantity” – that is, when one variable (x)
increases , how much does another variable (y) increase/decrease /stay the
same?

Note that the words “methods” and
“methodology” both simply refer to what type of method you are

using in your research, for example a survey, an interview,
focus groups, observation, etc. There are many types of qualitative and
quantitative methods.

Please view this video for a clear overview of quantitative
versus qualitative research.

Next, answer these questions (both sections A and B):

(A) Identify a sociological topic of interest to you.

(1) Discuss how three (3) of the specific qualitative
research methods could be used to study this topic.

(2) Are some qualitative methods better suited for certain
topics? Why?

(3) Which qualitative method raises the biggest ethical
concerns, and why?

B) Belmont Report – Access the Belmont link in the course
material

(1) Explain what led to the creation of the Belmont Report?

(2) What are some main ethical considerations in research?

Instructions for all Forums:

Each week, learners will post one initial post per
week. This post must demonstrate
comprehension of the course materials, the ability to apply that knowledge in
the real world. Learners will engage
with the instructor and peers throughout the learning week. To motivate engaged discussion, posts are
expected to be on time with regular interaction throughout the week. All posts should demonstrate college level
writing skills. To promote vibrant discussion as we would in a face to face
classroom, formatted citations and references are not required. Quotes should not be used at all, or used
sparingly. If you quote a source
quotation marks should be used and an APA formatted citation and reference
provided.

SOCI331 Research
Methods for Sociology

Week 6 Forum

Unobstrusive Measures and Evaluation

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State, in your own
words, what you think are the most important aspects of unobtrusive research.

Next, please describe one possible topic that may lend
itself to an unobtrusive research approach.

Explain the type of data that you will collect for this
topic.

Finally, explain the primary research question you trying to
address by using an unobtrusive approach to this topic. Be specific in your
response!

Instructions for all
Forums:

Each week, learners will post one initial post per
week. This post must demonstrate
comprehension of the course materials, the ability to apply that knowledge in
the real world. Learners will engage with
the instructor and peers throughout the learning week. To motivate engaged discussion, posts are
expected to be on time with regular interaction throughout the week. All posts should demonstrate college level
writing skills. To promote vibrant discussion as we would in a face to face
classroom, formatted citations and references are not required. Quotes should not be used at all, or used
sparingly. If you quote a source quotation
marks should be used and an APA formatted citation and reference provided.

SOCI331 Research
Methods for Sociology

Week 7 Forum

Qualitative Data Analysis

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Week 7 Forum Topic 2:

Use the online library to find a peer-reviewed journal
article (no more than five years old) that uses qualitative methods.

Read the article and write a brief summary of the article

Write a critical review of their qualitative analysis. For
example, how were the data codified? Was there a message to finding particular
themes in the data? Or, could the authors have presented a better explanation
for how the data were categorized and analyzed? Explain in detail.

Instructions for all Forums:

Each week, learners will post one initial post per
week. This post must demonstrate
comprehension of the course materials, the ability to apply that knowledge in
the real world. Learners will engage
with the instructor and peers throughout the learning week. To motivate engaged discussion, posts are
expected to be on time with regular interaction throughout the week. All posts should demonstrate college level
writing skills. To promote vibrant discussion as we would in a face to face
classroom, formatted citations and references are not required. Quotes should not be used at all, or used
sparingly. If you quote a source
quotation marks should be used and an APA formatted citation and reference
provided.

SOCI331 Research
Methods for Sociology

Week 8 Forum

Quantitative Data Analysis

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Forum Question 1:

Go to the following Census Bureau Fact Finder site: http://factfinder.census.gov

Go to “Community Facts.”

Type in your community, e.g., Jefferson City, Mo.

Click on “General Population and Housing
Characteristics” for both the 2000 and 2010 census.

Create a chart that compares Age and Sex (include percentages).

Within at least one paragraph, explain what you think
attributes to some of changes? Include at least one journal article no more
than five years old to validate your argument.

Be sure to post your chart (example below).

Instructions for all Forums:

Each week, learners will post one initial post per
week. This post must demonstrate
comprehension of the course materials, the ability to apply that knowledge in
the real world. Learners will engage
with the instructor and peers throughout the learning week. To motivate engaged discussion, posts are
expected to be on time with regular interaction throughout the week. All posts should demonstrate college level
writing skills. To promote vibrant discussion as we would in a face to face
classroom, formatted citations and references are not required. Quotes should not be used at all, or used
sparingly. If you quote a source
quotation marks should be used and an APA formatted citation and reference
provided.

