SOCI181 - Chapter 2 Research Methods

quantitative research

research that translates the social world into numbers that can be treated mathematically; this type of research often tries to find cause-and-effect relationships

qualitative research

research that works with nonnumerical data such as texts, field notes, interview transcripts, photographs, and audio recordings; this type of research often tries to understand how people make sense of their world

scientific method

a procedure for acquiring knowledge that emphasizes collecting concrete data through observation and experimentation

literature review

a thorough search through previously published studies relevant to a particular topic

hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

variables

two or more phenomena that a researcher believes are related; these will be examined in the experiment

operational definition

a clear and precise definition of a variable that facilitates its measurement

correlation and causation

a relationship between variables in which they change together and may or may not be casual

intervening variable

a third variable, sometimes overlooked, that explains the relationship between two other variables

spurious correlation

the appearance of causation produced by an intervening variable

ethnography

a naturalistic method based on studying people in their own environment in order to understand the meanings they attribute to their activities; also, the written work that results from the study

participant observation

a methodology associated with ethnography whereby the researcher both observes and becomes a member in a social setting

reflexivity

analyzing and critically considering our own role in, and effect on, our research

interviews

A formal or informal approach to elicit information from stakeholders by talking to them directly.

open-ended questions

a question asked of a respondent that allows the answer to take whatever form the respondent chooses

replicability

when a study's findings are able to be duplicated, ideally by independent investigators

validity

The ability of a test to measure what it is intended to measure

representativeness

the extent to which consumers in a study are similar to a larger group in which the organization has an interest

bias

an opinion held by the researcher that might affect the research or analysis

population

A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area

sample

A relatively small proportion of people who are chosen in a survey so as to be representative of the whole.

content analysis

the systematic coding and objective recording of data, guided by some rationale

experiment

A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process

independent variable

the factor that is predicted to cause change

dependent variable

the factor that is changed (or not) by the independent variable

social network analysis

a research method that involves the mapping of social ties and exchanges between them

objectivity

treating facts without influence from personal feelings or prejudices

reactivity

The ease and speed with which an element combines, or reacts, with other elements and compounds.

Hawthorne effect

a specific example of reactivity, in which the desired effect is the result not of the independent variable but of the research itself

research ethics

Standards of conduct that investigators are ethically bound to honor to protect their research participants from physical or psychological harm.

surveys

research method based on questionnaires that are administered to a sample of respondents selected from a target population

closed-ended questions

a question asked of a respondent that imposes a limit on the possible responses