Sociology Chapter 3: Doing Sociological Research
Sir Francis Bacon
Defined and elaborated the sociological research derives from what is called the scientific method
Hawthorne Effect
If people know they are being studied they might change their behavior
replication study
Research that is repeated exactly, but on a different group of people or in a different time or place
Overt Participant Observation
When the members of the group being studied do know that they are being researched
variable
a characteristic of a person or group that can have more than one value or score
reliability
a measurement is reliable if repeating the measurement under the same circumstances gives the same result
Informant
a person with whom the participant observer works closely in order to learn about the group
Hypotheses
a prediction or a hunch, a tentative assumption that one intends to test
Participant Observation
a sociological research technique in which the researcher actually becomes simultaneously both participant in and observer of that which she or he studies
Content Analysis
a way of measuring by examining the cultural artifacts of what people write,say, see and hear
inductive reasoning
another source of sociological insight, it arrives at general conclusions from specific observations
Evaluation Research
assesses the effect of policies and programs on people in society
deductive reasoning
creating specific research question about a focused point that is based on a more general or universal principle
informed consent
getting agreement to participate from the respondents or subjects after the purposes of the study are explained in detail to them
random sample
gives everyone in the population an equal chance of being selected
Controlled Experiments
highly focused ways of collecting data and are especially useful for determining a pattern of cause and effect
scientific method
involves several steps in a research process, including observation, hypothesis
independent variable
is one that the researcher wants to test as the presumed cause of something else
quantitative research
is that which uses numerical analysis
validity
of a measurement is the degree to which it accurately measures or reflects a concept
dependent variable
one on which there is a presumed effect
serendipity
something that emerges from a study that was not anticipated
indicators
something that points to or reflects an abstract concept
Qualitative Research
somewhat less structured than quantitative research, yet still focuses on a central research question
Generalization
the ability to draw conclusions from specific data and to apply them to a broader population
research design
the overall logic and strategy underlying a research project
data analysis
the process by which sociologists organize collected data to discover the patterns and uniformities that the data reveal
Covert Participant Observation
when members of the group being studied do not know that they are being researched
