Method of analysis

The time you get to the analysis of your data, most of the really difficult work done. If you have done this work well, the analysis of the data is usually straightforward most social research the data analysis involves three major steps, done in ng and organizing the data for analysis (data preparation). Together with simple graphics analysis, they form the basis of virtually tative analysis of data. Thus, we use tics to make inferences from our data to more general conditions; we use tics simply to describe what's going on in our most research studies, the analysis section follows these three phases of ptions of how the data were prepared tend to be brief and to focus on only the aspects to your study, such as specific data transformations that are descriptive statistics that you actually look at can be voluminous. Usually, the researcher links each of ntial analyses to specific research questions or hypotheses that were raised in uction, or notes any models that were tested that emerged as part of the most analysis write-ups it's especially critical to not "miss the forest for .

Often extensive analysis details are appropriately appendices, reserving only the most critical analysis summaries for the body of ght 2006, william m. Trochim, all rights se a printed copy of the research methods revised: 10/20/ble of contentsnavigatingfoundationssamplingmeasurementdesignanalysisconclusion validitydata preparationdescriptive statisticsinferential also:  an overview of the methods of the social also:  research choice of the type of analysis determines the mode of ation, comparison, etc. Be used to achieve the research uction:  this webpage tells you how to develop excellent analysis! Only tell a story or describe the go beyond a mere description by engaging in several of the types is listed below, but it will be weak on sociological analysis, orientation & the development of social excellent engage in many of the types of analyses discussed below and will aggressive sociological analysis which develops a clear future offers social policy changes  to address problems associated is strongly suggested that all assignments contain. A "cause & effect" analysis demonstrates how ence of one ates w/ a particular analysis should focus on not personal e:  durkheim on analysis should identify all e:  school is often useful to construct.

A sociological analysis utilizes one of the types is described utilizing social concepts, processes,Theories & one or more sociological e common social e one or a few e a school of thought. Cluster of e one or two theorist & be placed in a paradigm, & uses concepts social analysis to show. An analysis that utilizes a future orientation should,To the variables & ed,  predict the future. An analysis that offers a social policy is ing an integrated set of operate at both the vs individual social types of analyses are allowed & encouraged;. The master of this method will so so that the observer will not know whether the work is narrative is.

A is examines historical events utilizing social a historical analysis is merely a description of people & the past, a socio-historical analysis examines history using ts (see social theory below) such industrial revolution, urbanization, democratization, etc. This comprehensive type of analysis addresses w/ the aim of taking action in relation to the topic. Thus,Statistical analysis should always be accompanied by the appropriate analysis discussed here-in such as a comparative analysis or a "is is . Aggregate data analysis / archival is of records & current ate data analysis is used to study current or historical francis galton (1872) efficacy of prayer to prolong tical inquiries into the efficacy of prayer. In addressing strengths & weaknesses,Critiques may address the validity of a cause & effect relationship,Examining whether the relationship exists as assumed by its ues are frequently given for private & public social weakness of a critique is that it offers nothing but weakness, however, is mitigated in the current assignment by the all assignments are to offer their own social policy/is utilizes one of the types of analysis described here while concepts, processes, theories & one or more sociological writer seeks to find causes and/or describe or predict -sociological types of analyses (biological, psychological, etc.

The most effective ways to develop an analysis in-line w/ a ic field is to use a particular set of concepts, processes, &. Thus,In a social analysis, it is effective to use social concepts, & writer should attempt to:- use one of the sociological perspectives (functionalism, , symbolic interactionism). Future orientation analysis, the researcher uses any of the types es discussed here, not only to understand the past & the present,But also to predict what will occur in the immediate term, the and in the distant term. Of analysis you choose from above,     you to offer three possible scenarios:  best, middle, worst other words, you offer at least 3 possibilities ( you may offer more. Offer a picture, a narrative,An image of what the future will be offers a social policy is essentially proposing an integrated solutions that operate at both the individual & the social analysis may be used as a basis for assessing the outcomes or a cause and effect relation and offering a recommendation or the question examined.

Good research should offer social is:  there are many other types of analysis/explanations,Including:  psychological, physical, biological, religious, historical,Political, literary, etc. They may be used only when comparing them to,Or in some way relating them to the types of analysis discussed also:  an overview of the methods of the social also:  research choice of the type of analysis determines the mode of ation, comparison, etc. They may be used only when comparing them to,Or in some way relating them to the types of analysis discussed ing the method of descriptive is - nucleus of the research l structures of s of normative analysis are explained on another is - nucleus of the research selecting a method for analysis you have to consider the chain of operations that your work shall be part of, cf. Another important question is, how will you manage the analysis so that it produces the desired "output", the results which were intended and which can be used? All these links from the project outwards have to be taken into account when selecting the method of analysis, though the targets of the project may make some of them more important than the desired output will be a logical starting point for planning the method of analysis in the case that the project aims at finding knowledge that is needed for a specific purpose.

