ch2 vocab Flashcards
quantitative methods
research that draws on data; often focuses on documenting trends, comparing subgroups, or exploring correlations
qualitative methods
research that relies on personal and/or collective interviews, accounts, or observations of a person or situation
hypotheses
ideas/educated guesses about a given state of affairs, put forward as bases for empirical testing
research methods
diverse methods of investigation used to gather empirical data; most common are fieldwork and survey methods; it is useful to combine two or more methods within a single research project
ethnography
the firsthand study of people using observation, in-depth interviewing, or both; aka fieldwork
participant observation
research method; widely used in sociology/anthropology; the researcher takes part in the activities of the group or community being studied
experiment
research method; variables can be analyzed in a controlled and systematic way, either in an artificial situation constructed by the researcher or in a naturally occurring setting
comparative research
research that compares one set of findings on one society with the same type of findings on other societies
empirical investigation
factual inquiries carried out in any area of sociological study
