Do you know anything about the Maasai people? Take a minute and click on the who, what, and why images to learn more about the people and their culture.

Source: Factsheet

Now, watch this video about Richard Turere, who is a member of the Maasai tribe:

Before watching the video, you may have thought that you had nothing in common with Richard Turere or the Maasai people - but, is that actually true?

Task: Contribute one example (in each section) to each of the three different Venn Diagrams to compare and contrast what you have learned about behaviour, society, and culture.

 

Venn_Behaviour_Society_Culture

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The Social Science Inquiry Model 

Collecting research in the social sciences occurs in different ways, using different research methods. Researchers in each discipline collect data using research methods that are special to their subject(s). But all social science researchers - regardless of the discipline - use the same steps in their research plans.

Whether they are studying behaviour, society, or culture, social scientists all take a systematic approach in their studies. A systematic approach means that all researchers follow the same, clearly defined, steps when they approach their investigations. Speaking of steps, working through the Social Science Inquiry Model is similar to walking up a set of stairs - you must complete one step before advancing to the next! 

As we work through an example of the Inquiry Model, you will be able to draw from your bank - your knowledge bank, that is. You will notice that the knowledge and understanding of key topics (e.g., ethics, critical literacy, questioning skills, etc.) that you have already gained in this course will help you better understand each of the steps involved in the process.

Step 1: Define The Question

After identifying a topic that they are interested in, or curious about, researchers must define the question that they will investigate - the question that drives the research. Throughout the investigation, the research that is collected by these social scientists will be used to try to answer the research question. As you see, the research question is very important because it establishes the framework or structure that shapes all the other steps in the research project.

What Makes a Good Research Question?

Below are the criteria for good research questions.

Focus 

The research question must include:

• references to the researcher's topic, itself (e.g., teenagers and future plans, or teenagers and goal setting); and 

• the key parameters (conditions) of the research (e.g., Who is being studied? Location of the study? Timeframe? Ages? Gender or sex?, etc.).

Clarity

The research question must:

• be written in plain and simple language; and
• not include words or terms that people may not understand (e.g., slang or jargon).

Richness

The research question must:

• be presented in an interesting way (to make people curious enough to want to participate in your study/research);
• not be too general/broad or too narrow/specific;
• start with ‘why,’ ‘how,’ and ‘what,’ to ensure a research process (and it must be an open-ended question!);
• not contain unproven, negative, or stereotypical assumptions about other people, groups, or cultures (recall the topics of ethnocentrism and critical literacy!); and
• not be a leading question (i.e., a question that influences subjects’ responses). For example, if you asked, "What are the negative effects of playing video games?" your study would not be objective because you would not be investigating different - positive - effects of video games, as well. Instead, the question could be better worded as, "What are the impacts or consequences of playing video games?"

Relevance And Impact

The research question will:

• be an important topic to the researcher(s) and the people that are involved in the study; and
• provide useful answers and information that can make the world a better place (e.g., build empathy and awareness).

Feasibility

The research question will:

• be able to be answered within a specific time frame and with resources that are available.

Source: Adapted from Students as Researchers Toolkit

Step 2: Hypothesize

Step 2 requires researchers to prepare for the research that they will gather. What predictions can be made about the research and findings? Be careful though! Researchers need to stay objective - they need to avoid confirmation biases, or looking for research that confirms what they already think, know, or have predicted. 

Step 3: Gather Information

Next, researchers must determine how they will gather some research and information about their topic. This is called the data collection process. There are many different types of research methods, or ways of collecting data, that are available. Some research methods are associated with each specific discipline; you will learn more about those specific research methods as you progress throughout the course. However, here is a (general) overview of three different data collection methods.

• Quantitative methods use numbers (e.g., surveys, height, weight, age, hormone levels, demographics, etc.) and data (often collected through surveys) to capture overall trends and often uses statistics to show the findings (e.g., How many times a day do you use social media?).
• Qualitative methods are descriptive and capture people’s feelings, experiences, and views, in more detail and often use words (i.e., descriptions or explanations) to display findings (e.g., How do you feel when someone posts a picture on social media?).
• A mixed method approach uses a combination of the methods (uses strengths from each of the methods).

Step 4: Data Analysis And Conclusions

This step requires researchers to review the information that they have collected to be able to answer the research question and understand the significance of their findings. At this point, researchers review their data and look for connections, patterns, and trends in the data that they have gathered. They also look for atypical cases, called outliers; these unique cases can skew (definition: Suddenly change direction or position) the results of the study. It is important that researchers consider all their results (not just those that seem the most interesting) so that they can get a big picture of what they have found. After they have looked at all the results researchers code or label the data with themes or emerging issues. After the analysis is complete, the data is referred to as research results, evidence, facts, or knowledge.

Step 5: Recommendations - Spreading The Knowledge

Remember that researchers study people, society, and culture to ultimately make the world a better place (e.g., build empathy, compassion, awareness, etc.) so it is important that they share their (new) knowledge with the world. How do they do this? The results of research may be published in journals, newspapers, online sources, etc. Spreading the word about the evidence gathered using the Social Science Inquiry Model is helping to make the world a better place.

Source: Adapted from Students as Researchers Toolkit

Applying the Social Science Inquiry Model

These social scientists are curious to understand how social media accounts influence peer interactions. We will follow their research plan as they take the steps through the Social Science Inquiry Model.

As you follow in their (research) steps you will be asked some questions. Be sure to write down the answers to the questions throughout the interactive.

SocialScienceInquiryModel

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(Discipline Specific) Research Methods

Although social scientists all use the Social Science Inquiry method, specific research methods are used more often, or are favoured, by researchers in the different disciplines.

Click to learn the definition of each of the research methods.

disciplineDefinitions

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