Essay, Sociology

Project description
IMPORTANT: Include your research question at the top of the assignment.

For this assignment, you will be working on two parts: sampling procedure and measuring some of the factors/aspects involved in answering ONE of your three research questions from Research Assignment #1 (it is your choice which of your research questions you want to address for this assignment).

Part I: You will be developing a sampling procedure that you could use to obtain data to answer your research question. Youll design your sampling procedure as if you were planning to conduct either a survey or a series of in-depth interviews. [Include a sentence letting me know which of these two methods youre designing your sampling procedure for.]

Your first step is to determine your unit of analysis. Who or what will you be studying (e.g., individuals, couples, organizations, nation states)? Why is this the appropriate unit of analysis for your project? Are there other unit of analysis you could study to answer your research question? [3 to 5 sentences paragraph]

Next, youll need to decide whether youll be using probability or nonprobability sampling.
Explain why your choice is appropriate for your project. Youll then determine your population and sample. Who are you trying to generalize about? (population)

This step will vary depending on whether you are using probability or nonprobability sampling:
[5 to 6 sentences paragraph]

Option 1: If you selected probability sampling, provide a discussion of the following components:
Target population Who are you trying to generalize to?
Sampling frame What list will you be using to get your sample? How could you feasibly get a copy of that list?
Sampling method Specify which type of sampling method you will be using: simple random, systematic random, stratified random, or cluster sampling.
Explain why you selected that particular method. What are the consequences of your selection?
Sampled population Who are you actually able to generalize to given your sampling frame? What consequences does that have for your study?

Option 2: If you selected nonprobability sampling, provide a discussion of the following components:
Target population Who are you trying to generalize to?
Interviewees Who will you seek to interview for your study?
Sampling Technique Specify which of the three nonprobability sampling methods you will be using: convenience, purposive, snowball, or quota sampling. Explain why you selected that particular technique. What are the consequences of your selection?
Access How could you feasibly gain access to interviewees?
Sampled population Who are you actually able to generalize to given your sampling frame? What consequences does that have for your study?

Part II: You will be working on conceptualizing, operationalizing, and measuring some of the factors/aspects involved in answering your research question.

Conceptualization: Select two concepts that would be involved in designing a research project aimed at answering your research question. Develop a definition for each concept.

Variables: For each of your concepts, come up with two variables you could use to measure it (a total of four variables). List the set of attributes associated with each of your variables. Be sure they are both exhaustive and mutually exclusive.

Levels of Measurement: For each of your variables, explain which of the four levels of measurement it is (nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio).

[For this part, organize your answers for the first 2 bullet points by concept. That is, list your concept, define it, list your variables and attributes for it, and tell me your levels of measurement for each variable. Then move on to your second concept and so on.]

Standard formatting rules apply: Use complete sentences, 12-point Times New Roman or
Calibri font, double-spacing, and 1-inch margins. The assignment should be approximately 2-3 pages in length.