STEPS IN SOCIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION:Exploration/Consultation

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Introduction to Sociology SOC101

Lesson 5

STEPS IN SOCIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION

The research process requires a sequence of steps. By and large, the following steps are undertaken in a

sociological investigation.

1. Broad Area of Interest Identified: Broad problem area refers to the entire situation where one

sees a possible need for research and problem solving. The specific issues that need to be

researched within this situation may not be identified at this stage. For example the broad area of

interest may be the entire field of education, or within education could be the examination system,

student teacher relations, the extra-curricula activities, course contents, and so on. Within the

broad area of education, look at one observation about the mass failure of students in their

graduate examination of different universities. Such identification may be based on ones

experiences and or on general observations in which one may have sensed that certain changes are

occurring or certain changes need to take place for the improvement of the situation. When the

observed phenomena are seen to have potentially important consequences, then one could proceed

to the next step.

2. Exploration/Consultation: This step involves preliminary information gathering on the issue

that has been observed. In our example of students' mass failure at graduate level, this could be

done by having informal consultations with several people in the education department (teachers,

examiners, administrators), students, as well as with their parents exploring the perceived reasons

for the existing situation. Additionally one could go to Internet and see if some previous studies

relevant to the issue have been conducted nationally or internationally. Professional journals,

research reports, students research work in the library could be a big help in clearly identification of

the research problem.

3. Problem Definition: Problem definition or problem statement, as it is often referred to, is a clear,

precise, and succinct statement of the question or issue that is to be investigated with the goal of finding an answer or

solution. In our example, problem definition could pertain to finding the reasons for such a mass

failure of students at the graduate level.

4. Theoretical Framework: Theoretical framework is an attempt to integrate all information in a

logical manner, so that the factors responsible for the problem can be conceptualized and tested.

In this step the critical factors are examined as to their contribution or influence in explaining why

the problem occurs and how it can be solved. The network of associations identified among

different factors (variables) would then be theoretically woven together with justification as to why

they might influence the problem under study. This will give us a theoretical model of the study.

5. Hypothesis (es)/ Research Question (s): The formulation of hypothesis (which is a testable

statement) or a number of hypotheses is the next logical step. From the theorized network of

associations among the factors (variables), certain testable hypothesis or hypotheses can be

generated. In place of hypothesis one could also go for the formulation a question or questions to

be researched. For example is students' mass failure due the existing examination system? Is mass

failure due to the existing study patterns of the students? One could go for many more questions.

6. Research Design: At this stage the researcher spells out the procedure for data collection with

the help of which the formulated hypothesis could be tested or the answers to the questions could

be found. The researcher clearly tells whether he will set up an experiment, or conduct a survey, or

follow some other technique of data collection. He will also tell what tools of data collection will

be used and how the data shall be analyzed.

7. Data Collection: Once the technique of data collection has been finalized then the next step is the

actual data collection in the field.

Introduction to Sociology SOC101

8. Testing the Hypothesis (es) / Answering question (s): Once the data have been collected

then it has to be processed, analyzed, and hypothesis (es) tested. The same data is to be used to see

the extent to which it is possible to find answers to the research questions. In our example the data

are likely help in identifying the factors for the mass failure of students.

9. Report Writing: Report writing is the last step, which is expected to contain information on each

one of the steps that was taken for carrying out this research process. On the basis of the results of

the study one could diagnose the forces operating in the students' mass failure in our example.

This diagnosis will be utilized for making recommendations for the solution of the problem that

was in focus.

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