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The paper presents a short historical development of Sociology in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as sociological orientation towards empirical research in past few decades. There is attempt to identify under-researched social problems, at least major one, and to evaluate reasons for insufficiently developed sociological research.
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This article aims to achieve two main goals. Firstly, authors have tried to reconstruct the position of Vojin Milić (1922–1996) in the development of thought about (research) method. Therefore, they compared his standpoint with those developed one generation earlier (Znaniecki), those of his contemporaries (Good and Hatt), as well as with the work of present-day authors (Bryman). Special attention was paid to the importance of Milić’s study of the history of methodological thought and epistemology regarding the emergence of his ideas on data collecting methodology and procedures relevant for the analysis of causality. Secondly, along with this historical and scientific study, and guided by Merton’s critics of adumbrations, authors undertook a systematic examination of relationships between various research and analytical procedures within sociology: primary (original) experience, observation, sequential analysis, grounded theory, comparative method and multiple-case study.
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The paper discusses the problems of going to the field, sampling, some issues in observation procedures, ethical issues and personal equation of the observer. Problems related to the choice of some of the different possible roles of observers, like noting and recording their observations and comments, as well as classifying and processing of data and analysis of results, are omitted due to space limitations. In this paper, one strongly advocates the need to apply observation as an integrated process, with all its various forms arising within psychology, sociology, anthropology and ethology.Widespread division into participatory qualitative and quantitative systematic or structured observation to a large extent is challenged. The author tries to argue that the presentation ofobservations shows that emphasizing the difference between the above-mentioned methods ofobservation are largely due to the influence and interests which come from the wider social environment.
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Grounded Theory (hereinafter – GT) is considered one of the most widely used research methodologies in social sciences. Due to different versions of GT, the development of instruments for research still poses particular questions. The article addresses the following research question: what are the process, parameters and outcomes (results) of development of instruments for research under different versions of GT? The aim is to summarize the methodological regularities and the logic of tools’ development within the different versions of GT. Though the research procedures applied in different versions of GT are slightly different, they share some common aspects: theoretical sampling is usually applied; an interview is employed for data collection (though other additional methods are used as well). GT analysis starts as early as data collection, while the result of GT is a new independent theory describing, explaining and substantiating the phenomenon. The GT is understood as contextual and situational theory rather than universally applied abstract theory.
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The article proposes a new type of statistical dependence. Statistical independence of this type means the identity of the frequency order of category choices in all groups. The compatibility between choices will be assessed by means of a diversity measure. A new measure of statistical dependence, its properties and interpretation will be specified.
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The paper presents selected problems related to the quality assessment from the statistical perspective of survey data based on Internet sources. Internet access is consequently expanding all over the world. In parallel with the running development of other new technologies, it is pervading daily life and business activities more and more. It also has influenced surveys practice to a large extent as a research tool for collecting both primary and secondary data, and it also challenges surveys to research the Internet population. Moreover, as the Internet and its entities are able to register all activities that are performed on the web, issues related to big data and organic data processing as well as their applications arise. As a result of decreasing response rates and increasing survey costs, Internet data collection is constantly growing. Due to many advantages, Internet surveys are used widely and this process seems to be inevitable. However, it needs to be emphasised that Internet surveys are developing in practice faster than the methodology in this area. Hence, a lot of problems can be identified, especially when considering the quality of data based on Internet sources. The following issues are discussed as the most far-reaching in the prism of statistical survey methodology: determination of the sampling frame, self-selection and related estimates bias, as well as under/over-coverage.
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Design‑based estimation of finite population parameters such as totals usually relies on the knowledge of inclusion probabilities characterising the sampling design. They are directly incorporated into sampling weights and estimators. However, for some useful sampling designs, these probabilities may remain unknown. In such a case, they may often be estimated in a simulation experiment which is carried out by repeatedly generating samples using the same sampling scheme and counting occurrences of individual units. By replacing unknown inclusion probabilities with such estimates, design‑based population total estimates may be computed. The calculation of required sample replication numbers remains an important challenge in such an approach. In this paper, a new procedure is proposed that might lead to the reduction in computational complexity of simulations.
