Chapter 2 Flashcards
research methods
approaches that social scientists use for investigating the answers to questions
quantitative methods
methods that seek to obtain information about the social world that is already in or can be converted to numeric form
qualitative methods
methods that attempt to collect information about the social world that cannot be readily converted to numeric form
deductive approach
a research approach that starts with a theory, forms a hypothesis, makes empirical observations, and then analyzes the data to confirm, reject, or modify the original theory
inductive approach
a research approach that starts with empirical observations and then works to form a theory
correlation (or association)
simultaneous variation in two variables
causality
the notion that a change in one factor results in a corresponding change in another
reverse causality
a situation in which the researcher believes that A results in a change in B, but B, in fact, is causing A
dependent variable
the outcome that the researcher is trying to explain
independent variable
a measured factor that the researcher believes has a causal impact on the dependent variable
hypothesis
a proposed relationship between two variables
operationalization
the process of assigning a precise method for measuring a term being examined for use in a particular study
validity
the extent to which an instrument measures what it is intended to measure
reliability
the likelihood of obtaining consistent results using the same measure
generalizability
the extent to which we can claim our findings inform us about a group larger than the one we studied
reflexivity
analyzing and critically considering our own role in, and effect on, our research
feminist methodology
a set of systems or methods that treat women’s experiences as legitimate empirical and theoretical resources, that promote social science for women (think public sociology, but for a specific half of the public), and that take into account the researcher as much as the overt subject matter
population
an entire group of individual persons, objects, or items from which samples may be drawn
sample
the subset of the population from which you are actually collecting data
case study
an intensive investigation of one particular unit of analysis in order to describe it or uncover its mechanisms
participant observation
a qualitative research method that seeks to uncover the meanings people give their social actions by observing their behavior in practice
survey
an ordered series of questions intended to elicit information from respondents
historical methods
esearch that collects data from written reports, newspaper articles, journals, transcripts, television programs, diaries, artwork, and other artifacts that date back to the period under study
comparative research
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
