Ch. 2 Methods

Question 1

research methods

Answer 1

approaches that social scientists use for investigating the answers to questions

Question 2

quantitative methods

Answer 2

methods that seek to obtain information about the social world that is already in or can be converted to numeric form

Question 3

qualitative methods

Answer 3

methods that attempt to collect information about the social world that cannot be readily converted to numeric form

Question 4

hypothesis

Answer 4

a proposed relationship between two variables

Question 5

survey

Answer 5

an ordered series of questions intended to elicit information from respondents

Question 6

historical methods

Answer 6

research that collects data from written reports, newspaper articles, journals, transcripts, television programs, diaries, artwork, and other artifacts that date to a prior time period under study

Question 7

comparative research

Answer 7

a methodology by which two or more entities (such as countries), which are similar in many dimensions but differ on one in question, are compared to learn about the dimension that differs between them

Question 8

experimental methods

Answer 8

methods that seek to alter the social landscape in a very specific way for a given sample of individuals and then track what results that change yields; often involve comparisons to a control group that did not experience such an intervention

Question 9

content analysis

Answer 9

a systematic analysis of the content rather than the structure of a communication, such as a written work, speech, or film

Question 10

covert observation:

Answer 10

studying as a community; subjects don’t know you’re the researcher

Question 11

overt observation:

Answer 11

subjects are aware that you’re observing them