Chapter 2: Sociological Research Methods
quantitative research -
research that translates the social world into numbers that can be treated
mathematically; this type of research often tries to find cause-and-effect relationships.
qualitative research -
research that works with nonnumerical data such as texts, field notes, interview
transcripts, photographs, and tape recordings; this type of research more often tries to
understand how people make sense of their world.
scientific method -
a procedure for acquiring knowledge that emphasizes collecting concrete data
through observation and experiment.
literature review -
a thorough search through previously published studies relevant to a particular
topic.
hypothesis -
a theoretical statement explaining the relationship between two or more
phenomena.
variable -
one of two or more phenomena that a researcher believes are related and hopes
to prove are related through research.
operational definition -
a clear and precise definition of a variable that facilitates its measurement.
correlation -
a relationship between variables in which they change together, and may or
may not be causal.
causation -
a relationship between variables in which a change in one directly produces a
change in the other.
intervening variable -
a third variable, sometimes overlooked, that explains the relationship between
two other variables.
spurious correlation -
the appearance of causation produced by an intervening variable.
paradigm shift -
the term used to describe a change in basic assumptions of a particular
scientific discipline.
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