PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL RESEARCH

Course objectives

The general objective of the course is to provide the first, essential, conceptual and operational tools for designing and conducting an empirical research in relation to social phenomena with relevance. Knowledge and understanding of the acquisition of social research procedures, techniques and tools. Applying knowledge and understanding: acquired in relation to the design of distinct social research designs, based on specific cognitive objectives. Making judgments: regarding the choice and decision processes that underlie the adoption of specific social research operational strategies. Communication skills in the exposition and argumentation of the procedural procedure related to social research drawings and in the interpretation of the empirical evidences achieved, as well as in relation to the moments of interaction with the study subjects. Learning skills aimed at transmitting the ability of students to study and re-elaborate study materials in order to acquire autonomy in subsequent advanced studies and aimed at an increasingly autonomous management of social research paths. Expected results: It is expected that the student at the end of the course will be able to design a social research, as well as to work with some of the main techniques for collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data.

Channel 1
STEFANO NOBILE Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
The course is divided into due teaching modules, related to (1) research planning, (2) data collection. I Module - Research planning Strategies and designs of scientific-social research. Possible classifications of social research drawings. Problems, concepts, indicators and indices. Validity and reliability. The notion of variable. Classification and measurement. II Module - Data collection Sampling and selection strategies for case studies. Procedures and tools for constructing the empirical basis: quantitative and qualitative approaches. The use of scales in detecting attitudes.
Prerequisites
The course can be profitably attended by those who have already supported at least the sociological teachings (SPS/07 and SPS/08) and that of social psychology (M-PSI/05) foreseen in the first year of the training course.
Books
Fasanella A., Mauceri S., Nobile S. (2024) Introduzione alla metodologia della ricerca sociale, FrancoAngeli, Milano. (Introduction; chapters 1-7; 9-11; chapters 19-24) Handouts and slides from lectures. Students who will not want or be able to do the group work will have to take the exam on one of the following additional chapters: 8 or 24 or 25.
Teaching mode
In consideration of the Covid-19 emergency and with reference to the evolution of government and health authority regulations, the course or parts of it may also be held at a distance or in blended mode (in presence and at a distance), in any case ensuring compliance with safety regulations on occasions. For detailed information, please consult the Department's website (https://corsidilaurea.uniroma1.it/it/users/stefanonobileuniroma1it), in the webcattedre 2021-2022 section.
Frequency
In light of the course's theoretical and practical nature, regular attendance is strongly recommended. Only students who have attended at least two-thirds of the scheduled classes will be eligible to participate in the intermediate assessments.
Exam mode
Oral test on the entire examination program. Students will also have the option of taking two in-progress tests related to the respective sections into which the course is divided. In this case, 80% of the final grade will be determined by the average of the two examination parts; the remaining 20% will be determined by group work. Students will be able to reject the grade obtained or even only the grade received on one of the two tests. Students will also be allowed to keep the grade from the one test they passed if the overall average is less than 18/30. Students who - for whatever reason - will not be able to participate in the group work will have to bring an additional chapter to the oral exam.
Bibliography
Agodi, M. C. (1996). Qualità e quantità: un falso dilemma e tanti equivoci. In C. Cipolla, & A. De Lillo (A cura di), Il sociologo e le sirene. La sfida dei metodi qualitativi (p. 106-135). Milano: FrancoAngeli. Bailey, K. D. (1987). Metodi della ricerca sociale. Bologna: Il Mulino. Blalock, H. (1969). Statistica per la ricerca sociale. Bologna: Il Mulino. Boudon, R., & Lazarsfeld, P. F. (1965). L'analisi empirica nelle scienze sociali. Volume I: Dai concetti agli indici empirici. Bologna: Il Mulino. Campelli, E. (1977). L'uso dei documenti e delle storie di vita nella ricerca sociologica. Roma: Elia. Campelli, E. (1996). Metodi qualitativi e teoria sociale. In C. Cipolla, & A. De Lillo (A cura di), Il sociologo e le sirene. La sida dei metodi qualitativi (p. 17-36). Milano: FrancoAngeli. Cardano, M., & Ortalda, F. (A cura di). (2017). Metodologia della ricerca psicosociale. Torino: Utet. Cuin, C.-H. (2005). Esistono leggi sociologiche? In M. Borlandi, & L. Sciolla, La spiegazione sociologica. Metodi, tendenze, problemi (p. 33-44). Bologna: Il Mulino. Di Franco, G., & Marradi, A. (2020). L'analisi bivariata. Milano: Franco Angeli. Fasanella, A. (1993). Concettualizzazione e spiegazione sociologica. Il modello nomologico-inferenziale e la sua applicabilità alle scienze sociali. Milano: FrancoAngeli. Fasanella, A. (1998). La generalizzazione in sociologia: una rilevante questione metodologica. In P. De Nardis, Le nuove frontiere della sociologia (p. 79-106). Roma: Carocci. Goode, W. J., & Hatt, P. K. (1968). Metodologia della ricerca sociale. Bologna: Il Mulino. Guala, C. (2000). Metodi della ricerca sociale. La storia, le tecniche, gli indicatori. Roma: Carocci. Lazarsfeld, P. F. (1967). Metodologia e ricerca sociologica. Bologna: Il Mulino. Losito, G. (1993). L’analisi del contenuto nella ricerca sociale. Milano: Franco Angeli. Marradi, A. (1980). Concetti e metodo nella ricerca sociale. Firenze: Giuntina. Marradi, A. (1984, Aprile). Teoria: una tipologia dei significati. Sociologia e Ricerca Sociale, V(13), 