BSOC 114 Solved Guess Paper 2026 for Sociological Research Methods II (BASOH and BAG)

Research Problem and Its Identification

Exam question: What do you understand by "Research Problem"? How is a research problem identified?

Meaning of Research Problem

A research problem is a condition that arouses the curiosity in a researcher. It is a condition that fuels the mind of a researcher with a sense of wanting to know more, to challenge or substantiate the existing body of knowledge, to clarify doubts, to find new answers and solutions, to determine the facts of certain problems and to develop new theories.

Considerations in Identifying a Research Problem

Identifying a problem is the beginning of a research enterprise. The duty of the researcher is to find the best answer or solution to the given problem, and a faulty selection of a problem can spoil the outcome. The considerations are:

1. There must be an individual or a group which has some problem.
2. There must be some objective to be accomplished.
3. There must be alternative courses of action for obtaining the objective.
4. There must be doubt with regard to the selection of alternatives.
5. There must be some situation to which the difficulty of the problem can be solved.

Where to Look for a Research Problem

S. L. Sharma (1982) suggests three key sources for finding a research problem:

1. Research supervisor, who guides students and recommends existing literature for locating a problem.
2. Research literature, that is books and journals that clarify doubts and reveal unexplored areas.
3. Research funding agencies, since no research is possible without sufficient funding.

Steps to Identify a Research Problem

1. Identify the broad domain of enquiry where a need for research exists.
2. Understand the nature and scope of the problem through literature review and discussion with those who first worked on it.
3. Determine the feasibility of the study, that is whether it can be answered within the restrictions of time, money and the researcher's expertise.
4. State the research problem and prepare the research design beforehand as a blueprint for collecting and analysing data.

Conclusion: A research problem is a state of mind beginning with doubt and the wish to know. Its wise selection, careful formulation and a sound research design determine the success of the entire research endeavour.

Fieldwork and Building Rapport

Exam question: "Fieldwork is the backbone of sociological research." Critically discuss, explaining how a researcher builds rapport.

Meaning of Fieldwork

Fieldwork is the practice in which an anthropologist collects first-hand information by systematically exploring society or culture. It involves living with the study people, immersing themselves in the daily life of a culture, observing the behaviour of people and testing cultural hypotheses.

Fieldwork as the Backbone of Research

The researcher goes away from one's own society and stays with the people under study for a sustained period, which is a crucial and indispensable part of primary data collection.

1. Actions and events are studied in people's everyday contexts, not under conditions created by the researcher.
2. Data is collected from varied sources such as informal conversations, focus groups, participant observation, interview and documents.
3. The focus is on micro-aspects through in-depth case analysis rather than macro-level generalisations.
4. The researcher must be reflexive, since field research is shaped by the researcher's sociohistoric location.

Building Rapport and Trust

Rapport refers to the relationship a researcher establishes with informants, characterised by trust and understanding that facilitates communication. A researcher builds rapport by:

1. Learning the local language in quick time.
2. Reading the symbolic and gestural characteristics of communication.
3. Adjusting to the local food culture.
4. Interacting with people as cultural equals, without any sense of cultural superiority.
5. Interacting equally with all age groups.

Critical Concerns

1. Access must be secured through gatekeepers and then negotiated and renegotiated continually.
2. The researcher's presence should not disturb the normal life of the participants.
3. Field relations can be both strenuous and exciting, and leaving the field may itself raise emotional difficulties.

Conclusion: Fieldwork remains the chief means of collecting primary data. Its success depends on gaining access, building rapport and maintaining trust while staying reflexive about the researcher's own biases.

Sampling, Probability and Non-Probability Types

Exam question: What is sampling? Explain the main types of probability and non-probability sampling.

Meaning of Sampling

The method of selecting a sample from a given population is called sampling. Basically there are two types of sampling: probability sampling, in which units are selected according to some chance mechanism, and non-probability sampling, which is based on the judgment or discretion of the person making the choice.

