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Definition
| Provides us with empirical evidence as a basis for knowledge or theories. |
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| what we do everyday as we observe our surroundings and draw conclusions about what we see |
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Definition
structured research
Generalizability (representative sample)
Systematic, controlled observation
Theoretical basis for method of study |
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Definition
| A set of procedures intended to ensure accuracy and honesty throughout the research process. |
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| Purpose of Social Research |
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Definition
Mapping out a topic that may warrant further study later (exploratory).
Describing the state of social affairs (descriptive).
Providing reasons for phenomena, in terms of causal relationships (explanatory). |
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| Trustworthiness of Social Research |
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Definition
Institutional Review Boards- Ethics in Research
Depends on:
Sample used
Indicators used
Values and ethics of researcher |
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| Scientific Method: Procedures |
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Definition
These are the basic steps of the scientific method:
(1) select or formulate research questions and operationalize (state in concrete terms) concepts
(2) select an appropriate research design
(3) collect data
(4) analyze the data
(5) draw conclusions and report the findings. |
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Definition
A question about the social world that you seek to answer through the collection and analysis of verifiable, empirical data.
Does not have to be firsthand.
About groups, not individuals. |
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| Process of Arriving at a Research Question |
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Definition
Identify a question of interest
Refine the question
Evaluate the question
Feasibility
Social importance
Scientific relevance |
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| Why Prior Literature is Important |
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Definition
Get ideas for new research questions
Learn what has been done before
Learn what methods work well and what methods are weaker
Learn limitations of prior work |
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| The Role of Social Theory |
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Definition
Helps find Research Questions
Helps to guide research
Helps to keep in mind larger picture
Helps put findings in context
Results of research inform theory |
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Definition
provides insights, often in the form of abstract ideas, into the nature of individuals and society.
Can be revised in the light of new evidence. |
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Definition
provides the objective observations upon which theories are verified
It is a reciprocal, or back-and-forth, relationship
Facts have meaning only when we interpret them and give them meaning based on some theoretical perspective |
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Definition
| A characteristic or property that can vary (take on different values or attributes) |
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| Independent variable (IV): |
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Definition
| A variable that is hypothesized to cause, or lead to, variation in another variable |
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Definition
| A variable that is hypothesized to vary depending on, or under the influence of, another variable |
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Definition
A tentative statement about empirical reality, involving a relationship btwn 2 or more variables
Must have an IV and a DV
Must have a direction of association
Can be stated as an If-Then statement |
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Definition
research based on non-numerical information that describes social life (text, written words, phrases, symbols, observations).
Vs.
Quantitative |
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| Fundamentals of Qualitative Methods |
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Definition
Participant observation
Intensive (depth) interviewing
Focus groups
Case Study
Focus on human subjectivity and meaning
Use of idiographic causal explanation
Reflexive research design
Sensitivity to the subjective role of the researcher |
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Term
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Definition
(Participant and nonparticipant observation) a researcher directly observes people in their natural settings. Sees the world as the research subjects see it
Advantages:
provides detailed and descriptive understandings of people’s everyday lives
generally inexpensive to conduct
Disadvantages:
time consuming
difficult to replicate
difficult to generalize to other groups
particularly susceptible to ethical issues |
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Term
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Definition
Develop a form to record observed behaviors in a setting
EX: Frequency of behavior, length of behavior, type of people observed, weather conditions
From random sample of times and places |
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Term
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Definition
Relies on open-ended questions
Follow the content of the responses rather than a fixed interview schedule
Ask follow-up questions
Ask ‘grand tour’ questions
Interviews continue until a saturation point is reached
Must build rapport |
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Definition
Group brought together by the researcher
Discuss questions from 1-2 hours
Researcher guides discussion |
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| Ethics in Qualitative Research |
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Definition
Voluntary participation
Subject well-being
Identity disclosure
Confidentiality |
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Definition
research based on the collection of numerical data that utilizes precise statistical analysis.
vs.
Qualitative |
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Definition
| A set of tools that help us understand the world around us! |
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Definition
Used to organize and describe the characteristics of a collection of data
Note: data or data set are the terms used to describe a collection of data |
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Definition
Used to make inferences from a smaller group of data to a larger one
Hypothesis testing |
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Term
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Definition
a research situation designed to elicit some sort of behavior under closely controlled laboratory circumstances.
Advantages:
experimenter is able to control other variables so causal relationship can be studied
easy to replicate
Disadvantages:
not a natural environment
many sociological concepts can not be measured in a lab |
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Term
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Definition
data collected through questionnaires or interviews
Advantages:
large population can be studied
random, representative sample means
results can be generalized
Disadvantages:
cannot provide in-depth information about people’s behavior or experiences |
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Term
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Definition
| Researcher does not have direct contact with subjects |
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Definition
| Studying the content of recorded messages, such as books, speeches, poems, songs, television shows, Web sites, and advertisements |
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Definition
| Form of social research that relies on existing historical documents as a source of data |
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Term
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Definition
| is a method of studying society through photographs, video, and film. |
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