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"Research Methods in Social Sciences" brings together author Lee Ellis's practical experience from his years as a government researcher. The book contains many examples of resources using worldwide data from all social sciences including anthropology, criminal justice, economics, geography, history, philosophy, political science, psychology, social work and sociology. Coverage of statistical concepts at a non-mathematical level establishes a foundation for students to understand statistics. A specifically designed glossary is included which clearly defines every term used throughout the text.

A new method for citing articles and books in scientific publications is proposed. The method all but eliminates the need to list references. In addition to identifying and illustrating the basic rules involved, this article uses the proposed method. Thus, while citations appear throughout, no references are presented. Instead, readers can locate each cited publication by simply copying the citation verbatim and inserting it into the dialogue box of Google Scholar. Two more recommendations for improving the transmission of scientific are also proposed.

This article argues that scientific communication can be improved by changing citation and referencing methods in three specific ways. First, include page numbers (or table or figure numbers) in citing sources much more often than is the current practice. Doing so will make it easier to confirm information cited and substantially reduce attribution errors. Twelve specific examples of attribution errors are provided as a way of documenting the need for greater precision in citing sources. Second, make clearer to readers the nature of what is being cited. This can be done by using specific symbols to classify nearly all scientific publications into one of the following three categories: (a) original research, (b) reviews or meta-analyses, or (c) predominantly argumentative or theoretical proposals. Third, the length of the average scientific article can be substantially reduced without losing any ability to document by replacing the conventional citing/referencing method with a method that allows readers to go directly from each citation to the actual referenced material in Google Scholar or Microsoft Academic. Guidelines for this new method are offered.

A theory of social stratification is proposed that was derived from combining two conceptual continuums, both referring to phenomena that appear to be genetically influenced: pro/antisociality and r/K selection. Pro/antisociality refers to behavioral tendencies epitomized at one end by altruism, and, at the other end, by victimizing behavior (particular violent offenses). r/K selection refers to a variety of physiological and behavioral traits, epitomized at the r-end by organisms that reproduce in large numbers, while committing minimal time and energy to the nurturing of each offspring, and at the K-end by organisms that reproduce in small numbers, but make maximum commitments to nurturing each offspring. The theory postulates that the space created by the right-angle intersection of these two variables gives rise to human social stratification. Variations in educational achievement, earnings, and occupational prestige within the theoretical space created by these two variables in industrial societies are hypothesized and discussed.

Probably the most enduring question throughout the history of the social sciences pertains to how much human social behavior is a product of evolutionary, genetic, nonsocial, "natural" sorts of variables as opposed to learned sociocultural, environmental, "nurturing" variables (Hammond, 1983). Regardless of where individual social scientists themselves happen to have settled on this issue, many have offered an opinion about the prevailing position of social scientists generally on this question at various points in social science history. The present study compares these opinions, especially as they pertain to the twentieth century.

ABSTRACTResearch reported up through and including the 1970s directly bearing upon the relationship between genetics and criminality is reviewed. Studies using four classes of research designs are considered: general pedigree (or family) studies, twin studies, karyotype studies, and adoption studies. Only the latter three offer solid evidence at least consistent with a partial genetic etiological hypothesis, and of these, only one type of karyotype study and the adoption studies appear to be on the verge of definitely settling the matter. Among the fairly definitive types of studies, most of the evidence is extremely supportive of the proposition that human variation in tendencies to commit criminal behavior is significantly affected by some genetic factors.