Social Science Inquiry Model

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Social Science Inquiry Model
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Scientific inquiry has 5 steps

• Identify a problem
• Develop a hypothesis
• Gather data
• Analyze the data
• Draw conclusions

3
Identify the problem or question

• Initial investigation of topic of interest
• Conduct preliminary research
• We call this the literature review
• Example You may be interested to learn what
  methods of study lead to better exam results.

4
Develop a hypothesis

• A possible answer to the initial question that
  guides your research by indicating what would
  confirm or disprove the experiment
• Needs to be concise
• Arguable
• Requires research
• Can be tested
• Example You may hypothesize that studying with
  friends leads to improved exam results.

5
Gather data

• (A) Secondary research- what is already known
  about the topic (other peoples research and
  statistics)
• (B) Primary research your own experiments, etc
• Example You may choose to conduct an experiment
  that compares the exam results of those who
  studied by themselves to those who studied with
  friends.

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Gathering Data continued...

• Qualitative Data
• Data

• Quantitative Data

7
Analyze the data

• Tally the results
• Organize them into tabular form
• Present them as graphs
• Interpret the results
• Example the results of your studying experiment
  could be organized into the form of a graph
  showing the relationship between studying with
  friends vs. studying solo. A graph would allow a
  researcher to identify any trends or patterns
  that exist.

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Draw conclusions

• Did the study support the hypothesis?
• Is it consistent with the secondary research?
• What were the limitations and flaws?
• Recommendations for future research
• Example Based on the analysis of data, the
  researcher may determine the studying with
  friends does improve exam results. When students
  study together, they are able to question each
  other and help each other learn the material.
  Talking about what you are learning actually
  helps you learn better.

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Be Mindful of the Placebo Effect! When a Subject
gives the response they believe the Researcher is
expecting... In many experiments, there is a
Control group and a Placebo group. Both are given
similar situations with slight differences and
then compared. Produces much more reliable
results.
http//www.youtube.com/watch?vyfRVCaA5o18