chapter 11 -Unobstructive research

Question 1

unobstructive research

Answer 1

methods of studying social behaviour without affecting it (content analysis, analysis of existing statistics, comparative and historical research)

Question 2

content analysis

Answer 2

study of recorded human communications (books, websites, paintings, laws)
-national character
-political orientations
-political process

Question 3

units of analysis in content analysis

Answer 3

words, paragraphs, books

Question 4

coding

Answer 4

process whereby raw data transformed into standardized form, suitable for machine processing and analysis
-involves logic of coneptualization and operationalization
-researchers face a fundamental choice between depth and specificity of understanding (validity and reliability)

Question 5

manifest content in connection with content analysis

Answer 5

concrete terms contained in a communication as distinguished from latent content (visible surface content)
- counting the times a word appears
-advantage of ease and reliability in coding
-but not as valid

Question 6

latent content in connection with content analysis

Answer 6

underlying meaning of communications as distinguished from their manifest content (underlying meaning)
-better designed for tapping the underlying meaning
-but not as reliable and specific

Question 7

advantages content analysis

Answer 7

-fast and cheap
-allows the correction of errors, easier to repeat a portion of the study
-permits to study processes occuring over a long time
-has seldom effect on the subject being studied
-concreteness of materials studied strengthens likelihood of reliability

Question 8

disadvantages content analysis

Answer 8

-limited to the examination of recorded communication
-problems of validity

Question 9

analysing existing statistics

Answer 9

unit of analysis: groups
-possible that patterns of behaviour at a group level do not reflect corresponding levels on an individual level (ecological fallacy)
-often do not cover exactly what the researcher is interested in, validity
-depends heavily on quality of the statistics, problem of reliability (awareness, knowing that the problem may exist, logical reasoning, replicaiton)

Question 10

comparative and historical research

Answer 10

the examination of societies over time and in comparison with one another
-use of historical methods by sociologists, political scientists and other social scientists
-no end of data available for analysis in historical research
-researcher cannot trust the accuracy of records available
-usually qualitative method