How to Write an Introduction for a Qualitative Research Study by Samuel Hamilton, Demand Media An introduction for a qualitative research report reveals its subject and research methods. Social scientists such as sociologists, psychologists and anthropologists use qualitative research studies to draw conclusions about a human or social problem related to their respective fields. As the subject of social scientists fundamentally resists quantification, qualitative research studies are a way to interpret behavior or attitudes. The introduction of a qualitative research study is meant to open up the report in a way that simultaneously provides an overview of the report’s conclusions as well as draws a reader into the details of the report. Step 1 Open your introduction with a statement related to the human or social problem your qualitative research study investigates.
Sociologists do not simply declare their beliefs indisputable truths – they do research to determine whether those beliefs are correct. Their investigations are rooted in the scientific method that distinguishes the sociological perspective from “commonsense” interpretations of the world. The sociological perspective emphasizes that people’s thoughts and action are strongly influenced by the groups to which they belong as well as by impinging social factors such as beliefs, values, practices and institutions. From birth to death individuals are imbedded within and influenced by groups and larger structures. As sociologists our main goal is to understand social situations and look for repeating patterns in society.
Group discussion is particularly appropriate when the interviewer has a series of open ended questions and wishes to encourage research participants to explore the issues of importance to them, in their own vocabulary, generating their own questions and pursuing their own priorities. When group dynamics work well the participants work alongside the researcher, taking the research in new and often unexpected directions. Group work also helps researchers tap
Sociologists have the ability to analyse the happenings in this world through many different methods. Each situation may call for an alternative method of observation, depending on the delicacy of the task in hand. Some research methods allow a sociologist to merge with the group that is being observed, perhaps providing them with a greater understanding of the situation they are dealing with. Other methods enable a sociologist to remain hidden or anonymous and observe from a distance. A sociologist may take the first approach when dealing with an issue such as alcohol abuse and merge with a group whose aim is to help alcoholics such as alcoholics anonymous.
For instance; we are able to learn how stereotypes are formed, why there is racism, and also how a person’s behavior changes in different types of situations. Social psychology differs from other forms of psychology because it uses a scientific method and the empirical study of social phenomenon. General and clinical psychologies both rely on anecdotal observations and subjective interpretations. Psychologists focus on different situations and the different variables that may affect social behavior. Sociology differs from social psychology because sociology specifically looks at the different social behaviors and the surrounding influences at more of a broader view.
There are several different types of interviewing that sociologists can use in their research. The most common are structured interviews and unstructured interviews. Other types include group interviewing and semi-structured interviews. Sometimes an interview will have elements of structure and elements that are less structured in it. The interview is a fairly flexible tool that can be applied in different ways in the study of different social groups and issues.
Identity, in terms of social science, is defined as the manner in which human beings associate and label themselves as part of a particular social group. People could categorize themselves into groups according to their nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class and gender to name but a few. Symbolic interactionism aims to identify how an individuals’ identity could influence as well as be influenced by their social environment. In this essay, the approaches to construct identity by Herbert Mead and Erving Goffman will briefly be outlined and discussed. It will then be argued that, although there are differences between Mead and Goffmans’ views on the sociology of identity, they are in some way complementary.
There is increasing interest in something called "phenomenological sociology." If this interest is to be sustained, indeed if this sub-discipline is to contribute to our knowledge of the social world, we must become clear on what phenomenological sociology is and can become. At present serious problems exist in the writings of many sociologists who have contributed to, and implicitly defined, this approach to sociology. In general, they display only a metaphorical understanding of phenomenology as a philosophy and as a set of methods. In addition, and partly as a result, they fail to understand the relationship between sociology and phenomenology.
Sociologists carry out their research from a number of theoretical perspectives, and depending on the views they adopt they will have different ideas about the nature of social problems and know how to solve them. Early positivist and functionalist sociologists, such as Comte and Durkheim, would argue that sociology was a science and would discover both the cause of social problems and scientifically based solutions to them. Both positivist and functionalists see social policies beneficial to society as a whole, and contribute to it running smoothly. For example, educational policies help to promote equal opportunity and reduce class boundaries. However Marxists would argue that social problems such as underachievement are simply aspects of a wider structure of class inequality, and unlike functionalists, they do not see the state and its policies beneficial to all members of society.
Quantitative research is usually used after qualitative data has been gathered and uses that information to construct its own research gathering techniques. The goal of quantitative data is to classify data or to create statistical models for explaining observations (Experiment Resources, 2012). Generally qualitative studies will use researchers as the main tool for gathering data. Researchers in qualitative studies will use interviews and other verbal communication tools to gather data; quantitative research differs from this in that it collects data from questionnaires and surveys to compile information. The distinction is made that in an interview the people involved can clarify and describe answers while, in a survey or questionnaire the participant is constrained to the descriptions provided which will be the same for each person.