Chapter 2: Issues In Sociological Research

Question 1

basic research

Answer 1

the search for knowledge without an agenda or practical goal in mind

Question 2

applied research

Answer 2

the search for knowledge that can be used to create social change

Question 3

bias

Answer 3

an opinion held by the researcher that might affect the research or analysis

Question 4

objectivity

Answer 4

impartiality; the ability to allow the facts to speak for themselves

Question 5

reactivity

Answer 5

the tendency of people and events to react to the process of being studied

Question 6

Hawthorne effect

Answer 6

a specific example of reactivity, in which the desired effect is the result not of the independent variable but of the research itself

Question 7

deception

Answer 7

the extent to which the participants in a research project are unaware of the project or its goals

Question 8

confidentiality

Answer 8

the assurance that no one other than the researcher will know the identity of a respondent

Question 9

code of ethics

Answer 9

ethical guidelines for researchers to consult as they design a projec

Question 10

institutional review board

Answer 10

a group of scholars within a university who meet regularly to review and approve the research proposals of their colleagues and make recommendations for how to protect human subjects