Social Inquiry Research Seminar

Required for graduate students This course presents the wide range of alternative research methods available to and widely used by the social researcher. Among those considered are the following: survey research, observational field research, intensive interviewing, experimental research, historical analysis, and content analysis. Considerable attention will be given to comparisons among these alternative methods, to an assessment of the relative strengths and limitations of each, and to issues related to research design and proposal writing. In the context of these alternative research methods, attention will be given to problem formulation, measurement, reliability, validity, sampling, and ethical considerations.