Flashcards
Research Methods
Flashcards do conjunto (29)
- 1Case studyResearch that examines a single case or example, such as a single school, family or workplace, often using several methods or sources.
- 2Closed ended questionsQuestions used in a social survey that allow only a limited choice of answers from a pre-set list. They produce quantitative date and the answer are often pre-coded for ease of analysis.
- 3Comparative MethodA research method that compares two social groups that are alike apart from one factor. For example Durkiem compared two groups that were identical apart from their religion in order to find out the effect of religion on suicide rates.
- 4Content analysisA methof of analysing the content of documents and media output to find out how often and in what ways different types of people or events appear.
- 5Control GroupIn experiments, scientists compare a control group and add an experimental group that are identical in all respects. Unlike the experimental group, the control group is not exposed to the variable under investigation and so provides a baseline against which any changes in the experimental group can be compared.
- 6CorrelationWhen two or more factors or variables vary together. However, the existence of a correlation between two variables does not necessarily prove that one cause the other, may simply be a coincidence.
- 7ExperimentsA laboratory experiment is a test carried out in controlled conditions in an artificial setting to establish a cause and effect relationship between two or more variables.
- 8Hawthorne effectWhere the subjects of a research study know they are being studied and begin to behave differently as a result, thereby undermining the study's validity.
- 9HypothesisAn untested theory or explanation, expressed as a statement. Sociologist seek to prove or disprove hypotheses by testing them against the evidence.
- 10Informed consentWhere those taking part in the study have agreed to do so and understand the purpose of the study, the uses to which its finding may be put and its possible effects.
- 11Interview scheduleThe list of questions to be asked in an interview. It is useful because it allows some standardization of the interviewing process, since all interviewers will use the same schedule.
- 12Longitudinal studyStudy of a sample of people in which information is collected at regular intervals over an extended period of time.
- 13Non- participant observationA primary research method where the observer records events without taking part in them.
- 14Official statisticsQuantitate data collected by the government. They can be gathered either by registration or by official surveys.
- 15Open-ended QuestionsQuestions in a social survey that allow respondents to answer as they wish in their own words. Always harder to analyse because they cant be pre-coded.
- 16OperationalizationThe process of turning a sociological concept or theory into something measurable.
- 17Participant observationA primary research method in which the sociologist studies a group by taking a role within it and participating in its activities. It may be over, where other participants are aware of the researchers true identity and motive. Alternatively it could be covert where the sociologists identity and purpose are kept secret.
- 18Primary dataInformation collected first hand by themselves for their own research purposes. Methods such as ; participant observation, social surveys and experiments.
- 19QInformation, usually expressed in words about peoples thoughts, feelings, motivations, attitudes and values etc.. Interpretivists like this data.
- 20Quantitative dataInformation in numerical form.
Functionalists like this data. - 21QuestionnairesLists of questions. Written or self-completion questionnaires are widely used in large scale social surveys, where they may be sent out and returned by post. Questionnaire's tend to use mainly close-ended questions with pre-codes answers for ease of analysis.
- 22ReliabilityA piece of research is reliable if it produces exactly the same results when repeated using identical methods and procedures.
- 23RepresentativeTypical; a cross section. A researcher may choose to study a sample of a larger group . If the sample is representative, those in it will be typical of the larger group. This will allow the findings to be generalised.
- 24Response rateThe proportion of those people included in a social survey who actually reply or respond to the questions asked.
- 25SampleA smaller group selected from the larger survey population to take part in a study. It may be too costly or time consuming to study the whole population in which we are interested; so we choose a sample to study instead.
- 26Sampling frameThe list of people from which a sample fr a social survey is selected
- 27Secondary dataInformation collected by sociologists themselves for their own research purposes, but by other people or organisations for non- sociological purposes. This includes; official statistics, the media and personal documents.
- 28Social surveyAny research method that involves systematically collecting information from a group of people.
- 29ValidityThe capacity of a research method or measure what it sets out to measure; a true or genuine picture of what something is really like.
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- AS - Level Sociology FlashCards sobre Research Methods, criado por rhiannonroberts em 19-05-2016.
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