AICE Sociology - Chapter 2 Vocabulary

Primary Data

Information collected personally by a researcher

Secondary Data

Data that already exists; data 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, where, and when' 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 then tested to see whether it is correct

Qualitative Data

Non-numeric data that expresses the quality of a relationship

Participant Observation

A research method that involves the researcher participating, open (overtly) or secretly (covertly) in the behavior they are studying

Comparative Analysis

Collecting data on one group or society and then comparing them with others to identify conditions that may be causing social events

Personal Documents

Secondary source of data covering areas such as personal letters, diaries, oral histories, websites, social networking sites, and photographs

Questionnaire

Research method consisting of a list of written questions

Structured Interview

A set of standard questions asked by the researcher of the respondent

Researcher Effect

Refers to how the relationship between researcher and respondent may bias responses and lead to invalid data

Variables

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

Experimental Group

The subjects of an experiment

Control Group

In experiments, a group for which the researcher does not change the variables, so that it can be compared with groups for whom variables have been changed

Experiment

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

Hawthorne (Observer) Effect

Changes in people's behavior that resulted from their knowledge of being observed

Content Analysis

Research method used for the systematic analysis of media texts and communications

Unstructured Interviews

Free-form interview method where the aim is to get the respondent to talk, without help (prompting) or interruption, about whatever they feel is important about a topic

Semi-Structured Interview

A research method in which a respondent is encouraged to talk at length about a particular subject

Group Interviews

These involve respondents discussing a topic as a group rather than individually

Verstehen

Research strategy central to participant observation, which takes advantage of the researchers ability to see things from the subjects viewpoint

Overt Participant Observation

When those being studied are aware they are being researched

Non-Participant Observation

When the researcher observes behavior without participating in that behavior

Sampling and Sampling Techniques

A sample involves a small number of subjects drawn from a much larger population

Pilot Study

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

Operationalisation

Converting a concept into something that can be researched and measured

Hypothesis

A proposed explanation which is used as a starting point for a furthur investigation

Case Study

An in-depth, qualitative, study of a particular group or 'case'

Cross-Sectional Survey

Research method focused on identifying groups that share broad similarities, such as level of education, and measuring differences in a single variable

Ethnography

The in-depth study of a group or culture, usually involving participant observation and often other methods as well

Longitudinal Study

A form of comparative analysis that involves tracking changes among a representative sample over time

Methodological Pluralism

Combining research methodologies in ways that allow each to complement the other to improve research reliability and validity

Positivism

The approach within sociology which promotes scientific methods to discover facts about the social world

Interpretivism

The approach within sociology which advocates methods that enable the sociologist to understand the meanings that people attach to their actions

Triangulation

The use of two or more research methods where the weaknesses of one method can be balanced by the strengths of another to improve overall research reliability and validity

Value-Free

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

Ethnical Issues

Involves beliefs about what a researcher should or should not do before, during, and after their research

Validity

The extent to which a research method describes or measures what it claims to describe or measure

Reliability

The effectiveness of the research approach in generating consistent data

Representativeness

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

Generalise

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