Sociological research and its data sources

Description: Sociologists conduct research on many different things, including the macro-structures that organize society, such as race or ethnicity, class and gender, and institutions such as the family; social processes and change; social problems, including crime and the justice system; and micro-processes such as interpersonal interactions.

The methods that sociologists use to study these topics can be quite diverse, but many rely on survey research methods and quantitative analysis. Others employ ethnographic and other qualitative methods, such as focused interviews and group discussions. These approaches can be complementary, with results from each approach filling in results from the others. For example, the quantitative methods can describe the large or general patterns, while the qualitative approaches may help researchers understand how individuals perceive and respond to those patterns.

[Faculty content here]

Sociological data sources

historical sources | census data | survey research | field and ethnographic research

Description: Sociologists draw upon data from a variety of sources on different subjects: economy, finance, demography, health, education, crime, culture, environment, agriculture, etc. This data is gathered and made available by governments, social science scholars, and students from various disciplines. When the data are available electronically for analysis, they are typically called "data sets."

Many sociological research studies do not require the gathering of original data for analysis -- especially since there are so many agencies and researchers gathering, publishing, or otherwise distributing data all the time. Sociologists may explore, analyze, and illuminate this data in new ways for different purposes.

In instances where needed data is not available, sociologists will design a research study to gather it for analysis. This data will typically be used for multiple studies by a variety of scholars from different perspectives.

Types of sociological data sources

Historical sources
Historical sources are employed in conducting research such as 1) parallel investigation of a theory: a theory is applied or examined in various historical contexts in order to demonstrate that particular cases are actually different instances of a more general process; 2) interpretation of contrasting events: different, specific historical events are analyzed through their unique characteristics; or 3) analysis of causality at the macro level.

Census data
Statistical data of all kinds. Almost every country takes an official population census, usually once every five or ten years. And most countries take other kinds of censuses, such as agriculture, economics, industry, trade, or government. A census is scientifically designed to provide the facts and figures that the people of a country need in studying economic and social conditions and developing programs to address challenges in key areas.

Survey research
Social surveys explore issues of motivation, attitudes, values and belief, social, political and economic practices and habits of life. Survey research seeks to discover what causes some phenomenon by looking at variation in variables across cases and identifying characteristics that are systematically linked with it. Many countries have nation-wide general social surveys being conducted on a regular basis.

Field and ethnographic research
Field research takes place in a natural setting, and is conducted first-hand -- often through interviews and observations. Ethnographic research is a type of field research that provides a descriptive account of social life and culture in a defined social system, based on qualitative methods (e.g. detailed observations, unstructured interviews, analysis of documents). This method is used by anthropologists in studies of 'non-western' cultures and ethnographers for studies of sub-cultures within western societies (e.g. drug cultures, soccer hooligans, sex workers, etc.) and its institutions (e.g. the police).