| name | alterlab-social-science-methods |
| description | Guides advanced social science research methods — discourse analysis (Fairclough CDA, Gee), conversation analysis, quantitative content analysis, Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), process tracing, archival research, participatory/community-based research (PAR, CBPR), Delphi and Q methodology, social network analysis (SNA), bibliometrics and scientometrics, systematic mapping reviews, and program/policy evaluation. Use when designing or conducting any of these studies — choosing a specialized method, building a coding scheme, establishing causal mechanisms in case studies, mapping relational or subjective data, or applying an evaluation framework. For interpretive/qualitative coding (thematic analysis, grounded theory, IPA, ethnography, qualitative content analysis) use alterlab-qualitative-methods; for combining qual+quant strands use alterlab-mixed-methods. Part of the AlterLab Academic Skills suite. |
| license | MIT |
| allowed-tools | Read Write Edit Bash(python:*) |
| compatibility | No API key required. Guidance-focused skill; optional Python helpers run via `uv run python`. |
| metadata | {"skill-author":"AlterLab","version":"1.0.0","last_updated":"2026-03-18"} |
Social Science Research Methods
Overview
Social science research encompasses a remarkably diverse methodological landscape. Beyond the familiar quantitative-qualitative divide lie specialized methods refined over decades within particular disciplinary traditions -- each carrying specific epistemological commitments, analytical procedures, and quality criteria. This skill covers advanced and specialized methods that go beyond introductory courses: discourse analysis in its multiple traditions, conversation analysis, quantitative content analysis, comparative methods including Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), process tracing, archival research, participatory and community-based research, the Delphi method and Q methodology, social network analysis, bibliometrics and scientometrics, systematic mapping reviews, and program evaluation and policy analysis.
It is designed for faculty and researchers across the social sciences -- sociology, political science, education, public health, communication, public policy, social work, and interdisciplinary fields. Many of these methods are also used in the humanities and applied fields such as management, urban planning, and international development.
The skill body below is a router: it states what each method is, when to reach for it, and where the full procedures, worked examples, and reference tables live. Detailed content has been split into the references/ files indexed at the end.
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when you need to:
- Conduct or design a discourse analysis study using Fairclough's CDA or Gee's framework
- Analyze naturally occurring talk-in-interaction using conversation analysis (CA)
- Design a quantitative content analysis with reliable coding schemes
- Apply Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) or Mill's methods for cross-case comparison
- Use process tracing to establish causal mechanisms in case study research
- Plan and conduct archival research with primary historical sources
- Design a participatory action research (PAR) or community-based participatory research (CBPR) project
- Implement a Delphi study to build expert consensus
- Conduct a Q methodology study to map subjective viewpoints
- Perform social network analysis (SNA) on relational data
- Conduct bibliometric or scientometric analysis of scholarly literatures
- Design a systematic mapping review (as distinct from a systematic review)
- Plan a program evaluation using established frameworks
- Conduct policy analysis using structured analytical approaches
Method Families at a Glance
Language-focused interpretive methods
- Discourse analysis examines how language constructs social reality. Two dominant traditions: , a three-dimensional framework linking text, discursive practice, and social practice; and , organized around seven building tasks of language. Both assume a constructionist epistemology.
