Western Illinois University LibGuides - Soc100Y-Tollini

About Sociological Research

Sociology is the scientific or systematic study of human societies. It is a branch of social science (with which it is informally synonymous) that uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop and refine a body of knowledge about human social structure and activity, often with the goal of applying such knowledge to the pursuit of social welfare. Its subject matter ranges from the micro level of face-to-face interaction to the macro level of societies at large.

Sociology is a broad discipline in terms of both methodology and subject matter. Its traditional focuses have included social stratification (or class), social relations, social interaction, religion, modernity, culture and deviance, and its approaches have included both qualitative and quantitative research techniques. As much of what humans do fits under the category of social structure or social activity, sociology has gradually expanded its focus to further subjects, such as medical, military and penal organizations, the mass media, and even the role of social activity in the creation of scientific knowledge.

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Need Ideas?

Are you having problems coming up with a topic?

•Look at published articles in:

  American Sociological Review
  Sociological Focus
many others...

•Scan a textbook or reference book for a topic; get an overview plus some possible sources:

  Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology
    REF. HM425 .B53 2007
  Survey of Social Science: Sociology
    Ref HM17 .S86 1994

What is empirical research?

There are many sociology articles that are valuable but are not empirical: theoretical discussions, literature reviews that summarize all the research on a topic, etc.

However, for this assignment you need an article that discusses an empirical study. Merriam Webster's Dictionary defines empirical as:

1 : originating in or based on observation or experience
2 : relying on experience or observation alone often without due regard for system and theory
3 : capable of being verified or disproved by observation or experiment
4 : of or relating to empiricism

A sociology article is only empirical if a reader is given enough information to be able to repeat the study and either verify or disprove it. Therefore, the following elements should be present:

hypothesis
methodology
variables
sampling procedure
sample
data collection technique

These items are details that you need to identify and label for your assignment, as well as the article's major findings and the limitations of the study.