Survey and Interview Methods in Social Sciences

Introduction In statistical research, we use sampling on many occasions. It would be hard to engage a whole population in a study because of the costs and time associated with such a census. However, in many a sample, there is the possibility of errors. Statistically, these errors result in bias. We also infer results by using methods such as hypothesis testing and estimation, which may not be entirely true in the entire population.Advertising We will write a custom thesis sample on Survey and Interview Methods in Social Sciences specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the case of Auburn, specifically at a station, this is not an all in-inclusive sample to help us make a conclusion. This is because there are problems of communication and many immigrants may be unwilling to offer information. This may result in untrue data. Surveys There are two major types of surveys used in collecting data for a given study. They are cross-sectional and longitudinal survey. In cross- sectional surveys, the aim of the researcher is to get a snapshot of views and thoughts from a different variety of respondents. Just like other surveys, the cross-sectional surveys gathers information from a sample representative of the whole population according to Hay (2010) However, the sample is cross sectional in terms of age, gender and socioeconomic background. It also involves collecting information at one point in time. In longitudinal surveys, we gather information at different points in time to study change. The major aim of this kind of survey is to compare differences in practices and opinions of the population over a given period (Hay 2010). Interviews Interviewing is a method of collecting data from human beings by asking them questions for which they answer verbally. It is a systematized way of talking and listening to people in order to get information regarding a particular topic or phenomena. In interviews, the respondent provid es the primary data for the study and the views of the researcher are not important as most of the information comes from the respondent. The respondents are able to give their conceptualizations and interpretation regarding the topic under study (Hay 2010).Advertising Looking for thesis on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Reasons for Using Interviews and Surveys Interviews have many advantages. They include the following. More Information They allow for probing, follow up, and it is possible to get in depth information on a topic. They also have many disadvantages, which include consumption of time and very expensive administration. It is not possible with a large number of people as they are very axing and take a lot of time to complete. The chances of the interviewer bias are high especially in closed-ended interviews. Analysis of data may be take a lot of time, especially data from open ended interviews and respondents may not remember important information or may lack self awareness (Ragin 2005). In this study, the sample of the study will be the immigrants who live in the Auburn suburbs. These will be the interviewees to get the data required to carry out this study. However, the interviews will take place in three areas within the Auburn suburb. These areas are the Auburn council, people from two different organizations, which offer different services to the immigrants. Equal Chance of Selection There is a random selection of people to involve in the study. This will ensure that every member of the population under study has an equal opportunity of selection. Hence, a well representative sample. Issuance of questionnaires to the participants will follow. Each questionnaire will have five questions each seeking to get different information related to the study. The researcher will issue forty questionnaires to the participants between ten and four at the Auburn train station. Each q uestionnaire will take approximately ten minutes to complete (Holliday 2007). In this case, however, there is less representation of immigrant population. This is true because our area of focus does not have all immigrants proportionate to the entire population in the country. Confidentiality Throughout this study, the researcher will ensure utmost confidentiality of the participants. All information gathered during this study will also be treated with a lot of confidentiality. No names or any other information that can be used for identification will appear on any of the materials that will be used during the interview. Each respondent will be given an identification number that will be used in all interview materials.Advertising We will write a custom thesis sample on Survey and Interview Methods in Social Sciences specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Tape recorders will also be used to record the information. They will however be destroyed after they have been transcribed and analyzed to ensure that nobody else apart from the researcher accesses the information in them. The information from the interviews will be emailed to the organizations in