SOCI331 Research
Methods for Sociology

Week 3 Assignment 1

Week 3 Assignment 1: CONCEPTUALIZING AND OPERATIONALIZING
VARIABLES

PURPOSE: The purpose of this exercise is to conceptualize
and operationalize variables, and understand how conceptual and operational
definitions impact the conclusions drawn about variables.

WRITING REQUIREMENTS: The essay should be 7-9
pages. APA formatting should be used throughout (cover page, running
header, major heading, subheadings, in-text citations, and reference list). Any
time you paraphrase or directly quote a source, in-text citations should be
used. A full APA-formatted reference
should be included at the end of the assignment. Academically, no more that 20%
of the essay should be quoted. At least 80% should be in your own words.

The essay should include the following subheadings:

Definitions

Conceptualizes race

Operationalizes race

Census Bureau changes

How changes to variables affect conclusions

Reflection

INSTRUCTIONS: Make sure to follow the directions in order.

First, provide a definition of the terms: “conceptual
definition” and “operational definition”.

Next, conceptualize and operationalize the variable “race.”

Read the Census Bureau’s report on race at:
https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2011/dec/c2010br-02.pdf.

Answer the following questions after reading the report:

What changes did the Bureau make to the conceptualization
and operationalization of race in the 2010 census?

Why did the Bureau make these changes?

Could the difference in operationalization produce different
conclusions about race?

Does the Bureau’s conceptualization and operationalization
of race coincide with yours? If so,
how? If not, what is different?

Need writing help?
Here are excellent resources for students:

1. Writing@APUS

APUS writing guidance link:
http://www.apus.edu/Online-Library/resources-services/student-academic-resource-center/writing-center.html

2. Purdue Online
Writing Lab: Everything you wanted to know about APA, but didn’t have time to
ask!

Purdue Online Writing
Lab link: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/1/

Grading Rubric

View the grading rubric so you understand how you will be
assessed on this Assignment. Click the
grid icon at the top of this instruction page, or the grid icon under
“View iRubric” on the main Assignments page.

Note: “This course has “Resubmission” status enabled if you
need to submit multiple documents as part of your Assignment. Resubmission of an Assignment after it is
graded, to attempt a better grade, is not permitted.”

SOCI331 Research Methods
for Sociology

Week 6 Assignment 2

RESEARCH METHODS

Assignment 2: Field Observation (25 points):

Due no later than 11:55p ET on Sunday of Week 6

Purpose: The purpose of this two-step exercise is for you to
conduct inductive and deductive research using qualitative methods.

Note: it is important that you conduct the observations as
two distinct events during this class; ‘recalling’ past observations is not the
same as purposefully observing your surroundings from a sociological
perspective, and applying two different types of reasoning to one observation
will not be ‘truthful’ or successful.

The purpose of this exercise is for you to observe one social
setting or social artifact to begin to detect patterns in human behavior –
observance of norms and potentially behaviors that deviate from the norm. This week’s exercise includes two parts. First, without any prep work, you will need
to go to one public place (or conduct content analysis with your social
artifact) and observe the people/artifact for 25 minutes.

Social Setting: Note people’s behavior, their demeanor,
their reactions/interactions to/with each other.

Social artifact: from second to second (for TV), or page to
page (for print), Note themes, sounds (i.. music), texture of page (i.e. ads in
magazine), etc.

Second, you will develop a research design with research
problem, hypothesis and operational definitions for variables; then you will conduct
another 25 minutes of observations.

Part 1

1) Choose whether
or not you will be conducting non-participant observation in a social setting,
or content analysis of a social artifact

a. Social
setting: this should be a public place such as a park, mall, restaurant, etc.

b. Social
artifact: this may be ads in a particular magazine; one television show, a
time-block of

commercials, etc.

2) For your
inductive approach, you will simply choose a time and location/artifact for
where you are going to conduct your observations

a. Social
Setting: Go to the specified location and proceed with your observations.

