Prof. Baez - SOC101 Introduction to Sociology: The Research Project

This video is a brief introduction to the SOC101 research project and how the library can help with your research. 

Complete project instructions are available in your course shell in BrightSpace

For your final you will produce a research proposal, for which you will conduct some literature research and a cumulative overview of the semester’s efforts.

• You will begin with your topic of interest, and return to chapters that analytically relate to your topic.
• From  Chapter 2, you will evaluate and select an appropriate research methodology that suits the topic of your interest.
• From Mills’s sociological imagination and Chapter 9’s review of social stratification and inequality you will elaborate on the sociological problem of interest.
• You will explain the topic reflected through the 3 main sociological perspectives/theories (functionalism, symbolic interactionism and conflict approach) as well as additional theories and concepts from the semester to apply to the social problem. And you will address social structures and institutions that affect the social topic.
• Revisiting your literature research skills, you will find primary sources that speak to the sociological topic of interest.

Assignment Guidelines

Identify the sociological topic that you are interested in researching

• Be very specific by drawing on social position categories of inequality to make your proposal meaningful
• Using the sociological imagination explain the social problem you observe for this topic, make sure to consider social position categories important to consider in looking

Pose a research question you have for this sociological topic

Find two (2) peer-reviewed academic journal articles related to your research question

• Follow the Journal Article Report Guidelines and answer the specific questions posed
• Explain what you learned from this article. Include a quote that best helped you understand the results of the study.
• Make connections to at least two (2) concepts/themes/key terminology from your course readings

Find additional Data on your topic

• Search for statistics, data, graphics, charts to round out the information you already have
• This will provide  some sort of baseline or background to your topic (e.g. Infant mortality rates by race; Increase of textbook costs by year)

Prepare a Presentation on your findings

• Use the presentation template provided
• View and respond to presentations prepared by your classmates

Use the library databases (see the Finding Articles tab) or one of the recommended online sources (see the Online Resources tab) to research your topic.

Directions on how to create an Journal Article Report and examples, can be found under the Journal Article Report tab.

You can find information about APA format under the Citing and Plagiarism tab on this guide.

To get help with research on your country from a librarian either in person, by phone, email, text, or chat. Look under the Get Help tab to see how to contact the librarian who taught your library session and get information on library hours.

If you need additional information on your assignment and specific due dates, check BrightSpace first, THEN ask your professor.

This is a very abbreviated version of the project. You cannot complete the assignment using only the information below

You have been assigned a multi-part project.  It will consist of:

1: A Research Question on a sociological problem relating to inequality.

Explain the role of sociological perspectives, social institutes and social structures as they relate to your topic.

2: Journal Article Reports

Summarize and evaluate articles on scholarly research relating to your topic.

3: Research Proposal

Prepare a research proposal. The proposal will include a literature review, relate your research topic to appropriate sociological theories and include a suitable methodology for conducting research.

4: Background Data

Find statistics or other data to ground your topic and to use as a visual in your presentation.

5: Research Proposal Presentation

Explain your topic and proposed research study to the class. Presentation should include a slideshow.

Slideshow visuals should be informative. See the FIND ADDITIONAL DATA tab for more information on how to search for (and cite!) this type of information.

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation. (2018, December). Barriers to Healthcare among Nonelderly Adults by Insurance Status, 2017 [Infographic].  http://files.kff.org/attachment//fact-sheet-key-facts-about-the-uninsured-population

NOT an informative visual (this is a decoration):

"Red and white medicine pills against a prescription back health stock photo" by Chemist 4 U is licensed under CC BY 2.0