Auburn from where they will be used for research purposes only (Creswell 2003 and Ragin 2005). Advantages of Surveys Survey as a method of collecting research information has many advantages. It, for example, saves a lot of time and money conducting the research since only a few samples is studied. They are also easy to deal with. Moreover, they are free from many errors since they are the same all through. According to Holliday (2000), however, there are also difficulties experienced in administering surveys or disadvantages. They include the information given by respondents may not be accurate or truthful. In most cases, the respondents’ sincerity, ability to answer plays an important role in determining the type of answers that a researcher gets. Some of the respondents may give answers that are not true to portray themselves in a favorable manner thus making them inaccurate. Poorly constructed surveys can lead to faulty results. In close-ended questionnaires, the choices given may not be an accurate representation of the true feelings of the respondent. The initial study design does not change throughout the entire study thus making surveys inflexible and for the results to be reliable, the researcher must make sure that a great percentage of the study sample responds to the questions, which is quite hard (Holliday 2007). Biasness Use of interview may bring about statistical bias. This is because some people may not use trains. In addition, some may have their own cars, use private means to get home or to work. This means I will miss a huge chunk of the target population. It is important to reduce the chance of bias in any research to ensure probity and to sustain the confidence interval chosen. Other Methods As mentioned earlier, sam pling survey and interviews are the best ways to conduct a research in the situation we have here. However, many other methods can come in handy. This includes Observation– the researcher just looks and makes individual collections of what is happening. This is just ideal for a situation where personal information may not be necessary.Advertising Looking for thesis on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Generalizing- in the case a researcher just makes random conclusions about the population without carrying out a study. This is suicidal because it may arrive at an untested hypothesis. Secondary Information– the researcher may opt to rely on information already available to him in the previous similar studies done. This is not a good source of information because the circumstances may have been different from what we have now, which may render our information unusable. Systematic learning and observation is another way of arriving at considerable data. This way the researcher examines trends and behaviors of the target population with a view at getting and analyzing data. Reference List Creswell, J. (2003) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Method Approach. Journal of Management, Vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 8-10. Hay, I. (2010) Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography. London: Oxford University Press. Holliday, A. (2007) Doing and Writing Qualitative Research . Journal of Geography, Vol. 65, no. 2, pp. 14-16. Ragin, C. (2005) Constructing Social Research: The Unity and Diversity. Bulletin of Sociological Methodologies, Vol. 23, no. 9, pp. 4-5. This thesis on Survey and Interview Methods in Social Sciences was written and submitted by user Lillianna Suarez to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Hip hop music free essay sample

Hip hop to me is a mixture of both RB and rap music. There are times when I maybe in the mood to listen to rap or rb but Im always in the mood to listen to Hip hop. My worst days can become my best days when Im lamming to hip hop music. Theres Just something about that particular style of music that makes me and keeps me happy no matter what is going on. It also supplies me with energy and motivation. Hip hop music makes my daily life easier and Is In fact my favorite style of music.How does hip hop music make me happy? Well lets Just say when Im listening to this style of music I feel no pain. When Im listening to hip hop music the worst things can be going on In my life and It helps me to Ignore what I can. We will write a custom essay sample on Hip hop music or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For example, Break ups are one of the worst things to go through. Your emotions normally takes over you and can cause you to break down. When I face such types of emotional catastrophes, hip hop music is what I turn to. Its Like my drug. Is what my mom says.HIP hop USIA can make you rock, bob your head, even dance without you noticing yourself. Therefore giving others the impression that youre just as happy as can be without even realizing you may be having the worst day ever. When going to the gym, cleaning or doing anything that may take up a lot of my time, my hip hop playbill has to be with me. Doing any of these activities can be time consuming and can easily cause me to become tired.

