chapter 2 Flashcards
case study:
in-depth analysis of a single event, situation, or individual
code of ethics:
a set of guidelines that the American Sociological Association has established to
foster ethical research and professionally responsible scholarship in sociology
content analysis:
applying a systematic approach to record and value information gleaned from
secondary data as it relates to the study at hand
control group:
an experimental group that is not exposed to the independent variable
correlation
when a change in one variable coincides with a change in another variable, but does
not necessarily indicate causation
dependent variables:
changed by other variables
empirical evidence:
evidence corroborated by direct experience and/or observation.
ethnography:
observing a complete social setting and all that it entails
experiment:
the testing of a hypothesis under controlled conditions
field research:
gathering data from a natural environment without doing a lab experiment or a
survey
Hawthorne effect:
when study subjects behave in a certain manner due to their awareness of
being observed by a researcher
hypothesis:
an educated guess with predicted outcomes about the relationship between two or
more variables
independent variables:
cause changes in dependent variables
interpretive framework:
a sociological research approach that seeks in-depth understanding of a
topic or subject through observation or interaction; this approach is not based on hypothesis
testing
interview:
a one-on-one conversation between the researcher and the subject
literature review:
a scholarly research step that entails identifying and studying all existing studies
on a topic to create a basis for new research
nonreactive research:
using secondary data, does not include direct contact with subjects and
will not alter or influence people’s behaviors
operational definitions:
specific explanations of abstract concepts that a researcher plans to
study
participant observation:
when a researcher immerses herself in a group or social setting in order
to make observations from an “insider” perspective
population
a defined group serving as the subject of a study
primary data
data that are collected directly from firsthand experience
qualitative data
comprise information that is subjective and often based on what is seen in a
natural setting
quantitative data
represent research collected in numerical form that can be counted
random sample
a study’s participants being randomly selected to serve as a representation of a
larger population
reliability
a measure of a study’s consistency that considers how likely results are to be replicated
if a study is reproduced
research design:
a detailed, systematic method for conducting research and obtaining data
samples:
small, manageable number of subjects that represent the population
scientific method:
an established scholarly research method that involves asking a question,
researching existing sources, forming a hypothesis, designing and conducting a study, and
drawing conclusions
secondary data analysis
using data collected by others but applying new interpretations
surveys:
collect data from subjects who respond to a series of questions about behaviors and
opinions, often in the form of a questionnaire
validity:
the degree to which a sociological measure accurately reflects the topic of study
value neutrality:
a practice of remaining impartial, without bias or judgment during the course of
a study and in publishing results