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The purpose of this publication is to propose a permutation test to detect the departure from symmetry in multidimensional contingency tables. The proposal is a multivariate extension of McNemar’s test. McNemar’s test could be applied to 2 × 2 contingency tables. The proposal may be also treated as a modification of Cochran’s Q test which is used for testing dependency for multivariate binary data. The form of the test statistics that allows us to detect the departure from counts symmetry in multidimensional contingency tables is presented in the article. The permutation method of observations was used to estimate the empirical distribution of the test statistics. The considerations were supplemented with examples of the use of a multivariate test for simulated and real data. The application of the proposed test allows us to detect the asymmetrical distribution of counts in multivariate contingency tables.
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We study an experiment in which we determine unknown measurements of p objects in n weighing operations according to the model of the chemical balance weighing design. We determine a design which is D‑optimal. For the construction of the D‑optimal design, we use the incidence matrices of balance incomplete block designs, balanced bipartite weighing designs and ternary balanced block designs. We give some optimality conditions determining the relationships between the parameters of a D‑optimal design and we present a series of parameters of such designs. Based on these parameters, we will be able to set down D‑optimal designs in classes in which it was impossible so far.
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Aim. The aim of this article is to contribute towards a wider analysis of remote qualitative interviews taking into consideration the context of qualitative research as a social practice, which is often overlooked in the body of literature. Methods. The study is based on twelve in-depth interviews with qualitative researchers conducted by the author. The data is analysed with the focus on social aspects of qualitative interviews which engage the interviewee and the interviewer alike. Results and conclusion. The analysis shows that, from the perspective of the researcher, the social aspects of qualitative interviews constitute an important part of the research method. The interview is a meeting that combines methodological features with the attitude of involved people. Researchers are accustomed to in-person interviews and from that perspective, they evaluate possible losses caused by remote research. However, as they self-reflect, this is not always an inherent feature of the new media but rather a question of how they are used and by whom. The interview is a meeting that utilises communication habits and experiences from both sides of the conversation – the interviewer and the interviewee. It is important to take this fact into consideration while analysing the potential of remote interviews, especially when social isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is changing our communication habits. Cognitive value. The remote qualitative interviews are often described from the perspective of usability and effectiveness. This article describes researchers as a part of the research process who have their own attitudes and experiences in conducting research. From the perspective of social practices, these are almost as important as the knowledge and attitude of interviewees and they also affect the results of the research process.
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Sampling is very commonly used in social science research, both quantitative and qualitative. Designing the study sample or indicate procedures and criteria followed in the selection of the study population fragment, on which will develop the investigation is an important step in any research project. Assessing the rigor of a research, whether it involves a quantitative, qualitative or combined approach, also requires a clear, detailed description of the sampling strategies. In the present paper, we first want to illustrate the main difference between qualitative sampling and quantitative sampling, then we will stop on purposeful sampling, where we will address the issue if delimitation of what we sampling, the size of the sample and the main strategies sampling found within this approach.
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In this study, Dijah-Monkin bentonite clay was modified with a cationic surfactant hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HDTMA-Br) at the level of twice the cation exchange capacity (CEC). This process results in the development of hydrophobic organoclay with an improved adsorption capacity. The clay obtained from Zing LGA Taraba State, North-East Nigeria, was beneficiated and pulverised to a particle size of 125 μm. The modification was performed without acid activation to prevent damages to the clay’s crystal structure. The organoclay was characterised for chemical composition, functional groups, mineralogical and surface morphology using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The XRD showed an increase in the basal spacing from 15.681Å to 17.758 Å, while the XRF revealed a 5.35% concentration of Br on the modified clay, indicating successful intercalation. The FTIR spectra also revealed the appearance of symmetric and asymmetric stretching bands at 2847.7cm-1 and 2914.8cm-1, respectively, as a consequence of the modification, resulting in more sites for adsorption.