Probability Sampling

Also called random sampling, it is a procedure in which every member of the population has a chance of being selected. Its main variants are:

1. Simple random sampling, used for a homogeneous population where each unit has an equal chance of selection, with or without replacement.
2. Systematic random sampling, where the first unit is chosen at random and subsequent units are selected at a fixed interval K = N/n.
3. Stratified random sampling, where the heterogeneous population is divided into homogeneous strata and units are drawn from each by random sampling.
4. Cluster and multi-stage sampling, where the population is divided into clusters, or simple methods are combined across stages.

Non-Probability Sampling

Here units are chosen by discretion rather than chance. There are four types:

1. Convenience sampling, where units are included because they are in the right place at the right time. It is less costly but biased.
2. Judgment or purposive sampling, where the researcher selects units believed to represent the population.
3. Quota sampling, where the population is divided into groups and a fixed quota is filled from each, proportionally or non-proportionally.
4. Snowball sampling, where one suitable respondent recommends others, useful for inaccessible or hard-to-find populations.

Sampling Process

1. Specify survey objectives and design the questionnaire.
2. Define the target population and identify the sampling frame.
3. Select the sampling procedure and the sampling units, then process and analyse the data.

Conclusion: Using a sample saves money, time and manpower. If a suitable procedure and adequate sample size are chosen and sampling errors are reduced, the sample yields valid and reliable information about the population.

Survey Research and Its Comparison With Census

Exam question: What is "Survey Research"? Explain its merits and demerits, and distinguish between survey and census.

Meaning of Survey Research

Survey is a method of collecting information from a sample of the population. It is a partial enumeration, because it is a count from part of the population, where information from the sampled units is used to estimate the characteristics for the entire population of interest. A survey can be used for both quantitative and qualitative research.

Advantages of Survey Research

1. It is inexpensive and less time consuming than in-depth fieldwork-based research.
2. It has wide coverage and can be carried out in remote locations through e-mail or telephone.
3. Many questions can be asked through a survey.
4. Since the same set of questions is asked to the whole sample, comparisons can be drawn.

Disadvantages of Survey Research

1. It is sometimes difficult to frame questions relevant to everyone in the sample.
2. It is inflexible in the sample.
3. Respondents may not answer all questions or may not provide reliable data.
4. The socio-economic context is often ignored.

Conclusion: Both census and survey are valuable research methods. Census enumerates every unit while survey works through a representative sample, and the choice between them is dictated by the needs of the research.

Ethnographic Method Including Digital Ethnography

Exam question: Explain ethnography as a method of research. Outline its emerging trends and the sources of data used in digital ethnography.

Meaning of Ethnography

Ethnography typically involves the ethnographer participating in people's daily lives for an extended period of time, watching what happens, listening to what is said and asking questions, in fact collecting whatever data are available to throw light on the issues that are the focus of research.

Ethnography as Method and Product

Ethnography is both a method and a product of research. As a method it is a composite range of techniques used in combination to develop a holistic understanding of a group. As a product it is the descriptive account presented by the researcher. Its use, credited to Bronislaw Malinowski, involves:

1. Learning the language so the researcher can communicate and read people's documents.
2. Living with people for a prolonged period while keeping the "marginal native" mental distance.
3. Being non-judgmental and holding cultural relativism, shedding ethnocentrism.
4. Collecting data in context and describing the method clearly and in detail.

Emerging Trends

1. The method has moved from an objective to a more subjective stance, concentrating on narratives.
2. Multi-sited ethnography, that is studying a community across many locales as people migrate.
3. Digital ethnography, that is the use of digital means to collect data.

Sources of Data in Digital Ethnography

1. Online questionnaires, easily stored, retrieved and exported for analysis, with global reach.
2. Digital videos, providing a rich source of data placed in its proper context.
3. Social networking websites, generating large databases of people sharing common interests.
4. Blogs, presenting a person's perspective and others' responses to it.

Conclusion: The value of ethnography has grown over time, offering depth and authenticity unmatched by other methods, though the Mead and Freeman controversy shows it can never be wholly free from the observer's subjective position.