Course Objectives
The main aim of the course is to familiarize the students with basic sociological and anthropological research methods. The course focuses on the concepts, techniques and tools of research methods, data analysis and research writing.
Introduction
· The initial research idea and topic and its justification
· Literature review, i.e. what have others said about this research topic?
· The research problem and its social and theoretical justification or significance; research objectives
· Clarification of concepts, indicators and operationalization (where necessary)
· Information or data collection techniques and their justification
· Collection of primary (‘field’) and secondary (‘documentary’) information: sources and rules of access
· Data analysis
· Presentation of finding, including the social and theoretical significance of findings
II. Metatheory and Research
III. Research Designs
Fundamental features, strengths and limitations of exploratory, descriptive, explanatory, experimental and semi-experimental, cross-sectional, historical/longitudinal, and comparative research designs
IV. Measurements and Relationships
V. Qualitative Data Generation Techniques
A. Field-site selection; Entry into the field: rapport building
B. Field work and ethnographic research
· Observation and participant observating
· Genealogical methods
· Case studies and life histories
· Interviews (formal, informal and key informant)
· Archival study
· PRA<>
· Limitations of qualitative research tools and techniques
VI. Qualitative Data Analysis
A. Paradigms in Qualitative Research
B. Qualitative data analysis: coding, transcribing, and interpretation
C. Traditions and Approaches:
· Ethnographic accounts
· Narrative analysis
· Content analysis
· Conversation analysis
· Discourse analysis
· Documentary research
VII. Quantitative Data Generation Techniques
A. The significance and utility of quantitative methods
B. Survey methods:
· Rational and features of survey research
· Preparation, planning phase, data collection phase, and data analysis and reporting phase
· Survey designs: self administered surveys, face to face interviews, telephone surveys, computer-assisted telephone interviews and internet surveys
· Survey Instruments: questionnaire, interview schedule and check list; reliability and validity of the instruments
· Problems and issues in executing survey research: location and accessing the respondents and field settings; implementation of data collection techniques; role of field investigators; interviewer bias
C. Sampling Methods: probability and non-probability designs; uses and limitations of specific sampling designs; sample size; sampling bias and error
D. Questionnaire and structured interview schedule : preparation, types, uses and limitations
E. Limitations of quantitative research tools and techniques
VIII. Quantitative data Analysis
A. Organizing and summarizing data: editing, coding, and processing
B. Displaying data: tables; graphs, histograms and pie-chart
C. Descriptive statistics: frequency distribution of grouped/ungrouped data; construction and reading of tables; ratio, proportion and rate; measures of central tendency; measures of dispersion
D. Measures of association between nominal or qualitative variables: assumptions, calculation and interpretation of chi-square statistic and test.
E. Measures of association between ordinal and interval/ratio variables: assumptions, calculation and interpretation of Spearman’s rank order and Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient
IX. The QualQuan Approach
A. Combining qualitative and quantitative research tools and techniques
B. Combining qualitative and quantitative research analysis