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Decision tree algorithm is an important classification method in data mining techniques. A decision tree creates classification and regression models like a tree that has a root node, branches, and leaf nodes. Logistic regression which is an alternative method to regression analysis when the dependent variable is a dichotomy, is another technique used for classification purposes. Within the scope of this research, logistic regression, linear regression, classification tree, and regression tree were applied on the same data set. This study explores the most important variables determining the house price by using these four methods. Models’ performances and predictive powers were compared and the best model is determined. This comparison was performed using 414 real estate data on 5 independent variables and the dependent variable is house price. The findings showed that the classification tree model for real estate valuation data performs better than standard approaches.
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The statistical power analysis is a method that enables to plan a highly valid and reliable research and to guarantee the validity, reliability and sensibility of the results of a research. Statistical power is an approach which is used to evaluate to what degree the decisions obtained as a result of statistical tests used to test an aim are valid and reliable in terms of probability values. Various statistical analyses begin the analysis with the existing data and focus on the comments of the consequences. Nevertheless, power analysis is meaningful before data collection and significant in the process of setting the hypothesis. In this context, the major purposes of this study are; to contribute researches in social sciences by creating awareness about what the power analysis means and to guide researchers about how the power analyses can be employed in a social science study.
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Positionality is an important methodological concept in understanding the possible effects of a researcher on research. This article’s main discussion topic is the mutual interaction between the researcher’s “positionality” and “the research process”. The conditions leading to an “insider” or “outsider” research process and these conditions’ positive/negative effects on the research have been discussed in the literature. However, it is often not questioned whether a “completely insider” or “completely outsider” investigation is possible. In this article, it has been questioned whether it is possible to make a sharp distinction between these positions during the research process. Additionally, the relationality between the researcher and his/her research has been discussed. As a result, adopting positionality as “the space between” has been suggested. "Reflexivity" has also come to the fore as an important methodological attitude in order for the researchers to become aware of their positionality and control their own influence on the findings.
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Research background: Commonly known and used parametric tests e.g. Student, Behrens–Fisher, Snedecor, Bartlett, Cochran, Hartley tests are applicable when there is an evidence that samples come from the Normal general population. What makes things worse is that testers are not fully aware in what degree of abnormality distorts results of parametric tests listed above and suchlike. So, it is no exaggeration to say that testing for normality (goodness-of-fit testing, GoFT) is a gate to proper parametric statistical reasoning. It seems that the gate opens too easily. In other words, most popular goodness-of-fit tests are weaker than statisticians want them to be. Purpose of the article: The main purpose of this paper is to put forward the GoFT that is, in particular circumstances, more powerful than GoFTs used until now. The other goals are to define a similarity measure between an alternative distribution and the normal one and to calculate the power of normality tests for a big set of alternatives. And, of course, to interest statisticians in using the GoFTs in their practice. Method: There are two ways to make GoFT more powerful: extensive and intensive one. The extensive method consists in drawing large samples. The intensive method consists in extracting more information from mall samples. In order to make the test method intensive, the test statistics, as distinct from all existing GoFTs, has two components. The first component (denoted by Δ) is a classic Kolmogorov / Lilliefors test statistics i.e. the greatest absolute difference between theoretical and empirical cumulative distribution functions. The second component is the order statistics (r) at which the Δ_max^((r) ) locate itself. Of course Δ_max^((r)) is the conditional random variable with (r) being the condition. Large scale Monte Carlo simulations provided data sufficient to in-depth study of properties of distributions of Δ_max^((r) ) random variable. Findings & value-added: Simulation study shows that the Two Component Modified Lilliefors test for normality is the most powerful for some type of alternatives, especially for the symmetrical, unimodal and bimodal distributions with positive excess kurtosis, for symmetrical and unimodal distributions with negative excess kurtosis and small sample sizes. Due to the values of skewness and excess kurtosis, and the defined similarity measure between the ND and an alternative, alternative distributions are close to the normal distribution. Numerous examples of real data show the usefulness of the proposed GoFT.
