Introduction to Sociology: Assignment 1 - Research Review and Analysis

This assignment, completed for an Introduction to Sociology course, analyzes an article by Olmstead (2017) on public opinion regarding government surveillance of phone calls and emails in the United States. The student addresses key questions following the "Ask, Research, Learn, Do" framework, summarizing the research topic, the population studied (U.S. residents), and the research question concerning the necessity of governmental surveillance for security. The student then describes the quantitative research methods used, including survey questionnaires. Key findings, such as differing views among age groups and more suspicion towards men, are presented, along with the conclusion that governmental surveillance is necessary for national security. Finally, the student poses follow-up questions about the ethical implications of surveillance and its effectiveness in countering terrorism and natural disasters.

Assignment 1: Reviewing Research and Making Connections
(Student name)
Dr. Goldstein
Introduction to Sociology
(Date)

Ask (Write a paragraph of at least 5 7 sentences answering the following questions in your
own words.)
 What was the topic of the research?
 Who was studied in the research?
 What was the research question that was answered by the information
in the article?
Research (Write a paragraph of at least 5-7 sentences answering the following questions in
your own words.)
 What research methods were used?
 Summarize the process researchers used to collect data.
The research topic as discussed by Olmstead (2017) in the article entitled “Most Americans think
the government could be monitoring their phone calls and emails” relates to the monitoring of the
phone calls and the personal emails that are exchanged among the residents of the concerned
country.
The research for the composition of the article was conducted majorly on the population of the
United States. The research for the study was conducted mainly on the overall population residing
within the territorial boundaries of United States (Olmstead, 2017). The research conducted for
the article is known to have included the older sections of the society as well.
The research question that has been addressed within the article discusses the necessity of the
governmental surveillance over the messages that are exchanged among the residents of the
country as well as all over the world (Olmstead, 2017). The research question majorly aims to look
into the necessity of the governmental surveillance in the matters that are related to the security
issues within the concerned country.
What are the impacts of government surveillance on the population of the country?
The research methods that were used in this case is the quantitative analysis of the data that has
been presented within the given research context. The researchers ensured the fact that the
research method involved the participation of a wider population (Olmstead, 2017).
The data for the research was collected through the survey questionnaire that was circulated. The
concerned survey questionnaire aimed at the collection of the wide-spread population thereby
resulting in the lesser bias within the data that has been collected for the completion of the study
(Olmstead, 2017).

Learn (Write a paragraph of at least 5-7 sentences answering the following questions in your
own words.)
 What were the key findings of the research?
 What conclusion was drawn from the research?
Do (Write a paragraph of at least 5-7 sentences answering the following questions in your own
words.)
 What are two additional follow-up questions that you have based on this
research?
 Why did you choose these follow up questions?
The views of the older sections within the country are known to differ in their opinion regarding
the governmental surveillance on the messages that are exchanged over electronic media. The
other major findings within the given study reveal the fact that the male population of the country
faced more suspicion than their female counterparts due to the governmental surveillance
(Olmstead, 2017).
The study concluded the fact that the governmental surveillance is necessary for the safety and
the security of the population of the country. The proper governmental surveillance and
interception of the messages might help in the proper and timely detection of the terrorist
activities within the given country. Olmstead (2017) argues that the concerned article further
concludes that the governmental surveillance and interception might also help in the speedy
service during the various conditions within the country that might arise due to the natural
disasters or even in checking the terrorist activities within the country.

The major follow-up questions that might arise on reading the article are as follows.
 What are the ethical implications of the governmental surveillance and interception on the
personal messages that are exchanged over the telephonic calls and the messages that are
exchanged over the personal e-mails?
 Has the governmental surveillance depicted enough potential to counter the potential
terrorist activities and the natural disasters that might have attacked the country?
The research questions have been chosen since these questions aim to discuss the implication of
the governmental surveillance within the country and the benefits of the surveillance on the
residents of the country.

References
Olmstead, K. (2017). Most Americans think the government could be monitoring their phone
calls and emails. Washington, DC Retrieved from http://www. pewresearch.
org/facttank/2017/09/27/most-americans-think-the-government-could-be-monitoring-
their-phonecalls-and-emails.