chapter 2 terms

Question 1

accuracy

Answer 1

using a tool makes the measuring more precise

Question 2

case study

Answer 2

in-depth analysis of a single event, situation, or individual

Question 3

code of ethics

Answer 3

a set of guidelines that the american sociological association has established to foster ethical research and professionally responsible scholarship in sociology

Question 4

content analysis

Answer 4

applying a systematic approach to record and value information gleaned from secondary data as it relates to the study at hand

Question 5

correlation

Answer 5

when a change in one variable coincides with a change in another variable, but does not necessarily indicate causation

Question 6

debunking

Answer 6

looking beyond the obvious to expose falseness by examining merit, logic, and evidence

Question 7

dependent variables

Answer 7

a variable changed by other variables

Question 8

empirical evidence

Answer 8

evidence that comes from direct observations, scientifically gathered data, or experimentation

Question 9

ethnography

Answer 9

participating and observing thinking and behavior in a social setting

Question 10

experiment

Answer 10

the testing of a hypothesis under controlled conditions

Question 11

field research

Answer 11

gathering data from a natural environmental without doing a lab experiment or a survey

Question 12

Hawthorne effect

Answer 12

when study subjects behave in a certain manner due to their awareness of being observed by a researcher

Question 13

hypothesis

Answer 13

a testable educated guess about predicted outcomes between two or more variables

Question 14

independent variables

Answer 14

variables that cause changes in dependant variables

Question 15

interpretive framework

Answer 15

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

Question 16

interview

Answer 16

a one-on-one conversation between the researcher and the subject

Question 17

literature review

Answer 17

a scholarly research step that entails identifying and studying all existing studies on a topic to create a basis for new research

Question 18

non-reactive research

Answer 18

using secondary data, does not include direct contact with research subjects and does not alter or influence people’s behaviors

Question 19

operational definitions

Answer 19

specific explanations of abstract concepts that a researcher plans to study