normative approach
uses religion, customs, habits, traditions, and law to answer important questions
empiracal approach
attempts to answer questions through systematic collection and analysis of data
descriptive studies
describe social reality or provide facts about some group, practive or event
explanatory studies
explain cause and effect relationships, provide information on why certain events do or do not occur
theory
set of logically interrelated statements that attempts to describe, explain and predict social events
research
the process of systematically collecting information for the purpose of testing an existing theory or generating a new one
deductive approach to research
Researcher starts with theory and then tests theory
inductive approach to research
researcher collects information and then generates theory
quantitive research
focus on scientifically measurable data in numerical form
qualitive research
interpretive descriptions are used to anaylze underlyinh meanings and patterns of social relationships
hypothesis
the statement of relationship between two variables
variable
any concept with measurable traits or characteristics that can change or vary
concept
abstract elecments representing some aspect of the world in simplified term
independant variable
a variable that is presumed to cause or determine a dependent variable
dependent variable
a variable that is assumed to depend on or be caused by one or more other variables
operational definition
explanation of an abstract concept in terms of observable features that are specific enough to measure the variable
multiple causation
an event that occurs as a result of many factors operating in combination
cross sectional studies
based on observations that take place at a single point in time
longitudinal studies
concerned with what is happening over a period of time or at several different points in time
unit of analysis
what, whom is being studied
random sampling
every member of an entire population being studies has the same chance of being selected
probablility sampling
participants are deliberately chosen because they have specific characteristics
validity
the extent to which a study or research instrument accurately measures what it is supposed to measure
reliability
the extent to which a study or research instrument yeilds consistent results
analysis
the process through which data is organized so that comparisons can be made and conclusions drawn
research methods
specific strategies or techniques for systematically conducting research
survey
poll in which the researcher gathers facts or attempts to determine the relationships among facts
respondents
persons who provide data for analysis through interviews or questionaires
questionaire
printed research instrument containing a series of items to which subjects respond