Hypothesis
a statement of how variables are expected to be related to one another, often according to predictions from a theory; testable
Variable
a factor thought to be significant for human behavior; which van vary (or change) from one case to another
Operational Definition
the way in which a researcher measures a variable
Research Method (Research Design)
one of seven procedures that sociologists use to collect data
Validity
the extent to which an operational definition measures what it is intended to measure
Reliability
the extent to which research produces consistent or dependable results
Replication
the repetition of a study in order to test its findings
Survey
the collection of data by having people answer a series of questions
Population
a 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 from selected subgroups of the target population in which everyone in those subgroups has an equal chance of being included in the research
Respondents
people who respond to a survey, either in interviews or by self-administered questionnaires
Questionnaires
a list of questions to be asked by respondents
Self-Administered Questions
questionnaires that respondents fill out
Unstructured Interviews
interviews that use open-ended questions
Open-ended Questions
questions that respondents answer in their own words
Rapport
a feeling of trust between researchers and the people they are studying
Participant Observation (Fieldwork)
research in which the researcher participates in a research setting while observing what is happening in setting
Generalizability
the extent to which the findings from one group (or sample) can be generalized or applied to other groups (or populations)
Case Study
an analysis of a single event, situation, or individual
Secondary Analysis
the analysis of date that have been collected by other researchers
Documents
in its narrow sense, written sources that provide date; in its extended sense, archival material of any sort, including photographs, movies CDs, DVDs, and so on
Experiment
the use of Control and Experimental Groups and Dependent and Independent Variables to test causation
Experimental Group
the group of subjects in an experiment who are exposed to the independent variable
Control Group
the subjects in an experiment who are 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 in an experiment that is changed by an independent variable
Unobtrusive Measures
ways of observing people so they do not know they are being studied