Vocab Chapter 2

using a tool makes the measuring more precise.

in-depth analysis of a single event, situation, or individual

a set of guidelines that the American Sociological Association has established to foster ethical research and professionally responsible scholarship in sociology

applying a systematic approach to record and value information gleaned from secondary data as it relates to the study at hand

when a change in one variable coincides with a change in another variable, but does not necessarily indicate causation

looking beyond the obvious to expose falseness by examining merit, logic, and evidence

a variable changed by other variables

evidence that comes from direct observations, scientifically gathered data, or experimentation

participating and observing thinking and behavior in a social setting

the testing of a hypothesis under controlled conditions

gathering data from a natural environment without doing a lab experiment or a survey

when study subjects behave in a certain manner due to their awareness of being observed by a researcher

a testable educated guess about predicted outcomes between two or more variables

variables that cause changes in dependent variables

a sociological research approach that seeks in-depth understanding of a topic or subject through observation or interaction; this approach is not based on hypothesis testing

a one-on-one conversation between the researcher and the subject

a scholarly research step that entails identifying and studying all existing studies on a topic to create a basis for new research

using secondary data, does not include direct contact with research subjects and does not alter or influence people’s behaviors

specific explanations of abstract concepts that a researcher plans to study

when a researcher immerses herself in a group or social setting in order to make observations from an “insider” perspective

a defined group serving as the subject of a study

data that are collected directly from firsthand experience

non-numerical, descriptive data that is often subjective and based on what is experienced in a natural setting

data collected in numerical form that can be counted and analyzed using statistics

a study’s participants being randomly selected to serve as a representation of a larger population

a measure of a study’s consistency that considers how likely results are to be replicated if a study is reproduced

small, manageable number of subjects that represent the population

an established scholarly research that involves asking a question, researching existing sources, forming a hypothesis, designing a data collection method, gathering data, and drawing conclusions

using data collected by others and applying new interpretations

collect data from subjects who respond to a series of questions about thinking, behaviors, and opinions, often in the form of a questionnaire

the degree to which a sociological measure accurately reflects the topic of study

a practice of remaining impartial, without bias or judgment during the course of a study and in publishing results