Methodology of Social Research

Paper Code: 
SOC222
Credits: 
4
Contact Hours: 
60.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 

The course plan aims to provide exposure to the fundamentals of various research techniques and methods. It tries to build upon the basic assumptions in adopting different methodologies for different kinds of research themes. It introduces certain philosophical ideas underlying the emergence of different methodologies in social sciences. It also attempts to sensitize the students to develop a critical outlook at the existing perspectives and methods and to evolve conceptual clarity, which can help them in their future research

12.00
Unit I: 
  • Meaning, Scope and Ethics of Social research
  • Approaches to Social Research: Positivist, Interpretive and Critical
12.00
Unit II: 
  • Logic in Social Inquiry: Elements of Logic, Types of Logical Explanations-Deductive, Inductive and Retroductive
  • Meaning, Components – Concept, Variable, Hypothesis and Process of Building Theory; Models and Paradigms: Meaning, Functions and Types
12.00
Unit III: 
  • Research Design: Elements, Types –Descriptive, Explanatory and Experimental; Measurement: Meaning and Levels of Measurement
  • Sampling in Social Research: Probability and NonProbability Types of Sampling, Sample Size, Sources of Sampling and Non Sampling Errors
12.00
Unit IV: 
  • Data Collection Techniques: Questionnaire, Observation, Interview Guide, Case Study and Content Analysis
  •  Methodological Dialectics of Social Research
12.00
Unit V: 
  • Triangulation (Mixing Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies): Meaning, Characteristics of Mixed Methods Research, Comparison Between Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Research
  • Writing Social Research Report: Organization of Research Report; Use of Books, Journals, Research Reports and Internet
References: 
  • Barnes, John A, 1979: Who Should Know What? Social Science, Privacy and Ethics, Harmondsworth: Penguin

 

  • Bose, Pradip Kumar, 1995: Research Methodology, New Delhi: ICSSR

 

 

  • Bryman, Alan, 1988: Quality and Quantity in Social Research, London: Unwin Hyman

 

  • Hughes, John, 1987: The Philosophy of Social Research, London: George Relen and Unwin

 

 

  • Madge, John, 1970: The Origins of Scientific Sociology, London: Tavistock

 

  • Popper, K., 1999: The Logic of Scientific Discovery, London: Routledge

 

 

  • Shipman, Martin, 1988: The Limitations of Social Research, London: Longman

 

  • Sjober, Gideon and Roger Nett, 1997: Methodology for Social Research, Jaipur
Academic Session: 
2019-20
  • Printer-friendly version
  • PDF version