SDS 251R UW FALL '24 Final Test

Cross sectional design

research that observes and collects data from multiple individuals at one point in time

Sampling error

Always in research, typically 5%

Ethnographic Observation

A form of field research involving close and extended observation of a group, event, or phenomenon; careful and detailed note-taking during the observation; analysis of the notes; and interpretation of that analysis.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The measured outcome of a study; the responses of the subjects in a study. Influenced by Independent variable

Focus group

interview with a group of four or more people who can interact with one another and the interviewer

Content analysis

Going through diaries, autobiographies, documents to analyze participants, can be read, can be used for longitudinal analysis

Constructivism

Trying to get the participants view point, their behaviour and interpretations

Coding Schedule

A sheet where a researcher tracks, records and/or categorizes the communication they are coding.

Coding Manual

A document which contains a record of all codes assigned to the responses to all questions in the data collection forms. set of instructions for coders, what is to be coded, which numbers correspondence to each category.

Inter- coder reliability

consistency between coders

Intra- coder reliability

consistency of a single coder

Conversation analysis

Detailed analysis of the structure of talk

Reflexivity

reflect how your own interactions with participants have affected: what was said, how it was said, what was left unsaid

Naturalistic

brings out how individuals collectively make decisions and interpretations, qualitative

Natural groups

for selection, people who already know each other or have some interaction

Inductive: process starts with field research, then concepts and theories are developed

inductive

process starts with field research, then concepts and theories are developed

Interpretivist

Concerned with finding out what an action or event means to the people involved

Constructionist

Social life is not seen as fixed, but as an outcome of interactions and negotiations

Naturalist

When doing research, the social world should be left as undisturbed as possible

Participatory action research

Engage participants to produce social change

Grounded theory approach

the use of data to develop theories, qualitative, begin with a broad definition of a concept and narrow it down through the research process

Trustworthiness

creditability, transferability, dependability, confirmability

Credibility

do the people studied agree with the interpretation of their thoughts and actions offered by the researcher?

Transferability

can the findings be applied to other contexts or people not studied?

Dependability

were proper procedures followed? Can the study's theoretical inferences can be justified?

Confirmability

Was the researcher objective and unbiased? Did the researcher sway the results dramatically?

Theory

can refer to any systematic framework or idea that helps to understand or explain a particular aspect of reality

deductive method

primary purpose of gathering data is to test and validate a specific hypothesis or theory derived from general principles, start with theory.

inductive method

a process of making numerous observations until one feels confident in drawing generalizations and predictions from them, start with data and then develop theory.

Positivism

philosophical approach that asserts that knowledge should be derived from empirical evidence and observable phenomena. It emphasizes the use of scientific methods and quantitative data to discover objective truths about the world.

Critical Social Science

aims to understand and critique societal structures and power dynamics, focusing on issues of inequality, oppression, and social change

Objectivism

belief that certain aspects of reality exist independently of human perception or interpretation. Includes indivual reality, universal truths, scientific inquiry.

Constructionism

an approach to knowledge that asserts humans actually construct, through their social interactions and cultural and historical practices, many of the facts they take for granted as having an independent, objective, or material reality. Includes socially constructed reality, subjective understanding, contextual understanding

Quantitative considerations of theory, Epistemological Considerations, Ontological Issues

Deductive; starts with a theory and uses data to test hypotheses. Positivist; assumes objective knowledge can be measured and quantified. Objectivist; views reality as external and independent of human perception.

Qualitative considerations of theory, Epistemological Considerations, Ontological Issues

Inductive; begins with data to develop theories or understand phenomena. Interpretivist; believes knowledge is subjective and constructed through individual experiences. Constructivist; sees reality as socially constructed and influenced by human interactions.

spurious correlation

relationship between two variables that appears to be related but is actually caused by a third variable (a confounder) or is coincidental, not due to a direct causal link.

Nomothetic Explanation

seeks to identify general laws or patterns that apply broadly across many cases or people

idiographic explanation

focuses on understanding the unique, detailed causes behind a specific event or behavior in a single case or a small number of cases

True experiments consist of:

manipulation of IV, random assignment, Control of other variables

quasi-experiment consists of:

No random assignment, pre existing groups (ex. classroom), comparison groups

longitudinal research design

Research in which individuals are studied over an extended period of time, often over multiple developmental stages.

case study

in-depth examination of a single case or a small number of cases within a real-life context

Harm to participants definition

refers to any negative impact experienced by individuals in a study or experiment. It includes physical harm but also extends to emotional, psychological, social, and financial harm

Face validity

Does the measure appear to assess what it's supposed to at face value? Example: Asking students directly, "Are you satisfied with your housing?" seems to assess satisfaction.

content validity

Does the measure cover the full range of the concept?Example: A survey on "job satisfaction" should cover different aspects like pay, work environment, and relationships with coworkers.

criterion validity

Does the measure correlate with an external standard?Example: A math test might be validated by checking how well the scores predict students' future success in math courses.

construct validity

Does the measure align with theoretical expectations of the concept?Example: Measuring depression should correlate with related constructs like anxiety but not with unrelated constructs like IQ.

REB

Research ethics board

Vignette Questions

Presenting people with one or more scenarios and asking them how they would respond

iterative process

A process used in design that involves conducting research, sharing data, receiving feedback, and refining the design repeatedly until all of a project's sustainable goals are met.

Semi-structured interview

There is a list of questions that have been worked out in advance but interviewers are also free to ask follow up questions when they feel it is appropriate.

systematic sample

a probability sampling method where researchers select members of the population at a regular interval (ex. every 15th person)

snowball sampling

recruitment of participants based on word of mouth or referrals from other participants

Qualitative

Data in the form of recorded descriptions rather than numerical measurements.

Quantitative

relating to, measuring, or measured by the quantity of something rather than its quality. Numbers.