Research Methods Sociology

Primary data

Information collected personally by a researcher.

Secondary data

Data that already exists; not personally generated by the researcher.

Official statistics

A government-generated secondary source of data on areas such as crime, marriage, and employment.

Quantitative data

Information expressed numerically that captures the 'who, what, when and where' of behavior.

Correlation

A statistical relationship between two or more variables that expresses a level of probability.

Hypothesis

A statement put forward by the researcher which is tested to see whether it’s correct.

Field experiments

Experiments conducted outside in the real world.

Representativeness

Extent to which the characteristics of a sample population accurately reflect those of the target population.

Personal documents

Secondary source of data covering areas like personal letters, diaries, oral histories, websites, and photos.

Questionnaire

A research method consisting of a list of written questions.

Structured interview

A set of questions asked by a researcher to a respondent, delivered by the researcher.

Researcher effect

(AKA interviewer effect) it refers to how researcher-respondent relationships may bias responses.

Variables

Factors that can be changed by the researcher to understand their effect on behavior.

Causation

The idea that when one action occurs, another ALWAYS follows because the latter is caused by the former.

Experimental group

The subjects of an experiment.

Control group

A group that the researcher does not change variables in, for comparison with experimental groups.

Experiment

A research method which follows a set procedure to test a hypothesis.

Hawthorne effect

Changes in people’s behavior resulting from their knowledge of being observed.

Content analysis

A research method for the systematic analysis of media texts and communications.

Semi-structured interview

A research method encouraging respondents to discuss a subject in depth.

Unstructured interviews

A free-form interview method aimed at getting the respondent to talk without interruption.

Group interviews

Interviews that involve respondents discussing a topic as a group.

Verstehen

A research strategy that emphasizes understanding the subject's viewpoint.

Overt participant observation

When those being studied are aware they are being researched.

Non-participant observation

Observing behavior without participating in it.

Sampling techniques

Methods for selecting a small number of subjects from a larger population.

Pilot study

A mini version of a full-scale study designed to test its feasibility.

Operationalization

Converting a concept into something that can be researched and measured.

Case study

In-depth, qualitative analysis of a group or 'case'.

Cross-sectional surveys

Surveys designed to produce a snapshot of behavior at a given time.

Ethnography

Researcher immersion in a community to observe behaviors.

Longitudinal studies

Repeated observations of the same variables over long periods.

Longitudinal surveys

Surveys carried out at intervals over a significant time period.

Methodological pluralism

The use of multiple research methods to improve reliability and validity.

Triangulation

The practice of using methodological pluralism.

Value free

The ability of researchers to prevent their values from influencing their research.

Positivism

The approach in sociology that promotes scientific methods to discover facts about the social world.

Interpretivism

The sociological approach that advocates understanding the meanings people attach to their actions.

Ethical issues

Refers to the morality of conducting research.

Validity

The extent to which a research method measures what it claims to measure.

Reliability

The effectiveness of a research approach in generating consistent data.

Generalize

When research findings on a sample can be said to apply to a larger population.

Reliability

The consistency of a research method in producing similar results over time.

Validity

The degree to which a research tool accurately measures what it is intended to measure.