Chapter 2 Doing Sociological Research Key Terms
scientific method Involves several steps in research process, including observation, hypothesis testing, analysis of data, and generalization. empirical Based on careful and systematic observation, not conjecture.
deductive reasoning Specific conclusions are derived from general principles. inductive reasoning Derives general conclusions from specific observations.
replication study Research that is repeated exactly, but with a different group of people, or in a different time or place. research design The overall logic and strategy underlying the research.
quantitative research Uses statistical methods. qualitative research Less structured research that is focused on the question being asked.
hypothesis A tentative assumption that can be tested by research. independent variable The variable that is the presumed cause of something else.
dependent variable The variable upon which there is a presumed effect. concepts Abstract characteristic or attribute that can be potentially measured.
operational definition A definition that spells out how a concept is to be measured. indicators Something that points to or reflects an abstract concept.
validity The degree to which it accurately measures or reflects a concept. reliability The degree to which a repeat of the measurement gives the same results.
data analysis Process of organizing collected data to discover the patterns and uniformities that the data reveal. participant observation (field research) A method by which the sociologist becomes both a participant in the group being studied and a scientific observer of the group.
controlled experiments A method of collecting data that can determine whether something causes something else. content analysis Analysis of meanings in cultural artifacts such as books, songs, and other forms of cultural communication.
evaluation research Assesses the effect of policies and programs on people in society. probabilities The likelihood that a specific behavior or event will occur.
sample A subset of a population. population Large collection of people that a researcher studies and about which generalizations are made.
random sample Gives everyone in the population an equal chance of being selected. percentage parts per hundred
rate parts per some number mean average
median Midpoint in a series of values arranged in numerical order. mode The value that appears most frequently in a set of data.
correlation Technique for analyzing the patterns of association, or correlations, between pairs of variables like income and education.