A Reading List of 19th Century Novels

A Reading List of 19th Century Novels The novels of the 19th century remain some of the most taught literary works of any period. They not only continue to influence the canon but also cinema and popular culture. Get better acquainted with these groundbreaking works with this reading list, categorized by author. The most popular authors from the eraJane Austen, Charles Dickens and Nathaniel Hawthorneappear on this list in alphabetical order. Alcott, Louisa May Little Women Austen, Jane EmmaMansfield ParkPersuasionPride and Prejudice Blackmore, Richard Doddridge Lorna Doone Braddon, Mary Elizabeth Lady Audley’s Secret Bronte, Charlotte Jane EyreVillette Bronte, Emily Wuthering Heights Burnett, Frances Hodgson The Secret Garden Butler, Samuel Erewhon Carlyle, Thomas Sartor Resartus Carroll, Lewis Alice in WonderlandThrough the Looking Glass Collins, Wilkie ArmadaleNo NameThe MoonstoneThe Woman in White Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan Rodney StoneA Study in Scarlet Conrad, Joseph Heart of DarknessLord Jim Cooper, James Fenimore The Last of the MohicansThe Prairie Crane, Stephen Red Badge of Courage Dickens, Charles Bleak HouseDavid CopperfieldDombey Son DGreat ExpectationsHard TimesLittle DorrittMystery Of Edwin DroodNicholas NicklebyThe Old Curiosity ShopOliver TwistPickwick PapersTale of Two Cities Disraeli, Benjamin Sybil, or The Two Nations Dostoevski, Fedor Brothers KaramazovCrime and PunishmentThe Idiot Dreiser, Theodore Sister Carrie Dumas, Alexandre The Count of Monte CristoThree Musketeers Eliot, George Adam BedeDaniel DerondaMiddlemarchMill on the FlossSilas Marner Flaubert, Gustave Madame BovaryA Sentimental Education Gaskell, Elizabeth CranfordWives and Daughters Gissing, George New Grub Street Goethe, Johann Wolfgang Von Elective Affinities Gogol, Nikolai Dead Souls Hardy, Thomas Far from the Madding CrowdJude the ObscureThe Mayor of CasterbridgeThe Return of the NativeTess of the d’UrbervillesThe WoodlandersUnder the Greenwood Tree Hawthorne, Nathaniel Blithedale RomanceScarlet Letter Hugo, Victor Les MiserablesThe Hunchback of Notre-Dame de Paris James, Henry The AmericanThe BostoniansDaisy MillerThe EuropeansPortrait of a LadyWashington Square Le Fanu, Sheridan Uncle Silas MacDonald, George LilithPhantastes Melville, Herman Moby DickRedburnTypee Meredith, George Diana of the CrosswaysThe Egoist Norris, Frank McTeague Oliphant, Margaret The Perpetual CurateSalem Chapel Scott, Sir Walter The AntiquaryThe Heart of Mid-LothianIvanhoe Sewall, Anna Black Beauty Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft Frankenstein Stevenson, Robert L Catriona (aka David Balfour)KidnappedThe Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr HydeTreasure Island Stoker, Bram Dracula Stowe, Harriet Beecher Uncle Tom’s Cabin Thackeray, William M Barry LyndonThe History of Henry EsmondThe NewcomesVanity Fair Tolstoy, Leo Anna KareninaResurrectionThe Forged CouponWar and Peace Trollope, Anthony Ayalas AngelFramley ParsonageBarchester TowersJohn CaldigateThe Last Chronicle of BarsetMarion FayPhineas FinnThe Prime MinisterThe WardenThe Way We Live Now Turgenev, Ivan Fathers and Children Twain, Mark The Adventures of Huckleberry FinnAdventures of Tom SawyerPersonal Recollections of Joan of Arc Verne, Jules Around the World in 80 DaysJourney to the Center of the Earth20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Wells, HG Invisible ManIsland of Dr MoreauThe Time MachineWar of the Worlds Wilde, Oscar Picture of Dorian Gray Zola, Emile L’AssommoirTherese Raquin

How to Split Strings in Ruby

How to Split Strings in Ruby Unless user input is a single word or number, that input will need to be split  or turned into a list of strings or numbers. For instance, if a program asks for your full name, including middle initial, it will first need to split that input into three separate strings before it can work with your individual first, middle and last name. This is achieved using the String#split method. How String#split Works In its most basic form, String#split takes a single argument: the field delimiter as a string. This delimiter will be removed from the output and an array of strings split on the delimiter will be returned. So, in the following example, assuming the user input their name correctly, you should receive a three-element Array from the split. #!