Methods

This is my own “textbook” on how to “do” sociology from a methods perspective. This is a collection of available free chapters that students can read on specific topics regarding “doing” sociology. As I teach a course, I refer to specific sections on this list.

1. Introduction to Sociology

2. Types of Qualitative Research

3a. Biographical Research

3b. Elements of the Survey – Description

4. Designing and Selecting Samples

5. Methods – What Will You Actually Do?

6. Primary Data Collection Methods

7. The “Inside” and the “Outside” – Finding Realities in Interviews

8. Choosing a Methodology

9. Question and Questionnaire Design

10. The Differences Between Focus Groups and In-Depth Interviews During Data Collection

FURTHER READING: Phenomenology

FURTHER READING: Sociology as Science

FURTHER READING: Early Strategies: Tocqueville as Comparative Analyst

FURTHER READING: The Business of Qualitative Research

FURTHER READING: The Possibility of Analytic Dialogue between Ethnography, Conversation Analysis, and Foucault

FURTHER READING: Towards Globalization of Qualitative Research

FURTHER READING: Critical Pedagogy and Qualitative Research