Week 1, Introduction Flashcards
Naturalism
Model of qualitative research
Focuses on factual characteristics
Overlooks how people create meaning, respondents are treated as data.
Based on people’s perceptions, meanings, or lived experience.
Ethnomethodology
Model of qualitative approach
Study of people’s methods of constructing their own realty.
Models
Overall framework of how we look at reality, telling us what reality is like and the basic elements it contains.
Concepts
Clearly specified ideas deriving fro a particular model and ways of looking at the world which are essential to defining a research problem.
Theories
Arrange sets of concepts to define, predict, or explain some phenomenon
Provide the impetus for research
Neither right nor wrong
Hypothesis
Statements of claim that can be tested and verified by research.
Methodology
General approach to studying a research topic
2 perspectives to take: qualitative and quantitative
Not to be confused with methods
Methods
Research techniques
Research
A systematic process of collecting and analyzing information/data in order to increase our understanding of a phenomenon that we are interested in.
3 main stages of research
Planning
Data collection
Analysis
Social Research
Generally not setting out to prove anything, instead trying to understand something in great detail.
Understanding how a phenomenon means.
Research Process
Originates with a question or problem (thesis).
Requires clear articulation of a goal.
Follows specific plan of procedure.
Usually divides principle problems into more manageable sub problems (hypotheses) which guide the research.
Accepts critical assumptions.
Requires collection and interpretation of data to answer original research question.
How is social research a scientific process?
It involves systematic, methodological processes that produce knowledges.
It consists of theory and observation.
Social Research: Basic/Pure Research
Constructing, testing and refining theory.
Coming to understand human social behaviour by empirical means and application of theoretical concepts.
Often done by academics.
Success = Peer Reviewed.
Social Research: Applied Research
Provides research that can be used to influence social policy.
Often conducted by social researchers employed by sponsors.
Influence change or policy.
