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Why Understanding Research Methods is Important
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About the lecture
In this lecture, we think about why research methods are so important to understand, focusing in particular on: (i) a function of research methods being to enable the testing of the social world; (ii) a secondary function of research methods being to structure the adherence of scientific method to rules and guidelines; (iii) a modern function of research methods understanding being to better enable the reader to discern good from bad information sources; (iv) ‘anti-vaxxers’ as an example of a group of people who had chosen to follow the teachings of proposals and research which did not meet the research methods standards that much of science is held to; (v) an instrumentalist view on the importance of understanding research methods being to enable an individual to evaluate studies, design and conduct research, identify sound and spurious research, and be highly employable.
About the lecturer
Dr Rodolfo Leyva is a lecturer in quantitative methods in the Department of Social Policy, Sociology and Criminology at the University of Birmingham. Dr Leyva’s research interests are in experimental social science, direct democracy and civil disobedience. Some of Dr Leyva’s recent publications include ‘Media Ethics, Regulations, And Effects: How The British Right-Wing Press Disregards All Three & Undermines Democratic Deliberations’ (2020) and ‘Testing & Unpacking The Effects Of Digital Fake News On Presidential Candidate Evaluations & Voter Support.’ (2020).
Hello. My name is Doctor,
00:00:06for short. I'm a lecturer in quantitative methods at the University of Birmingham.
00:00:09And throughout this course, I'm going to
00:00:12provide you with an overview and foundational
00:00:14understanding of some of the key concepts,
00:00:17considerations,
00:00:19steps and methods involved in sociological research in particular,
00:00:20Uh, and in the social and behavioural sciences More broadly,
00:00:24but, uh, before I do, I need to quickly, uh, address the the elephant in the room,
00:00:27which is that,
00:00:30research methods are not the most exciting topic to
00:00:31to turn about or to teach about that,
00:00:34for that matter.
00:00:36Um, indeed, it's a really highly technical subject that requires
00:00:37the rehearsal of tedious procedures and, uh, mind numbing attention to detail.
00:00:42Uh, hence I get why students tend to find this topic, uh, boring,
00:00:47Especially when compared to the more kind of like, um, let's say,
00:00:51stimulating or exciting, Uh, sociological like, uh,
00:00:54concepts and and theories that socio
00:00:56sociologists have developed.
00:00:58Um, it's certainly more. For example, Uh, I think
00:01:00stimulating to learn about how capitalism, um, is destroying the environment.
00:01:03Um, then they just learn about the methods for sampling,
00:01:07collecting and analysing the data that allows us
00:01:10to make that claim in the first place.
00:01:12Um
00:01:14and
00:01:15so,
00:01:17uh, I I I get that. But, uh, that's it.
00:01:17I I want to sort of quickly make the case for
00:01:20why research methods are important and why I think that,
00:01:22you and really everyone should study them in earnest.
00:01:26So
00:01:29with, uh, to start with,
00:01:30uh, research methods are what allow us, uh, as human beings to,
00:01:31rigorously test our theories and explanations about the natural and social world,
00:01:36Uh, including the various types of weird human behaviours.
00:01:40Um,
00:01:43if, uh, if we did not have this kind of tool at our disposal, um, then anything,
00:01:45for example, that, uh, academics,
00:01:49academic scientists teach you would be no more valid, uh, reliable, uh,
00:01:51convincing or demonstrable than, say,
00:01:55fortune telling or anything reported by the daily Mail, right?
00:01:57Or conspiracy theorist.
00:02:00Uh,
00:02:01so to be certain, it is a strict adherence to sound and replicable research.
00:02:02Uh, that
00:02:06has enabled. Right? Um uh, uh.
00:02:07Progress has enabled us to progress our our scientific understandings about both,
00:02:09um, ourselves and and the social world around us, which have in turn improved, uh,
00:02:13and will continue to improve and extend and
00:02:18enrich the lives of everyone on this planet.
