Social science and methods
Social science involves scientific inquiry and therefore, the methods involved the scientific in nature. However, the social science methods are less accurate in comparison to the methods in natural science. The methods are unambiguous and deterministic as well (Bhattacherjee, 2012). In order to study a phenomenon in social sciences, various methods are employed and the common ones include observation method, case study method, field surveys, ethnographic research and action research. The purpose is to focus on empirical research. Mainly, the observations are made and thereafter, the observations are analysed. Moreover, the theoretical part of social sciences should be considered while conducting research and it is one of the challenging parts of social research. The methods has been described below-
- Observation method– The method is used by social scientists in order to gain real information through observation. The idea is to observe the behaviour of the participants in their “natural surroundings.” While observing the behaviour of participants, the researcher also records the occurrences. The social situation is mainly recorded by watching the participants of the research.
- Case study method- One of the most useful methods in social sciences is the case study method. Here, a single “case” is chosen and it also implies that the researchers choose an individual, a family or a single cultural group (Bernard, 2013). The purpose of the case study method is to conduct an in-depth study. It forms a vital part of qualitative analysis.
- Field surveys- In case of a field survey, a questionnaire are formed and the researcher distributes the questionnaire to a selected sample within the larger population. The selected sample usually represents the larger population. Data from the selected sample is collected by conducting the survey. The researcher might either go to the field or conduct the survey or he or she might conduct the survey via digital means. The accuracy of the responses matters during the survey.
- Ethnographic research- It is usually used in Anthropology, one of the social science fields. The method is used for studying a particular culture as well as their social organisation within their setting.
- Action research- Another method in social science that focuses on practical issues. The researcher is supposed to act as an analyst or critic and inquire the social problem to derive a solution.
References
Bernard, H. R. (2013). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Sage.
Bhattacherjee, A. (2012). Social science research: Principles, methods, and practices.