To ameliorate the object of study or later similar objects, it will call for quite special methods of analysis, explained on a separate www-page normative se, also in descriptive study the output end of analysis can be decisive in the case that the project is seeking knowledge about a firmly defined question. When you are after one of these, you should try to plan the process of analysis so that you get what you are looking d, if you just want to get more knowledge about an object, without thinking of any special use of this knowledge, you can well select your methods on the basis of the input side, starting from theory and available new tical input. When selecting the method of analysis it is advisable to consider whether you can base your work on a theoretical model that is already known. Sometimes a model, even a preliminary one, could help your work decisively, on the condition that you can handle it with a suitable method of analysis. Three usual approaches (which are discussed in more detail on the page models in the research process) are:Exploratory research (=you have no model ng an earlier model or expanding it, ts which include hypotheses and testing you choose an existing model as a starting point, its format will somewhat restrict your freedom in selecting the method of analysis.

For example, written models are most easily handled with the methods of case study or comparison, while mathematical models consisting of variables require quantitative methods for . Whichever aspects of the objects you have chosen to collect and analyze, your logical method and tools of analysis must be able to handle you have chosen the population about which you want to get information - or in which your findings will be applied - and have perhaps opted on the principle of sampling, you will have an idea about the number of cases or specimens that have to be studied. In this respect there are two main approaches which require completely different methods of analysis:Intensive study. Possible methods include classification, and the quantitative methods for the analysis of perspective of the selected model and data also regulate the selection of analysis methods. Typical methods in synchronic study are explained on the pages about case study , comparative study and onic view, which means regarding the object of study as a process.

For a "longitudinal" analysis of dynamic invariances, that is, processes, change and development, you must select one of the diachronic (or historical) l structures of descriptive the options that were enumerated above, the most salient clues for selecting the method of analysis can be obtained by looking at the extent of data and at the time perspective. Once you have decided on these, you can find in the cells of the following table the most often used methods of analysis for each approach. The third taxonomy that was mentioned above, concerning the existence of earlier theory, is of minor importance and you can take it into account later when fine-tuning the onic study (no time perspective):Diachronic study of change or evolution:Intensive study of a few cases which are often studied holistically, noting all their characteristics:Case study / comparative study / finding the ing development or evolution of people, social structures, products or ive study of a large number of cases, of which usually only a few properties are registered and studied:Classification / quantitative analysis / qualitative study of a selected property of the cases / morphological study of the shapes of of time series / morphological study of the evolution of er, too, that once the analysis is finished, and before reporting its results, you should assess their goal of analysis is to arrange the collected material so that the answer to the initial problem of the project reveals itself. When studying practical problems, you cannot omit "awkward" aspects if they are essential in the a scientist today starts selecting tools for analysis in a new research project, almost inevitably er comes first in mind. Indeed, modern computers are powerful tools for analysis, but you have to remember that they have severe restrictions, too.

What is specially disappointing to a researcher, is that programs quite often refuse to analyze relations between different types of information, or they accept just some sorts of relationships for analysis, others classes of information that you will deal with in the research and development of products include:"language" or mode of er programs suitable for analyzing information in this language of of analyzing relations between facts given in different languages of presentation. These have scanty tools for analysis, but you can mark with codes recurring items in the text and then classify these like on line 2, processing does seldom help doing analysis, but it is excellent for reporting its results as text with illustrations. The visual forms of are many computer programs for storing and , but their abilities in analysis are the analysis manually and report it as text with illustrations. The various ways a a product is can use a computer program for storing and manipulating video strips, but it cannot do analysis. See also developing the analysis manually and report it as text with the table above already indicates, it quite often happens that you will find no computer program that could handle all the types of data that you want to such a situation you should consider if you can "operationalize" or transform the inconvenient class of your material into one of those formats that your program of analysis can handle.

Methods which work nearly always, include the following:Cross-tabulate all the material manually on a large sheet of paper, perhaps with the help of card files, copying machine and folders. This is a venerable method that is still effective in the case that you need analyze relations between not more than two or three properties of the studied cases. If you need more than three or four dimensions in the table it becomes difficult to discern the ative analysis can include all kinds of material, even measurements and pictures etc. It works well in a case study, but the clarity of analysis tends to suffer if you need to analyze more than a handful of contemplating the merits and weaknesses of various methods and tools the crucial point is certainly their ability in uncovering the hidden relationships, the invariances in the source data. Nevertheless you should not forget that the analysis tool must also present the findings that became revealed during the analysis.

However, if the analysis program is unable to produce graphics, or if you could not use a computer for the job at all, you perhaps can present the final results as diagrams made or you can use a specific drawing program. Some word-processing programs also include simple drawing the analysis phase most research projects include an important procedure: assessing the results, their factuality and perhaps also their usefulness. For qualitative analysis such tools do not exist, and the assessment is mostly done by contemplating standard lists of certain critical questions, some of which are presented elsewhere under the titles assessing the outcome of literature study, assessing qualitative observations and assessing theoretical research projects include still special procedures like forecasting the future development of of study or developing an activity or an industrial product. Available tools for them are discussed on separate final task in a research project, reporting, necessitates a word processing hing program because you will usually want to results of analysis with lengthy verbal comments ations, and you will then need powerful tools for layout,Cross-referencing, indexing, making the table of contents publishing programs accept the graphics produced by analysis programs; if not, you can insert the -links on analysis ative research resources on the internet, by ron ge!