APU SOCI331 All Weeks Forums Latest March 2019 Question # 00599261 Subject: Education Due on: 03/11/2019 Posted On: 03/11/2019 09:06 AM Tutorials: 1 Rating: 4.5/5

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.