Methods of Sociological Inquiry

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Nov 24, 2024

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1 Methods of Sociological Inquiry Student’s Name Professor’s Name Institutional Affiliation Course Date

2 Methods of Sociological Inquiry Question 1 The research questions for this study were: Are smartphones in the university classroom less problematic than we tend to think? Does the use of smartphones in the classroom impact performance and grades? How do students temper their use of smartphones in a classroom? The main findings from the literature review were that the ICTs are double-faced, and their effects are reflected in students who use smartphones. On one side, students greatly benefit from using smartphones as a study tool, where they access study materials and connect with others through smartphones. On the other side, students experience anxiety, sleep disturbance and attention deficit due to excessive smartphone and internet use. It was also established that it is still unclear how this problem can be addressed. The goal of the research was to explore the reasons why students use smartphones in their courses, the accompanying motives and problems, and the forms of disconnection practiced by students. This was clearly stated in the paper in the first paragraph of the results section (Bonneville & Riddell, 2023). The research design appears to be a quantitative study based on the survey responses of undergraduate university students. The sample for this study was collected through a survey, and it consisted of 545 students in the 17-21 age group, primarily young women, with the majority being first-year undergraduate students. According to the results, even though most students admitted to using their cell phones more than they had intended, they did not take offence at any restrictions placed on them in class. Many students who tried to cut back or cease using their smartphones did not feel worn out, exhausted, depressed, or irritable. In addition, a sizable percentage of the kids reported no

3 complaints from friends or family regarding their smartphone use. However, some students felt the need to check for new emails or texts constantly. Some people thought smartphone usage impacted their relationships or academic achievement. Overall, the findings suggest that while smartphones contribute to multitasking and can be a source of distraction, students also employ strategies to control their usage and can use smartphones for legitimate educational purposes. Based on the available information, the study appears to have good internal validity, as it provides quantitative data from a relatively large sample size. Qualitative insights are also possible when open-ended questions are used. However, the study's external validity could be constrained because it concentrates on a particular set of undergraduate university students. Given that it looks at several aspects of smartphone use and its impacts, the study appears to have strong construct validity. The authors also discuss the study's shortcomings, including its inability to generalize to other groups and potential biases in self-reported data. The author obtained appropriate institutional review board (IRB) approval to protect participants' rights and welfare. The study does not mention any potential harm or risks to the participants, suggesting that the author took measures to mitigate potential ethical issues. Question 2 To survey the first generation first-year students at UC Riverside (UCR), there are various ways through which the survey can be administered. The three most common methods of administering the survey are online, paper-based, and in-person interviews. The fact that these three are the most common modes of administering surveys means that all three are good. These methods have advantages and disadvantages that must be considered before choosing which method to use in administering your research.

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4 First, online-based surveys have various advantages, such as cost effectiveness, can be easily distributed, and can be used to reach many participants in a shorter time. They permit anonymity, which could promote truthful replies. It’s also essential to note that online polls are very simple to reproduce over time. The online based survey also has disadvantages that hinder its effectiveness. These disadvantages include potentially poor response rates because participants can disregard or neglect requests to take an online survey. Another disadvantage of this administration method is the chance of self-selection bias, which occurs when only particular participant types decide to reply. The second method is a paper-based survey which has several advantages. One of its outstanding advantages is that paper-based surveys can be distributed in person and provide a personal touch (Chambliss & Schutt 2018). They may be helpful for participants who would rather fill out a physical form. In some circumstances, paper surveys can potentially enable higher response rates than Internet surveys. On the other hand, the disadvantages of this method of administration include the drawback of requiring logistical planning for distribution, collecting, and data input. The paper-based survey could be expensive and time-consuming as it requires one to travel to different places and buy papers to conduct the survey. Additionally, there is a chance of data entering mistakes while converting replies to a digital format. The third method of administration is the in-person interview that has various advantages over the other two methods. In-person interviews allow for rich qualitative data and a nuanced understanding of participants' experiences. Interviewers can ask follow-up questions, clarify responses, and build rapport with participants. In regards to its disadvantages, in-person interviews are resource-intensive and time-consuming. They require trained interviewers and

5 scheduling coordination for their success. There may be social desirability bias, where participants provide responses they perceive as favorable to the interviewer. Based on the above advantages and disadvantages of the three methods of administering a survey, as well as considering the exploratory nature of the research project and the intention to revisit the survey in ten years, an online survey would be the recommended method for several reasons. The first reason is its efficiency in terms of time and money. Online surveys may be disseminated swiftly and for a fair price. This makes it possible to use a bigger sample size and to make the results more general. The second reason is its anonymity and comfort. First- generation students could feel more at ease sharing their thoughts and experiences online, which could result in more truthful comments. Another reason for choosing an online based survey is its replicability. Future online polls can be repeated, allowing findings from the first survey and one done ten years later to be compared. Lastly, the online-based survey is more convenient because a more extensive range of participants may now access online surveys because of technological advancements. It corresponds to the digital environment that pupils are probably already familiar with. Question 3 The "worst statistic ever" is a term used by the author to describe a statistic that is often cited but is misleading or completely false. According to the author, the statement that "more Americans have died in automobile accidents than in all the wars the United States has fought combined" is the worst statistic ever (Best 2012). This statistic is false because it contrasts the overall number of fatalities over a lengthy period (vehicle accidents) with the number of deaths during certain battles. This comparison minimizes the importance and seriousness of specific wars.

6 Innumeracy is the absence of fundamental statistical and mathematical literacy. It is the incapacity to comprehend and work with numbers correctly. An example of innumeracy is when someone misinterprets percentages. If research reveals that a certain therapy decreases the risk of an illness by 50%, for example, a naive individual could believe that this implies a 50% chance of avoiding the condition rather than realizing that the risk is decreased by half. Hard facts refer to verifiable, unbiased knowledge supported by substantial data or proof. Data from studies, research, or government documents frequently back them up. Hard facts include a city's population, room temperature, or the number of books sold in a certain year. On the other hand, Soft facts are subjective and rely on personal opinions or interpretations. They are not easily quantifiable or verifiable. Examples of soft facts include personal preferences, emotions, or subjective judgments. The author explains the following as the sources of bad social statistics. The first source is poor data quality which refers to situations where the data used to generate statistics is flawed, incomplete, or biased. For example, if a survey is conducted poorly, has a low response rate, or uses leading questions, the resulting statistics may not accurately represent the population. Second, we have inappropriate comparisons as the source of bad social statistics. Statistics are occasionally provided without the appropriate context or contrasted with unrelated or irrelevant facts. This can result in false conclusions. Another source of bad social statistics is the politicization of statistics. When statistics are used for political or ideological purposes, there is a risk of selective presentation or manipulation of data to support a particular agenda. Lastly, we have misleading visuals as a source of bad social statistics. Statistics can be distorted or misrepresented through the use of misleading visuals such as graphs or charts.

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7 References Best, J. (2012). Damned lies and statistics: Untangling numbers from the media, politicians, and activists. Univ of California Press. Bonneville, L., & Riddell, D. (2023). Smartphones in the university classroom: less problematic than we tend to think? Information, Communication & Society, 1-15. Chambliss, D. F., & Schutt, R. K. (2018). Making sense of the social world: Methods of investigation. Sage Publications.

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