You must be a keen social observer; a ‘peeping Tom’ in the

i.
sociological sense. Take handwritten (recommended) and/or mental
notes of:

1. details about
your chosen location (time of day, lighting, furniture, plants, sounds,
temperature, smell, vibe/energy, etc)

2. the people
around you, not only their behavior but general information about their
sociodemographic characteristics (age, race/ethnicity, gender, SES, etc);

3. your thoughts
and feelings while making observations

Social Artifact: At a specified time (i.e. when a particular
show is), carefully observe your social artifact

i. Content analysis provides a sustained,
systematic way to observe and measure the portrayal of that reality, as opposed
to the quick, impressionistic way that we normally read consume media. Take handwritten notes of:

1. Details about
the setting in the images you see (lighting, furniture, background, vibe/energy
portrayed); if audio-visual (note sounds such as pitch of voice, music, etc)

2. Note details
about the people portrayed, not only their behavior but general information
about their sociodemographic characteristics (age, race/ethnicity, gender, SES,
sexuality);

4) When you have
returned from you observation, type up your notes. Review your notes for patterns in behavior,
socio-demographic characteristics, etc.

5) Write-up your
observations using ‘thick description’ of the location (i.e. building you were
in (what is the architecture like), descriptions of people there (in terms of
socio-demographic characteristics: age, race/ethnicity, gender, socio-economic
status), sounds, smells, temperature, time of day and week, etc);

6) Analyze trends
you identified in your observations/content analysis. What is a possible sociological/theoretical
explanation for the trends you observed?
This is best done by using peer-reviewed sources (journal articles no
more than five years old) to provide credibility to your analyses. Include at
least one.

Part 2

7) Based on your
initial observations and written analyses, develop a specific research problem/question
to be further investigated (i.e. the variation in behavior of males versus
females when entering a store with a glass store front)

8) Identify the
key variables you are going to be investigating, and develop an operational
definition for each of them (this should
include at least two variables, but not more than four). Your operational
definitions will help to provide parameters for how record variations in your
observations.

9) Write a
hypothesis for what you expect to observe in your second round of observations.

10) Repeat
observations/content analysis

a. Social
Setting – this should be done at the same social setting at approximately the
same time of

day (if you can do this one week later on the same day, it
would be great!)

b. Social
Artifact – this should be done at the same time (if commercial block), or with
the same show, or with a different issue of the same magazine , etc.

11) When you have
returned from you observation, type up your notes. Review your notes for patterns in behavior,
socio-demographic characteristics, etc. and how they corresponded with your
expectations/hypothesis

12) Describe
observations using ‘thick description’ of the location (i.e. building you were
in (what is the architecture like), descriptions of people there (in terms of
socio-demographic characteristics: age, race/ethnicity, gender, socio-economic
status), sounds, smells, temperature, time of day and week, etc);

13) Analyze your
observations in terms of how they supported/did not support your hypothesis.

14) What is a
possible sociological/theoretical explanation for the trends you observed? This is best done by using peer reviewed
sources (journal articles no more than five years old) to provide credibility to your analyses.
Include at least one.

15) Discuss the
differences between your inductive observations and your deductive
observations. How did the way you were
observing change? How did what you observed
change?

16) Briefly describe
your thoughts/feelings in the two steps.
Did you prefer one approach to the other? Why/why not?

WRITING REQUIREMENTS: The essay should be 8-10 pages. APA
formatting should be used throughout (cover page, running header, major
heading, subheadings to identify each section, in-text citations, and reference
page, 1″ margins, 12 point fonts, Times New Roman).

Any time you paraphrase or directly quote a source, in-text
citations should be used. A full
APA-formatted reference should be included at the end of the assignment.
Academically, no more that 20% of the essay should be quoted. At least 80%
should be in your own words.

Within the 8-10 page essay, you will include the following
subheadings:

Observation Description

Trends, Social Concepts, and Theories

Research Problem/Question(s)

Hypothesis

Variables identified and operationalized

Analysis

Compared Inductive to Deductive Approach

Reflection

Disclaimer

Originality of attachments will be verified by Turnitin.
Both you and your instructor will receive the results.

Need writing help? Here are excellent resources for
students:

1. Writing@APUS

APUS writing guidance link:
http://www.apus.edu/Online-Library/resources-services/student-academic-resource-center/writing-center.html

2. Purdue Online
Writing Lab: Everything you wanted to know about APA, but didn’t have time to
ask!

Purdue Online Writing
Lab link: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/1/

Grading Rubric

View the grading rubric so you understand how you will be
assessed on this Assignment. Click the
grid icon at the top of this instruction page, or the grid icon under
“View iRubric” on the main Assignments page.

Note: “This course has “Resubmission” status enabled if you
need to submit multiple documents as part of your Assignment. Resubmission of an Assignment after it is
graded, to attempt a better grade, is not permitted.”