rules of social research

7/25/2019 Rules of Social Research

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Firebaugh, G. (2008) Seven Rules of Social Research

Main Poins of !ha"er #$ %he Firs Rule & %here shoul' be he "ossibili ofSur"rise in Social Research

'vocac Research refers o research ha sifs hrough evi'ence o

argue a "re'eer*ine' "osiion. %he ai* of a'vocac research is o

convince ohers o hin+ or ac in a given a. -ence, a'vocacresearch "resens evi'ence selecivel, focusing on su""oringevi'ence an' su""ressing conrar or inconvenien evi'ence

n he oher han', social research 'oes no su""ress conrar or

inconvenien evi'ence.

%his Rule # is inen'e' o arn ha ou an o be blin'e' b "re/conceive' i'eas so ha ou fail o loo+ for conrar evi'ence, or if ourecognie conrar evi'ence hen ou 'o encouner i, or ourecognie conrar evi'ence bu su""ress i an' refuse o acce" our1n'ing for ha he a""ear o sa.

is i*"oran o +ee" in *in' ha a non/e3ec is no a nonfnding.

n resul is a 1n'ing.

S454!%6G R4S4R!- 74S%6

%he 1rs se" in a research "ro9ec is o 'eci'e u"on a research

:uesion

research :uesion in he social sciences is a :uesion abou he social

orl' ha ou r o anser hrough he analsis of e*"irical 'aa.%he e*"irical 'aa ha ou collece' or 'aa b so*eone else.

%o (2) fun'a*enal crieria for a research :uesion$ Interestan'Researchability

R4S4R!-;54 74S%6S

So*e research :uesions in he he social sciences are no anserable

because he are si*"l unanserable

her research is rule' ou because i is unehical

o %he i*"oran "oin here is ha ehical consi'eraions are

i*"oran & i*"oran enough o ren'er so*e "es or research

Researchable :uesions in social sciences en' o be :uesions ha are

neiher oo s"eci1c nor oo gran' n social sciences, what :uesions generall are easier o anser han

why questions.o 4*"irical 'ae can ell us ha is ha""ening far *ore rea'il

han he can us h i is ha""ening


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*ere 'escri"ion$ is so*ei*es 'evalue' in he social sciences, i isi*"oran o un'erscore he "oin ha$ :uesions co*e before h:uesions.

o is a ca"ial *isa+e o heorie in a'vance of he facs

(Sherloc+ -ol*es, %he 'venure of he Secon' Sain)

o a ha is serious enough o raise :uesions abou hereliabili of earlier resuls. Personal anec'oes are no enough in hisregar'.

'enifing he resuls of he research here is gone asra

!5RF?6G !6!4P%S 6 PRR R4S4R!-

?ou *a 1n' ou he he "roble* ih "rior research is no ha he

1n'ings are rong, bu ha he i*"licaions are unclear because ofconce"ual fuiness in he *o'el or he variables. 4li*inaing he


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fuiness *igh no lea' o ne resuls, bu i coul' lea' o neun'ersan'ing abou ha he resuls *ean. n his case he ele*enof sur"rise in our re search involves he i*"licaions of our 1n'ings,no necessaril he 1n'ings he*selves.

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%he *ore highl correlae' he causes, he *ore cases e nee' ose"arae heir e3ecs.

S M466GF5 S!5 R4S4R!- PSS;54E

4*"irical nihilis* in he social sciences 'enies he "ossibili of'iscovering even regulariies in hu*an behavior.

o %he bes res"onse o e*"irical nihilis* is o ignore i an' 'o he

research.

Meaningful social research is "ossibleAi*"erfec research, bu

research ha can be valuable noneheless.

SMMR? (Main Poins)

Social research re:uires ha researchers re*ain o"en o ne

evi'ence, heher or no ha evi'ence su""ors heir cherishe'heories or beliefs. %his o"enness lea's o he "ossibili of sur"rise."enness also *a+es research *ore e=ciing.

n i*"oran 1rs se" for e3ecive research is choosing an a""ro"riae

research :uesionAone here sur"rise is "ossible. Research :uesions

shoul' be boh researchable an' ineresing.


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7ualiaive su'ies are generall ill/suie' o "rovi'e o*nibus ess of*uli"le e="lanaions for so*e observe' associaion.

rules of social research

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