Part One Review: The Information In Chapter One Of The Textb

Part Onereview The Information In Chapter One Of The Textbook On Resea

Part One review the information in chapter one of the textbook on research method and respond to the following questions. Feel free to use other sources to support your response and use the ASA format ( to cite your sources. Compare and contrast the ethnographic, survey and experimental research methods. (Length: At least 500 words totalled. Please devote about the same length when discussing each method; Max points = 24. Indicate word count at the end of your response) Part Two Listen and/or read the following podcasts and article. Reflect on the content and share your thoughts on how they have informed you (i.e., lessons learned, insights) on understanding your social relationships and experience. (Length: At least 400 words; Max points: 16. Indicate word count at the end of your response.)

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

Research methodology forms the backbone of empirical social science, providing structured approaches to understanding social phenomena. Chapter One of the textbook on research methods introduces foundational concepts and compares various research strategies, notably ethnographic, survey, and experimental methods. A comprehensive understanding of these approaches enhances the ability of researchers to select appropriate methods for their specific inquiries, ensuring validity and reliability in findings. This paper critically compares and contrasts ethnographic, survey, and experimental research methods, highlighting their unique features, strengths, and limitations, supported by scholarly literature following ASA citation style. Additionally, reflections on recent podcasts and articles broadening understanding of social relationships and misconceptions will be discussed.

Comparison of Research Methods

Ethnographic, survey, and experimental research methods are foundational yet distinct strategies used to explore social phenomena. Each approach serves different research objectives and varies in data collection techniques, scope, and applicability (Bryman, 2016).

Ethnographic Method

Ethnography is a qualitative, immersive research approach emphasizing understanding social worlds from the insider’s perspective. Researchers engage in prolonged fieldwork, often living within the community or social setting they study to gather rich, contextual data (Hammersley & Atkinson, 2007). Ethnography aims to capture the lived experiences, social interactions, norms, and cultural practices of groups, making it particularly suitable for exploratory and descriptive research.

The ethnographic approach excels in providing nuanced insights into social processes and meanings that quantitative methods might overlook. However, it faces limitations regarding generalizability due to its focus on specific contexts and smaller samples (Fetterman, 2010). Additionally, ethnography is time-consuming and demands researchers' substantial commitment, potentially introducing researcher bias.

Survey Method

Surveys utilize structured questionnaires to collect quantifiable data from a larger, representative sample of a population (Babbie, 2016). This method is advantageous for statistical analysis, making it suitable for describing patterns, relationships, and generalizations across populations. The survey method facilitates collecting data on attitudes, behaviors, and demographic factors efficiently and relatively cost-effectively.

However, surveys face challenges in ensuring validity and reliability, particularly regarding question design and response biases. The method's reliance on self-reported data can also lead to inaccuracies or social desirability bias (Dillman et al., 2014). Despite this, their capacity for broad data collection makes surveys indispensable for social research requiring generalizability.

Experimental Method

Experiments involve manipulating one or more independent variables to observe their effect on dependent variables within a controlled environment (Shadish, Cook, & Campbell, 2002). This method is primarily used to establish causal relationships, offering high internal validity. In social sciences, experiments can be conducted in laboratory or field settings, with field experiments increasing ecological validity.

Experiments' main strength lies in their ability to infer causality, which is less feasible in ethnographic or survey research. Nonetheless, experiments can face issues of external validity, especially when ecological validity is compromised in laboratory settings. Ethical concerns and practical constraints often limit the scope of experimental designs in certain social contexts.

Conclusion

In sum, ethnographic, survey, and experimental research methods each provide unique lenses through which social phenomena can be understood. Ethnography offers deep, contextual insights; surveys enable broad, generalizable findings; and experiments facilitate causal inference. Nevertheless, researchers must carefully select the method aligned with their research questions, considering methodological strengths, limitations, and ethical implications (Creswell, 2014). Combining approaches, when appropriate, can enhance the robustness of social research.

References

Babbie, E. (2016). The practice of social research (14th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods (5th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Sage.

Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D., & Christian, L. M. (2014). Internet, phone, mail, and mixed-mode surveys: The tailored design method (4th ed.). Wiley.

Fetterman, D. M. (2010). Ethnography: Step-by-step. Sage.

Hammersley, M., & Atkinson, P. (2007). Ethnography: Principles in practice (3rd ed.). Routledge.

Shadish, W. R., Cook, T. D., & Campbell, D. T. (2002). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for generalized causal inference. Houghton Mifflin.

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