2 Research Methods
When the test of the truth of a relationship lies finally in the data
themselves, and the data are not wholly manufactured–
when nature, however stretched out on the rack,
still has a chance to say ‘No!’–then the subject is a science
George Caspar Homans, 1967, p. 4
- Unit of Analysis, developed by David Kenny, examines statistical and methodological issues that arise when studying individuals who are nested in groups.
- Social Measurement, Classification and Scaling, by David R. Heise, provides a relatively advanced analysis of measurement issues
- SYMLOG Online is a consulting group based on Bale’s work on group analysis. To create a SYMLOG survey, visit this page and follow the instructions carefully
- Sociometry in the Classroom: How to Do It, by Lawrence W. Sherman, provides extensive guidance to those who wish to learn more about conducting sociometric studies Other excellent pages dealing with sociometry:
- Donald R. Walsh’s Sociometrics
- Visualizing Social Networks by David Heise
- Groupdynamics: Sociometry Made Simple is well-designed program, written by softward developer Simone Capretti, that can be used to generate sophisticated sociograms easily.
- The Hawthorne Effect, by Stephan W. Draper, reviews the methods and results of the classic studies conducted at the Hawthorne factory, and includes discussions of the validity of the study and its applications
- Studying a Single Group: Introduction to the Case Study Method
