B_PSV Sociological Research Practice

University of Finance and Administration
Summer 2013
Extent and Intensity
1/2. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
prof. PhDr. Petr Matějů, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Petr Matějů, Ph.D.
Subdepartment of Management and Marketing – Department of Economics and Management – Departments – University of Finance and Administration
Contact Person: Bc. Jan Peterec
Timetable of Seminar Groups
B_PSV/cSPH: Tue 12:15–12:59 E401, Tue 13:00–13:45 E401, P. Matějů
B_PSV/pSPH: each even Tuesday 10:30–11:14 E401, each even Tuesday 11:15–12:00 E401, P. Matějů
Prerequisites
Introduction to Sociology
Introduction to Statistics
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
Course objectives
The main objective of the course is to make students familiar with key steps of sociological research, particularly quantitative one (qualitative research will be taught in the third semester). Students will be guided to understand the logic of social research from its beginning (setting the research topic and question, performing desk research) to its final stage (designing analysis of data). In seminars, using the examples of real research projects, student will learn how to prepare their own mini-project. The course will be coordinated with two other courses taught in the same semester, namely „Methods of sociological research“ (B_MSV) and “Introduction to quantitative analysis of data from sociological surveys” (B_ZKA). Successful graduates of the course will know how to:
1. set the main topic of the research
2. find relevant information for the specification of research question and theoretical hypotheses 3. formulate research question and research hypotheses
4. operationalize complex concepts and notions into variables
5. decide about sampling strategy
6. prepare a simple questionnaire
7. propose classifications (education, class, etc.)
8. design data matrix
9. propose a strategy for data analysis
Syllabus
  • 1. Research project in sociology: its main purpose and stages, the role of theory, research problem, research question(s), research hypotheses, data collection and data analysis.
  • 2. The role of theory and literature review: elaborating the main topic of the research, where and how to find papers and books addressing the same or similar problem, performing literature review, practicing search of paper for a given topic or problem.
  • 3. „Desk research“ and secondary data analysis – where to find documentation for existing research projects on the same topic, where and how to get data from sociological surveys (data archives), why and how to use official statistics. Practicing on-line search of literature and data (scholar.google.cz, Proquest, JSTOR, etc.).
  • 4. From a problem to a hypothesis. The role of hypotheses in social research, types of hypotheses, rules for the formulation of hypotheses, practicing the formulation of hypotheses for own research project.
  • 5. Reduction of reality in research and the logic of empirical research: open vs. closed systems, types of relationships, potential biases, experiments in sociology – possibilities and potential risks, types of experiments.
  • 6. Main stages of a quantitative empirical survey: decision regarding the target population and the sample, methods of data collection, designing instruments for data collection, pilot study, field study, data file preparation, data analysis, interpretation of results, and conclusions (back to the theory).
  • 7. Types of samples, decision about the sample size, consequences of the choice of sample type and size of the sample for subsequent stages of the project, meaning of the representativity, survey costs related to the type and size of the sample. Practicing decisions about sample size based on expected quality of data.
  • 8. Designing the questionnaire. Types of questions, batteries of questions, sensitive questions, types of biases related to specific questions. Questionnaire as a “scenario”, the art of asking questions, types of surveys (face-to-face, mail, on-line, CAPI, CAWI, etc.). The role of interviewer in face-to-face survey. Scaling. Practicing formulation of questions for the given research topic and question.
  • 9. Standardized classifications for education, class, socio-economic status, prestige, etc. Standard questions assessing basic “demographic” variables. 10. Data collection (fieldwork) and preparation of data file. Coding and data entry, method of the preparation of the data file. Primary and secondary controls of data, weighting, identification of out-of-range values and setting missing values, labeling variables and values.
  • 11. Preparation of data documentation, checking distributions of variables, assessing data consistency, identification of relationships, assessing validity and reliability of scales. Practicing primary data analysis by SPSS procedure EXPLORE.
  • 12. Planning data analysis and hypotheses testing. Basic rules for selecting appropriate statistical method for the given type of question (hypothesis) and variables entering the analysis.
Literature
    required literature
  • 1. Disman, M.: Jak se vyrábí sociologická znalost. Praha: Karolinum, 2002. ISBN 80-246-0139-7
  • 2. Zich, F.: Úvod do sociologického výzkumu. Praha: VŠFS – Eupress, 2008. ISBN 80-86754-19-7.
    recommended literature
  • 3. Punch, K.: Úspěšný návrh výzkumu. Praha: Portál: 2006. ISBN: 978/80/7367-468-7
Teaching methods
Lectures and seminars in full-time study, tutorials in part-time study; compulsory seminar participation is 75% in full-time study, compulsory tutorial participation is 50% in part-time study. In full-time study, every topic will be covered by a lecture and a seminar. Lectures will be based on presentations of individual topics by the lecturer followed by a discussion. Seminars will be based on presentations prepared by students (usually 2 presentations per seminar, each about 20 minutes long, followed by a discussion). Presentations will draw primarily on assigned readings and other related material of the student’s own choice. Every student must sign up for at least 2 seminar presentations to be eligible to submit a final paper.
Assessment methods
To get a credit the student is required:
1. To attend seminars (min. 75%) and present there at least two times.
2.Submit a final project of the research on the selected topic of his/her own choice approved by the instructor. The project will consist of the following parts:
a) Setting and justify the main topic (problem)
b) Previous research projects on the same or similar topics
c) Formulation of research question(s)
d) Formulation of research hypotheses
e) Operationalization of concepts
f) Target population
g) Sampling method and sample size
h) Proposed questionnaire
i) Proposed data matrix
j) Proposed design of the analysis
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
General note: Bb1.
The course is also listed under the following terms summer 2012, Summer 2014, Summer 2015.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Summer 2013, recent)
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