1. Selecting a topic
Various reasons, no right or wrong- looks at something in the social world

2. Defining the problem
Specify what you want to learn about the problem and develop a research question

3. Reviewing the literature
Look at what has already been done by others, helps narrow your research question, helps avoid others mistakes,

4. Formulating the hypothesis
A statement of what you expect to find based on a theory you have developed

5. Choosing a research method
Selecting the best method for your research- look at the pros and cons of each method and what your goals of the research are

6. Collecting data
Valid and reliable research strategies need to be used

7. Analyzing the results
Qualitative Analysis (human behavior/themes) or Quantitative Analysis (numbers)

8. Sharing the results
Publishing your work, summarize above steps and write a report that interprets your results in relation to the information/theories already out there

A statement of how variables are expected to relate to one another, often according to predictions from a theory.

A factor thought to be significant for human behavior, which varies from one case to another.

OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS: The way in which a researcher measures a variable

VALIDITY: The extent to which an operational definition measures what it was intended to measure

RELIABILITY: The extent to which research produces consistent or dependable results

REPLICATION: Repeating a study in order to test its findings

One of six procedures that sociologists use to collect data: survey, participant observation, secondary analysis, documents, experiments, and unobtrusive measures.

SURVEY: The collection of data by having people answer a series of questions

QUESTIONNAIRES: A list of questions (survey/interview questions)

SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRES: Questionnaires filled out by respondents on their own.

RESPONDENTS: People who respond to a survey, either in interviews or by self-administered questionnaires

POPULATION: The target group to be studied.

SAMPLE: The individuals intended to represent the population to be studied.

RANDOM SAMPLE: A sample in which everyone in the target population has the same chance of being included in the study.

STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLE: A sample of specific subgroups of the target population and in which everyone in the subgroups has an equal chance of being included in the study.

INTERVIEW: Direct questioning of respondents

INTERVIEW BIAS: Effects that interviewers have on respondents that lead to biased answers

STRUCTURED INTERVIEW: Interviews that use closed ended questions

UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS: Interviews that use open-ended questions

OPEN QUESTIONS: Questions that respondents able to answer in their own words- (can not be answered with single word answers)

CLOSED QUESTIONS: Questions that are followed by a list of possible answers to be selected by respondents. Also questions that are asked that prompt a yes/no (single word) answer.

PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION: Often called fieldwork. Research in which the researcher participates in a research setting while observing what is happening in that setting.

RAPPORT: A feeling of trust between researchers and subjects

The extent to which the findings from one group (or sample) can be generalized or applied to other groups (or population).

The analysis of data that have been collected by other researchers

In its narrow sense, written sources that provide data; in its extended sense, archival material of any sort, including photographers, movies, CD disks and so on...

EXPERIMENT: The use of control and experimental groups and dependent and independent variables to test causations

EXPERIMENTAL GROUP: The group of subjects exposed to the independent variable

CONTROL GROUP: The group of subjects not exposed to the independent variable

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE: A factor that causes a change in another variable, called the dependent variable

DEPENDENT VARIABLE: A factor that is changed by an independent variable

Chart On Page: 135

CAUSATION (Cause & Effect): The change in one variable is caused by another variable

CAUSATION MUST HAVE THE FOLLOWING:

CORRELATION: If two variables exist together, they are said to be correlated (correlation does not prove causation)

TEMPORAL PRIORITY: One variable must occur before the other. For a variable to be a cause (the independent variable), it must precede that which changed (the dependent variable).

SPURIOUS CORRELATION: The cause may be some underlying third variable that is not easily visible. (Causation can't have a spurious correlation- there can't be an underlying variable if you want to prove causation).

Ways of observing people who do not know they are being studied

QUANTITATIVE: Research in which the emphasis is placed on precise measurement, the use of statistics and numbers

QUALITATIVE: Research in which the emphasis is placed on observing, describing, and interpreting people's behavior

More information on page 130

If you do the following you will misrepresent the truth

1. Choose a biased sample
2. Ask biased questions
3. List biased choices
4. Discard undesirable results
5. Misunderstand the subjects' world
6. Analyze the data incorrectly