Top Tools and Guidelines for Social Science Research

Author: Susan Wray

Introduction

Research is one of the most intensive and time-consuming tasks. It can be a difficult task, especially for social science research. Researchers have to constantly surf the internet to find the relevant sources, staying aware of the latest research trends and data collection. Social science researchers often find themselves in a pickle in deciding what tools they can use to make the research easier. There are many tools, and choosing the right one is difficult. So, this article will tell you about the top tools you can use for social science research.

Why Should You Use a Tool for Social Research?

Research is a lengthy process, and it demands organisation. Tools are important for any research, which is true for social science research. You need a tool for the following reasons:

  • Tools help manage the tasks more effectively
  • Helps in data collection, organisation and analysis
  • Documenting the research articles, noting the references
  • Help manage and sort ideas relevant to the research problem
  • Helps organise documents and publications
  • Help find the relevant literature
  • Tools help correct the grammatical mistakes
  • Assists in providing the proper citations and references

What are some of the top tools for social science research?

  • SPSS

The researchers of marketing dissertation help, SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), is the most frequent tool researchers use to analyse data using statistical tools. SPSS is the most important tool used by researchers in social science research. SPSS helps researchers examine large statistical datasets. Researchers can examine complex information with the aid of SPSS. In quantitative social science research, SPSS helps to arrive at key findings. SPSS tools generate valid and accurate results depending upon the credibility of the data. Researchers can use SPSS easily, and it is very easy to learn. SPSS features a user-friendly interface that allows researchers to assess data easily. Social science research involves the analysis of complex data. SPSS features systematic analysis, bivariate analysis, regression analysis and cross-tabulation. These statistical functions help the researchers examine the data. SPSS can also help social science researchers to generate forecast models through the Modeler function SPSS.

Moreover, SPSS can analyse complex information gathered through surveys. Researchers can also use SPSS to create a graphical presentation of the data. Researchers can store the data in SPSS for future uses, and the SPSS encryption system keeps the data secure.

  • Grammarly

Research documents are lengthy with a significant word count. When writing in a flow, you neglect spelling and grammar mistakes not to interrupt the flow of ideas. However, once you finish the research, the next task is to correct the spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. It can be time-consuming if you decide to proofread the document manually. Although there is an option for spelling and grammar review in MS Word, it is very basic. You can use Grammarly to proofread and edit the social science research paper. Grammarly's premium version is economical, and it allows you to correct grammatical and spelling errors. You can correct the sentence structures, style, mood, and voice mistakes.

Moreover, Grammarly autocorrects the punctuation mistakes and provides suggestions to change the order of sentences for clarity. Social science research is mostly theoretical and qualitative, and therefore it consists of plenty of words. Researchers can use Grammarly to proofread and edit their documents with convenience. You can also install an extension of Grammarly in MS Word and correct the mistakes simultaneously as you write the research paper. You can also use Grammarly to check plagiarism in your documents. Although the plagiarism detection of Grammarly is very basic, it helps identify the plagiarized text.

  • Mendeley

References and citations are most important in any research. Similarly, social science research also requires relevant citations and references. However, it is very difficult to find the relevant sources; moreover, inserting the citations in MS Word is time-taking. But you can use Mendeley to find the relevant sources through the "Literature Search" option. The literature search option helps you find the relevant articles by accessing all the social science databases. You can choose to cite it by saving it in your library, and you can generate a citation in any one of the citation formats. Mendeley recently updated its features, and unfortunately, the Literature search option is available only for premium users. However, we have a solution for you. If you want to use the Literature Search option of Mendeley, then you can download it by clicking on the following link:

https://www.researchgate.net/deref/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mendeley.com%2Fautoupdates%2Finstallers%2F1.19.6

It is important to remember that to keep using the free version of Mendeley, do not click on the update option. So, download Mendeley's extension for MS Word and Google Chrome and make your life easier with the help of Mendeley.

  • Duplichecker

There are many plagiarism checking tools, and the most effective plagiarism tool is Turnitin. However, Turnitin is very expensive, and only academic institutions have access to it. But researchers often worry about plagiarism in their research. There is so much information that one has to include in the research paper, and sometimes you forget to cite the source properly. As a result, the software detects plagiarism, blotting your credibility. Therefore, it is always wise to double-check your social science research paper before submitting it to a committee or a journal. You can use Duplichecker to detect plagiarism in your research paper. You can use the free version and check the plagiarism in the text for a word count of 1000 words. It can help you detect plagiarism in those sections of the paper you are not certain about.

Google Forms

Data collection is vital for social science research. Gone are the days when people conducted surveys by going door to door. With the help of digital technologies, you can create a survey online and distribute it to the study participants via email or social media. Social science researchers can use Google Forms to create surveys. It allows you to formulate open-ended and close-ended questions with convenience. You can create a survey online and distribute it among the study participants for primary data collection.

Conclusion

The above-mentioned top tools are fundamental for conducting any research. Researchers can use them for social science research. These tools will lower your burden and facilitate the research process by saving your time and energy.