157-182. Marradi, A. (2020). Tutti redigono questionari. Ma è davvero così facile. Milano: FrancoAngeli. Nobile, S. (2008). La chiusura del cerchio. La costruzione degli indici nella ricerca sociale. Acireale-Roma: Bonanno. Nobile, S. (2013). La comunicazione e le tecniche di ricerca empirica. In M. Liuccio, & C. Ruggiero, Studiare la comunicazione. Teorie e metodi per un approccio sociologico (p. 53-72). Santarcangelo di Romagna: Maggioli. Nobile, S. (2022). Introduzione alla metodologia della ricerca sociale. Roma: Carocci. Perrone, L. (1982). Metodi quantitativi nella ricerca sociale. Milano: Feltrinelli. Ricolfi, L. (1985). Operazioni di ricerca e scale. Rassegna italiana di sociologia (2), 189-228. Rosenberg, M. (1968). La logica dell'analisi trivariata. Milano: Franco Angeli. Sparti, D. (2010). Epistemologia delle scienze sociali. Bologna: Il Mulino. Weber, M. (1922). Il metodo delle scienze storico-sociali. Milano: Mondadori.
Lesson mode
Lectures, with classroom exercises.
ANTONIO FASANELLA Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
The course is divided into two Module: I Module - Research planning Strategies and designs of scientific-social research. Possible classifications of social research drawings. Problems, concepts, indicators and indices. Validity and reliability. The notion of variable. Classification and measurement. II Module - Data collection Sampling and selection strategies for case studies. Procedures and tools for constructing the empirical basis: quantitative and qualitative approaches. The use of scales in detecting attitudes.
Prerequisites
The course can be profitably attended by those who have already supported at least the sociological teachings and that of social psychology foreseen in the first year of the training course.
Books
Fasanella A., Mauceri S., Nobile S. a c. di (2024). Metodologia della ricerca sociale. Approcci, strategie e tecniche di indagine, FrancoAngeli, Milano Lecture notes and slides
Teaching mode
The course will be held in person and will consist of three weekly lessons of two hours each. Upon request, remote meetings may be arranged to provide information about the course, how it will be conducted, and how learning will be assessed. During these meetings, specific aspects of the course program may be clarified and discussed in greater detail.
Frequency
Class attendance is optional but strongly recommended, also in relation to participation in written tests, based on the arguments developed during the lessons.
Exam mode
The verification of learning involves carrying out an oral test at the end of the course and carrying out exercises during the lessons.
Channel 2
SERGIO MAUCERI Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
The course aims to introduce students to the methodology of social research by providing a first set of concepts and tools for designing a research and collecting qualitative and quantitative data. In line with the more general training objectives of the graduating course, this theoretical, conceptual and operational endowment is designed in particular in view of its application. Numerous examples of concrete research cases will be provided during the lessons to enable students to acquire practical skills to apply theoretical-methodological knowledge. Specific practical training experiences will also be provided. The course is divided into several didactic modules: 1. Qulitative and quantitative research designs (15 hours): scientific-social research strategies and typology of research designs. 2. The design of the empirical basis (59 hours). Problems, concepts, indicators and indexes. Validity and reliability. The notion of variable. Classification and measurement; Building the Empirical Basis: Procedures and Techniques for Detection and Construction of Quantitative Data. The use of scaling techniques in attitudes detection. Sampling strategies; Qualitative strategies of research: Ethnographic approach; Hermeneutic-discursive approach; Biographical approach. Mixed Methods Research
Prerequisites
None
Books
- A. Fasanella, S. Mauceri, S. Nobile (a c. di), 2024, Metodologia della ricerca sociale. Approcci, strategie e tecniche di indagine, Milano, Franco Angeli (Chaps. Introduzione, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24). Text in Open Access, free upload: https://www.francoangeli.it/Libro/Metodologia-della-ricerca-sociale-Approcci,-strategie-e-tecniche-di-indagine?Id=29168 The book is also available in printed edition. Material published on the Classroom
Teaching mode
Lessons useful for achieving mastery of vocabulary and investigation strategies in the field of social research.Simulations and practical exercises, aimed at the acquisition of methodological skills and management of the main techniques for the detection of qualitative and quantitative data.
Frequency
Attendance is not compulsory but strongly recommended to all students.
Exam mode
The exam is oral and is aimed at evaluating an adequate mastery and awareness of the fields of study, the lexicon and the main qualitative and quantitative research strategies. The exam test has the function of evaluating: 1. level of learning of the basic concepts of the discipline; 2. ability to orientate themselves with respect to possible research designs in relation to the stipulated objectives; 3. ability to translate the theoretical-methodological contents into practical skills in applying knowledge to specific research designss; 4. Critical skills and connection between the studied texts (dimensions connected to the ability to analyze and reflect independently on the contents of the texts).
Lesson mode
Lessons useful for achieving mastery of vocabulary and investigation strategies in the field of social research.Simulations and practical exercises, aimed at the acquisition of methodological skills and management of the main techniques for the detection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data.
  • Lesson code1022307
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • Coursecorso|33615
  • CurriculumSingle curriculum
  • Year2nd year
  • Semester1st semester
  • SSDSPS/07
  • CFU9
  • Subject areaScienze umane ed economico-sociali