00:02:21And so, you know, that's kind of why, uh, you know, sort of research meant this,
00:02:23you know, matters now for for why I think that you and everyone should study them.
00:02:27Well, this is partly because it helps to keep me in the job.
00:02:31Uh, but also, mostly because, uh,
00:02:34people, including you nowadays are inundated with information at, uh,
00:02:37more so and more frequently and more, uh,
00:02:42voluminously than at any other point kind of in human history.
00:02:45Now, this can certainly be beneficial and lead to kind of like any number of of, uh,
00:02:48positive, scientific and and societal outcomes.
00:02:52But only if people are equipped with the
00:02:54critical faculties and technical expertise that is needed
00:02:57to be able to discern, uh,
00:03:00scientific and well researched information from badly
00:03:01researched and unsupported or unsubstantiated information.
00:03:04Uh, without these key competencies, um,
00:03:08people run the risk of conflating research with, uh,
00:03:11watching crackpot documentaries on YouTube, right?
00:03:13Or or uh, reading anecdotal kind of accounts on the Internet or or social media?
00:03:16Um, and then acting on that information, uh, which may be potentially dangerous.
00:03:21So for for example, just you know, in the last two years, uh, people known as anti vacc
00:03:25have, uh, avoided, uh, refused to sort of, uh, have died, Uh, because they refuse to,
00:03:30uh, take the vaccine based on under their supposed research.
00:03:36Which starts to consisted of,
00:03:39uh, reading kind of reddit boards, right?
00:03:40Or or Facebook posts, um, of articles written by, you know, quack charlatans,
00:03:42or or or just playing morons.
00:03:47To be perfectly honest,
00:03:49um, and just several 1000 people have died because, you know,
00:03:50this is faulty information.
00:03:53Um, hence the understanding, at least of the basics of research methods,
00:03:55can help equip
00:03:58you with the critical faculties and technical expertise
00:03:59so that even if you, uh, can't run a particular study yourself, uh,
00:04:02or test the validity of a particular claim,
00:04:06you'll be able to make a more informed
00:04:09and and cautious evaluation of their credibility.
00:04:10this will in turn help you to learn when to discern and follow trustworthy advice.
00:04:14And when to ignore, uh, you know, uh, gibber,
00:04:17right, Rubbish. In addition to that, lets come from more instrumentalist view.
00:04:20Uh, studying and understanding Research methods will allow you to, uh,
00:04:24evaluate the merits and limitations of social and behavioural, um,
00:04:28science studies and even other natural sciences to to a considerable extent,
00:04:30uh, design and conduct your own empirical research.
00:04:35Uh, give recommendations, uh, design interventions, construct policies and, uh,
00:04:38enter debates with solid arguments backed up by strong evidence
00:04:42and identify and be informed by sound scientific research
00:04:46and spot and ignore pure research and misinformation.
00:04:49And lastly,
00:04:53uh, gaining a mastery of research methods.
00:04:54Uh, especially quantitative ones, uh, will make you highly employable.
00:04:56So, though
00:05:00personally,
00:05:01I think that you should study and learn research methods
00:05:02for the other reasons that I have kind of rehearsed,
00:05:03uh, you know, it it it it is kind of AAA highly kind of transferrable skill set.
00:05:06Uh, that will make you
00:05:10considerably more employable.
00:05:13
Cite this Lecture
APA style
Leyva, R. (2023, May 10). The Process of Research - Why Understanding Research Methods is Important [Video]. MASSOLIT. https://massolit.io/options/the-process-of-research?auth=0&lesson=14713&option=16777&type=lesson
MLA style
Leyva, R. "The Process of Research – Why Understanding Research Methods is Important." MASSOLIT, uploaded by MASSOLIT, 10 May 2023, https://massolit.io/options/the-process-of-research?auth=0&lesson=14713&option=16777&type=lesson