Glossary For Reserach Methods

Question 1

Define funding body

Answer 1

An organisation that provides funds for a particular purpose e.g. Research funds

Question 2

Define research opportunity

Answer 2

The opportunity of research which can present itself at any time

Question 3

Define informed consent

Answer 3

Permission granted in full knowledge of what the possible consequences could be
E.g. Patient gives it to a doctor before treatment

Question 4

Define confidentiality

Answer 4

Spoken, written or acted in strict privacy, indicating confidence imparting private matters

Question 5

Define methodology

Answer 5

A system of methods used in a particular area of study or activity

Question 6

Define triangulation

Answer 6

Powerful technique that facilitates validation of data through cross verification from 2 or more sources

Question 7

Define aim

Answer 7

A purpose or intention, a desired outcome

Question 8

Define hypothesis

Answer 8

A proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigations

Question 9

Define operationalisation

Answer 9

Process of strictly defining variable into measurable factors

Question 10

Define sampling

Answer 10

Statistical method of obtaining representative data or observations from a group

Question 11

Define reliability

Answer 11

When a piece of research is repeated using identical methods and procedures, the results will be exactly the same

Question 12

Define open ended question

Answer 12

Unstructured question in which there is no answer suggested and their answer has to be in his/ her own words

Question 13

Define closed end question

Answer 13

A question format that limits respondents with a list of answer choices from which they must choose an answer

Question 14

Define pilot study

Answer 14

A small study conducted in advance of a planned project, specifically to test/adjust the experiment before the final experiment

Question 15

Define validity

Answer 15

When a piece of research produces a true or genuine picture of what something is really like, gets researchers closer to the truth

Question 16

Define interpretivists

Answer 16

They seek to understand social actors meaning and they reject the idea of sociology as a science

Question 17

Define positivists

Answer 17

They believe that society is made up of social facts’ that can be studied scientifically to discover laws of cause and effect

Question 18

Define sample

Answer 18

A smaller group selected from the larger survey population to take part in a study

Question 19

Define primary data

Answer 19

Information collected first hand by sociologists themselves for their own research purposes

Question 20

Define secondary data

Answer 20

Information collected not by the sociologist themselves for their own research purposes, but by other people or organisations not always for sociological purposes

Question 21

Define Quantitative data

Answer 21

Information in numerical form (percentages, tables, graphs)

Question 22

Define qualitative data

Answer 22

Information, usually expressed in words, about people’s thoughts, feelings, motivations, attitude said and values

Question 23

Define ethics

Answer 23

Issues of right or wrong; moral principles or guidelines