Research Methods

Question 1

experiment (6)

Answer 1

• carefully designed situation in which the researcher studies the impact of certain variables and subjects’ attitudes or behaviours
• experimental group: exposed to the independent variable to study it’s effects on them
• control group: not exposed to the independent variable
• laboratory: subjects are studied in a closed setting
• natural: real life occurrences that provide researchers with “living laboratories”
• field experiment: researchers might stage events in a natural setting

Question 2

surveys (4)

Answer 2

• number of respondents are asked identical questions through a systematic questionnaire or interviews
• asked to answer questions about heir attitudes, opinions, or behaviour
• make it possible to study things that are not directly observable (peoples attitudes and beliefs) and to describe a population too large to study
• could be collected through self-administered questionnaires, personal interviews, and/or telephone surveys

Question 3

field research (5)

Answer 3

• study of social life in its natural setting observing and interviewing people where they live, work, and play
• before conducting filed research, researchers must decide:
  a) how to approach the target
  b) whether to identify themselves as researchers
  c) whether to participate in the events they are observing
• complete observation: the researcher systematically observes a social process but does not take part in it
• participant observation: collecting systematic observations while being part of the activities of the group they’re studying
• most participant observation research takes the form of a: case study, or in-depth, multifaceted investigation of a single event, person, or social grouping

Question 4

secondary analysis (3)

Answer 4

• researchers use existing material and analyze data originally collected by others
• existing data includes: public records, official reports of organizations of government agencies, and surveys conducted by researchers in universities and private corporations
• content analysis: systematic examination of cultural artifacts or various forms of communication to extract data and draw conclusions about social life