Unobtrusive ResearchSlide 2Slide 3Content AnalysisManifest Content CodingLatent Content CodingStrengths of Content AnalysisWeaknesses of Content AnalysisAnalyzing Existing StatisticsHistorical/Comparative AnalysisSlide 11Unobtrusive Research Studying social life without affecting the it in the process Studying social life without affecting the it in the processUnobtrusive research methods can be quantitative or qualitative. These methods allow researchers to study things from afar without influencing the process. This can eliminate or minimize many of the threats to the validity of research, including reactivity and social desirability bias.One common way to conduct unobtrusive research is to analyze available records or events, characteristics or behaviors. Three common methods of using available records are: content analysis analyzing existing statistics historical/comparative analysisContent AnalysisStudying human social life through the examination of artifactsCommon artifacts for analysis include magazine ads, books, television shows, bathroom graffiti, trashSame approach as with any research project:Definition of interest(s) and problem, conceptualization, operationalizingDevelopment of means by which you’ll collect the data Sampling design Data collection and analysis.Manifest Content CodingAnalogous to survey data collectionEstablish variables and attributes – record what is present in each artifact – ready for data entryClarify units of analysis and observationEstablish a base of counting for comparisonGenerally code a sample of all editorials so you have a base for comparing to your findings about environmental editorials.Latent Content CodingAnalogous to analysis of qualitative dataLook for the meaning underlying signs, symbols, languagesubjective interpretationYou may begin inductively; looking for themesStrengths of Content AnalysisTime and money savingsSafety net – can return to source to recheck dataOne mechanism for longitudinal analysisUnobtrusive – research won’t contaminate research settingWeaknesses of Content AnalysisLimited to recorded communicationPotential for excellent reliabilityCheck and recheck sourceValidity varies based partially on whether you are coding latent or manifest contentAnalyzing Existing StatisticsAs backdrop to a study As the main data to a study Validity; Have to make due with the types of data provided; logic and replication help with dealing with validity problemsReliability; Depend on the quality of the data itselfHow was the data collected?Historical/Comparative AnalysisMuch of the classic sociological work involves historical/comparative analysisMarx, Weber, Durkheim, Comte, Martineau, Du BoisSources of data; usually a qualitative data analysis process, but not alwaysExisting historical accounts and analysisRaw data such as diaries, newspapers, magazines, public documentsValidity of DataQuestion the accuracy of documents; triangulate (corroborate)Is the source of your data perhaps biased in some