/usr/bin/env rubyprint What is your full name? full_name gets.chompname full_name.split( )puts Your first name is #{name.first}puts Your last name is #{name.last} If we run this program and enter a name, well get some expected results. Also, note that name.first and name.last are coincidences. The name variable will be an Array, and those two method calls will be equivalent to name[0] and name[-1] respectively. $ ruby split.rbWhat is your full name? Michael C. MorinYour first name is MichaelYour last name is Morin However,  String#split is a bit smarter than youd think. If the argument to String#split is a string, it does indeed use that as the delimiter, but if the argument is a string with a single space (as we used), then it infers that you want to split on any amount of whitespace  and that you also want to remove any leading whitespace. So, if we were to give it some slightly malformed input such as Michael C. Morin (with extra spaces), then String#split would still do what is expected. However, thats the only special case when you pass a String as the first argument. Regular Expression Delimiters You can also pass a regular expression as the first argument. Here, String#split becomes a bit more flexible. We can also make our little name splitting code a bit smarter. We dont want the period at the end of the middle initial. We know its a middle initial, and the database wont want a period there, so we can remove it while we split. When String#split matches a regular expression, it does the same exact thing as if it had just matched a string delimiter: it takes it out of the output and splits it at that point. So, we can evolve our example a little bit: $ cat split.rb#!/usr/bin/env rubyprint What is your full name? full_name gets.chompname full_name.split(/\.?\s/)puts Your first name is #{name.first}puts Your middle initial is #{name[1]}puts Your last name is #{name.last} Default Record Separator Ruby is not really big on special variables that you might find in languages like Perl, but String#split does use one you need to be aware of. This is the default record separator variable, also known as $;. Its a global, something you dont often see in Ruby, so if you change it, it might affect other parts of the code- just be sure to change it back when finished. However, all this variable does is act as the default value for the first argument to String#split. By default, this variable seems to be set to nil. However, if String#splits first argument is nil, it will replace it with a single space string. Zero-Length Delimiters If the delimiter passed to String#split is a zero-length string or regular expression, then String#split will act a bit differently. It will remove nothing at all from the original string and split on every character. This essentially turns the string into an array of equal length containing only one-character strings, one for each character in the string. This can be useful for iterating over the string and was used in pre-1.9.x and pre-1.8.7 (which backported a number of features from 1.9.x) to iterate over characters in a string without worrying about breaking up multi-byte Unicode characters. However, if what you really want to do is iterate over a string, and youre using 1.8.7 or 1.9.x, you should probably use String#each_char instead. #!/usr/bin/env rubystr She turned me into a newt!str.split().each do|c| puts cend Limiting The Length of the Returned Array So back to our name parsing example, what if someone has a space in their last name? For instance, Dutch surnames can often begin with van (meaning of or from). We only really want a 3-element array, so we can use the second argument to String#split that we have so far ignored. The second argument is expected to be a Fixnum. If this argument is positive, at most, that many elements will be filled in the array. So in our case, we would want to pass 3 for this argument. #!/usr/bin/env rubyprint What is your full name? full_name gets.chompname full_name.split(/\.?\s/, 3)puts Your first name is #{name.first}puts Your middle initial is #{name[1]}puts Your last name is #{name.last} If we run this again and give it a Dutch name, it will act as expected. $ ruby split.rbWhat is your full name? Vincent Willem van GoghYour first name is VincentYour middle initial is WillemYour last name is van Gogh However, if this argument is negative (any negative number), then there will be no limit on the number of elements in the output array and any trailing delimiters will appear as zero-length strings at the end of the array. This is demonstrated in this IRB snippet: :001 this,is,a,test,,,,.split(,, -1) [this, is, a, test, , , , ]