Chapter 2: Sociological Research Methods

SOCI 1301

Debunking

unmasking of fallacies in the everyday and official interpretations of society

Normative approach

uses religion, law, customs, and traditions to answer important questions

Empirical approach

answers questions through systematic collection and analysis of data

Deductive approach

begins with a theory and uses research to test the theory

Inductive approach

starts with data collection and generates a theory based on the analysis of data

Quantitative research

measured numerically; goal is scientific objectivity

Qualitative research

uses interpretative description rather than statistics to analyze meaning and patterns of social relationships

The quantitative research model

select and define the research problem; review previous research; formulate the hypothesis; develop the research design; collect and analyze data

Hypothesis

a tentative statement of the relationship between two or more concepts

Independent variable

presumed to cause or determine the dependent variable

Population

persons about whom we want to be able to draw conclusions

Random sampling

when every member of a population has the same chance of being selected

Probability sampling

when participants are deliberately chosen because they have specific characteristics

The qualitative research model

begins with a general approach (not a highly detailed plan); researcher decides when the literature review and theory application should take place; study presents a detailed view of the topic; access to other people or resources that provide necessary data is crucial; appropriate data collection is needed

Research methods

specific strategies or techniques for systematically conducting research

Survey

a poll where the researcher gathers facts or attempts to determine the relationships among fates

Survey: respondents

people who provide data for analysis

Survey: questionnaires

printed research instruments containing a series of items to which subjects respond

Survey: interviews

a form of data collection where an interviewer asks the respondents questions and records the answers

Secondary analysis

when researchers use existing material and analyze data

Field research

the study of social life in its natural setting

Field research: participant observations

collecting systematic observations while being part of the activities of the group that the researcher is studying

Field research: case studies

an in-depth investigation of a single event, person, or social grouping

Field research: ethnography

a detailed study of the life and activities of a group of people

Field research: unstructured interviews

an extended, open-ended interaction between an interviewer and an interviewee

Experiments

carefully designed situations in which the researcher studies the impact of certain variables on subjects’ attitudes or behavior

Experiments: experimental group

contains the subjects who are exposed to an independent variable to study the effect on them

Experiments: control group

the subjects who are not exposed to the independent variable

Correlation

when 2 variables are associated more frequently than could be expected by chance

Spurious correlation

the association of 2 variables that is actually caused by a 3rd variable

Triangulation

the use of multiple methods (data collection, sources, investigators, perspectives) in one study

The Zellner Research: what did he study?

autocide (suicide by automobile)

Social network analysis

investigates complex relationships such as friendship ties among Facebook users

Geographic information system (GIS)

computer system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of spatial or geographical data