The Practice of Social Research

Chapter Eleven.  Unobtrusive Research

Preview

INTRODUCTION TO UNOBTRUSIVE RESEARCH
CONTENT ANALYSIS
    Topics Appropriate to Content Analysis
    Sampling in Content Analysis
    Coding in Content Analysis
    Illustrations of Content Analysis
    Strengths and Weaknesses of Content Analysis
ANALYZING EXISTING STATISTICS
    An Illustration of the Analysis of Existing Statistics: Durkheim’s Study of Suicide
    Units of Analysis
    Problems of Validity
    Problems of Reliability
    Sources of Existing Statistics
HISTORICAL/COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
    Examples of Historical/Comparative Analysis
    Sources of Historical/Comparative Data
    Analytical Techniques
 


Web Resources

U. S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States
    http://www.census.gov/statab/www/

Colorado State University, Content Analysis
    http://writing.colostate.edu/references/research/content/

ASA, Comparative and Historical Sociology
    http://www.comphistsoc.org/