Analytic induction
Encyclopedia
Analytic induction refers to a systematic examination of similarities between various social phenomena in order to develop concepts or ideas. Social scientists doing social research
use analytic induction to search for those similarities in broad categories and then develop subcategories. For example, social scientist may examine the category of 'marijuana users' and then develop subcategories for 'uses marijuana for pleasure' and 'uses marijuana for health reasons'. If no relevant similarities can be identified, then either the data needs to be reevaluated and the definition of similarities changed, or the category is too wide and heterogeneous and should be narrowed down.
In the earlier sociological papers (from 1940s and 1950s) this term could also be used to mean the search for "universals" in social life, where "universal" meant an invariant, complete, positivistic propriety (i.e. "all black males between 35 and 40 vote for Democrats").
This principle was formulated in 1934 by Florian Znaniecki
in order to identify universal propositions and causal laws. It is contrasted with enumerative research, which can only identify correlation
s and cannot explain outlier
s in statistical relationships. The principle was further refined by Alfred Lindesmith (1947), Donald Cressey
(1950), W.S. Robinson (1951), and Howard S. Becker
(1963). Taylor & Bogdan (1998) Eventually it became one of the classic research methods in ethnography
.
According to Znaniecki analytic induction involves "inducing laws from a deep analysis of experimentally isolated instances", and is more advanced than simply defining and using terms in advance of research. It involves inductive
(rather than deductive reasoning
) and allows modification of social concepts throughout research. This allows an accurate reflection of the studied phenomena.http://www.vanguard.edu/uploadedFiles/faculty/dratcliff/analytic.html
Analytic induction is based on ontological and epistemological realism which relies on Cartesian dualism and assumes an equation of truth (albeit, partial truths) with the faithful reproduction of the object as factual knowledge.
Researchers using analytic induction pursue three fundamental questions: Under what contexts do patterns arise? Under what contexts do the exceptions to the pattern arise? What significance do these patterns and exceptions hold? Like all research, analytic induction is a subjective process. However, researchers build their analyses carefully and provide enough information for readers to evaluate the credibility of their argument.
The strength of analytic induction is its capacity to generate complex, theoretically rich understandings of social life. To some extent, analytic induction does enable researchers to theorize and anticipate contexts in which a phenomenon might arise, yet this is quite different from the generalizability of quantitative research. However, Analytic induction is never intended to study how the machinery of marginalization produced viable subjects for exploitation. Nor is it intended as a method for examining routine relations of power and privilege. The epistemological foundations on which it is moored render it ineffective for such analysis today.
Social research
Social research refers to research conducted by social scientists. Social research methods may be divided into two broad categories:* Quantitative designs approach social phenomena through quantifiable evidence, and often rely on statistical analysis of many cases to create valid and reliable...
use analytic induction to search for those similarities in broad categories and then develop subcategories. For example, social scientist may examine the category of 'marijuana users' and then develop subcategories for 'uses marijuana for pleasure' and 'uses marijuana for health reasons'. If no relevant similarities can be identified, then either the data needs to be reevaluated and the definition of similarities changed, or the category is too wide and heterogeneous and should be narrowed down.
In the earlier sociological papers (from 1940s and 1950s) this term could also be used to mean the search for "universals" in social life, where "universal" meant an invariant, complete, positivistic propriety (i.e. "all black males between 35 and 40 vote for Democrats").
This principle was formulated in 1934 by Florian Znaniecki
Florian Znaniecki
Florian Witold Znaniecki was a Polish sociologist. He taught and wrote in Poland and the United States. He was the 44th President of the American Sociological Association and the founder of academic sociology studies in Poland...
in order to identify universal propositions and causal laws. It is contrasted with enumerative research, which can only identify correlation
Correlation
In statistics, dependence refers to any statistical relationship between two random variables or two sets of data. Correlation refers to any of a broad class of statistical relationships involving dependence....
s and cannot explain outlier
Outlier
In statistics, an outlier is an observation that is numerically distant from the rest of the data. Grubbs defined an outlier as: An outlying observation, or outlier, is one that appears to deviate markedly from other members of the sample in which it occurs....
s in statistical relationships. The principle was further refined by Alfred Lindesmith (1947), Donald Cressey
Donald Cressey
Donald R. Cressey was an American penologist, sociologist, and criminologist who made innovative contributions to the study of organized crime, prisons, criminology, the sociology of criminal law, white-collar crime....
(1950), W.S. Robinson (1951), and Howard S. Becker
Howard S. Becker
Howard Saul Becker is an American sociologist who made major contributions to the sociology of deviance, sociology of art, and sociology of music. Becker also wrote extensively on sociological writing styles and methodologies. In addition, Becker's book The Outsiders provided the foundations for...
(1963). Taylor & Bogdan (1998) Eventually it became one of the classic research methods in ethnography
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
.
According to Znaniecki analytic induction involves "inducing laws from a deep analysis of experimentally isolated instances", and is more advanced than simply defining and using terms in advance of research. It involves inductive
Inductive reasoning
Inductive reasoning, also known as induction or inductive logic, is a kind of reasoning that constructs or evaluates propositions that are abstractions of observations. It is commonly construed as a form of reasoning that makes generalizations based on individual instances...
(rather than deductive reasoning
Deductive reasoning
Deductive reasoning, also called deductive logic, is reasoning which constructs or evaluates deductive arguments. Deductive arguments are attempts to show that a conclusion necessarily follows from a set of premises or hypothesis...
) and allows modification of social concepts throughout research. This allows an accurate reflection of the studied phenomena.http://www.vanguard.edu/uploadedFiles/faculty/dratcliff/analytic.html
Analytic induction is based on ontological and epistemological realism which relies on Cartesian dualism and assumes an equation of truth (albeit, partial truths) with the faithful reproduction of the object as factual knowledge.
Researchers using analytic induction pursue three fundamental questions: Under what contexts do patterns arise? Under what contexts do the exceptions to the pattern arise? What significance do these patterns and exceptions hold? Like all research, analytic induction is a subjective process. However, researchers build their analyses carefully and provide enough information for readers to evaluate the credibility of their argument.
The strength of analytic induction is its capacity to generate complex, theoretically rich understandings of social life. To some extent, analytic induction does enable researchers to theorize and anticipate contexts in which a phenomenon might arise, yet this is quite different from the generalizability of quantitative research. However, Analytic induction is never intended to study how the machinery of marginalization produced viable subjects for exploitation. Nor is it intended as a method for examining routine relations of power and privilege. The epistemological foundations on which it is moored render it ineffective for such analysis today.
Further reading
- Robinson, W. S. (1951). The logical structure of analytic induction. American Sociological Review, Vol 16, no 6, pgs 812-818
- Znaniecki, F. (1934). The method of sociology.
- Charles C. RaginCharles C. RaginCharles C. Ragin is an American sociologist and Professor of Sociology and Political Science at the University of Arizona.- Biography :Ragin graduated with a B.A. in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin in May, 1972. He completed his Ph.D...
, Constructing Social Research: The Unity and Diversity of Method, Pine Forge Press, 1994, ISBN 0-8039-9021-9 - Steven J. Taylor, Robert Bogdan, Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods, John Wiley & Sons, 1998, ISBN 0-471-16868-8
- Celine-Marie Pascale, Cartographies of Knowledge: Exploring Qualitative Epistemologies, Sage, 2010, ISBN 978-1-4129-5496-9
External links
- Analytic Induction as a Qualitative Research Method of Analysis by Donald E. Ratcliff