Introduction To Sociology OpenStax: Chapter 2 - Sociological Research

case study

in-depth analysis of a single event, situation, or individual

code of ethics

a set of guidelines that the American Sociological Association has established to

foster ethical research and professionally responsible scholarship in sociology

content analysis

applying a systematic approach to record and value information gleaned from

secondary data as it relates to the study at hand

correlation

when a change in one variable coincides with a change in another variable, but does

not necessarily indicate causation

dependent variable

a variable changed by other variables

empirical evidence

evidence that comes from direct experience, scientifically gathered data, or experimentation

ethnography

observing a complete social setting and all that it entails

experiment

the testing of a hypothesis under controlled conditions

field research

gathering data from a natural environment without doing a lab experiment or a survey

Hawthorne effect

when study subjects behave in a certain manner due to their awareness of being observed by a researcher

hypothesis

a testable educated guess about predicted outcomes between two or more variables

independent variables

variables that cause changes in dependent variables

interpretive framework

a sociological research approach that seeks in-depth understanding of a topic or subject through observation or interaction; this approach is not based on hypothesis testing

interview

a one-on-one conversation between the researcher and the subject

literature review

a scholarly research step that entails identifying and studying all existing studies on a topic to create a basis for new research

meta-analysis

a technique in which the result of virtually all previous studies on a specific subject are evaluated together

nonreactive research

using secondary data, does not include direct contact with subjects and will not alter or influence people's behaviors

operational definitions

specific explanations of abstract concepts that a researcher plans to study

participant observation

when a researcher immerses herself in a group or social setting in order to make observations from an "insider" perspective

population

a defined group serving as the subject of a study

primary data

data that is collected directly from firsthand experience

qualitative data

comprise information that is subjective and often based on what is seen in a

natural setting

quantitative data

represent research collected in numerical form that can be counted

random sample

a study's participants being randomly selected to serve as a representation of a larger population

reliability

a measure of a study's consistency that considers how likely results are to be replicated if a study is reproduced

samples

small, manageable number of subjects that represent the population

scientific method

an established scholarly research method that involves asking a question, researching existing sources, forming a hypothesis, designing and conducting a study, and drawing conclusions

secondary data analysis

using data collected by others but applying new interpretations

surveys

collect data from subjects who respond to a series of questions about behaviors and opinions, often in the form of a questionnaire

validity

the degree to which a sociological measure accurately reflects the topic of study

value neutrality

a practice of remaining impartial, without bias or judgment during the course of

a study and in publishing results

scientific method

asking a question

researching

existing sources

formulating a hypothesis

conducting a study

drawing conclusions

What are 4 research methods, give example

Survey,

Field Work,

Experiment,

Secondary Data Analysis

valid

A measurement is considered ______ if it actually measures what it is intended to measure,

according to the topic of the study

Which materials are considered secondary data?

Books and articles

Why is choosing a random sample an effective way to select participants?

Everyone has the same chance of being part of the study

Questionnaire

Which research approach is best suited to the scientific method?

Its results are not generally applicable

Which best describes the results of a case study?

Non-reactive

Using secondary data is considered an unobtrusive or ________ research method.

Max Weber

Which person or organization defined the concept of value neutrality?