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According to the environmental psychology definition of the mental map, people obtain information about their environment by using it. Emotions related to city locations and the various aspects of city life play a great role in its functioning. The present paper proposes methodological considerations for using mental mapping. We reflect on issues such as what counts as qualitative data in a mental map drawing, how reliability can be ensured, how instruction influences map-drawing, what the role of spatial scale (city/district/public spaces) is, and how spatial expression on drawings can be evaluated. In two independent investigations we collected data about two public spaces in Budapest with the free recall technique. Our data sets comprised 174 drawings about Oktogon and 189 drawings about Blaha Lujza square provided by higher education students. After performing content analysis, every picture was rated by 4 independent coders. In both studies, the coding scheme we created - based on the data clearly - indicated that all kinds of city phenomena can be determining elements of mental maps: people, vehicles, even garbage. In both cases the inter-rater reliability of the cocoders was high. The drawings that could not be identified by the coders as a picture of the given square more frequently contained elements related to transportation than place-specific elements of the built environment. The impact of instruction was also obvious: the “draw a map” instruction generated significantly more maplike expressions as opposed to the “just draw” instruction. However, in the case of both instructions, map-like expressions were the most frequently produced. Comparing the data gathered from the two squares, we can say that the sources of the differences between the two squares stem not only from factual features but also from usage-based, perceived characteristics. With our methodological investigation we hope to deepen the dialogue between related disciplines.
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It is often assumed that survey results reflect only the quality of the sample and the underlying measuring instruments used in the survey. However, various phenomena can affect the results, but these influences are often neglected when conducting surveys. This study aimed to test the influences of various method effects on survey results. We tested the influences of the following method effects: item wording, confirmatory bias, careless responding, and acquiescence bias. Using a split-ballot survey design with online questionnaires, we collected data from 791 participants. We tested if these method effects had an influence on mean values, item correlations, construct correlations, model fits, and construct measurement invariance. The instruments used to test these influences were from the domain of personality and gender inequality, and their items were adapted based on the method effect tested. All tested method effects, except careless responding, had a statistically significant effect on at least one component of the analysis. Item wording and confirmatory bias affected mean values, model fit, and measurement invariance. Controlling for acquiescence bias improved the fit of the model. This paper confirms that the tested method effects should be carefully considered when using surveys in research, and suggests some guidelines on how to do so.
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The digitization of society requires science to develop in a way that promotes interdisciplinary collaboration between social sciences and data science. Although social scientists are increasingly open to using the methods of computational social science and social computing, there are hardly any examples of projects implemented as a collaboration between social science and data science and which focus on the evaluation and development of data collection, analysis, and dissemination methods. We used a mixed methodology in our exploratory research: we assessed the willingness of social scientists and data scientists to use various research methods and tools by means of an online questionnaire, then explored scientists’ attitudes towards innovative social research methods during interviews. Our findings confirm the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and highlight the significance of the role of ‘interpreters’ able to communicate with and connect various areas of science. In terms of research methodology, the findings also highlight concerns related to the validity and credibility of data, and identify the practice of open science, the sharing of data and research methodologies and the transparency of research as key to the development of social science.
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Quantifying citations as a measure of academic achievement has been a disputed tool, not only within the Serbian academic community. Nature Magazine published “The Leiden Manifesto”, advocating harmonization between quantitative and qualitative criteria. As a contribution to such efforts, this paper examines the production of the researchers of the Institute for Contemporary History in Belgrade. The Institute has been chosen as the most productive institution in Serbia in terms of the number of publications. Proportionally to the number of published works in a certain language, the most frequently quoted papers have been written in German, then in French. The reason for that is the particular interest of some big academic communities for certain issues. For example, the German academic community’s curiosity for socialism derives from its interest in the German Democratic Republic, its history and its society. Papers dealing with foreign workers also address some German internal issues. Publications in French have been more often quoted if they addressed World War I topics. And last but not least, works on the Yugoslav wars of the 1990’s reflects the political and academic interest of the international community. Thus, the most quoted works often respond to the requirements of some foreign factors, such as the international community or some big national academic circles (German and French). These papers sometimes fail to address certain local educational and cultural needs. It is important to combine broader regional and international interests with internal cultural needs. Therefore, more papers should be written in foreign languages, especially in English, which is the primary language of international academic exchange.
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