This paper is organized into a variety of sections. We start by presenting an introduction to the paradigm shifts that have occurred in genetics in the past decade, in an effort to provide some historical context of the field. We introduce the reader to the basic methodologies of both linkage and association and the advantages and disadvantages of each. This is not intended to be an exhaustive or thorough coverage of these methodologies, but rather a very basic overview of different strategies. More exhaustive books on these topics exist (Neale et al., 2008). We present our view of the current state of research ongoing at the intersection of genetics and social science, and we provide recommendations for how we could do better. We also address a number of issues that social scientists face as they integrate genetics into their projects, including choice of a study design (candidate gene versus genome-wide association versus sequencing), different methods of DNA collection, and special considerations involved in the analysis of genotypic data. Through this review, we hope to equip social scientists with a deeper understanding of the many considerations that go into genetics research, in an effort to foster more meaningful cross-disciplinary initiatives.
