Objective 2: Sociological Methods Flashcards
(22 cards)
Informed Consent
Permission from participants to take part in a research study after they have received details about it, obtained prior to their involvement in the study.
Reactivity
People under observation changing their usual or typical behaviour because they know that they are being observed.
Census
A recurring and official count of a particular population, used to systematically gather and record information about the members of the population.
Sample
A subset of the population of interest in a study, in which the number of participants is reduced to a manageable size.
Population
The complete group of units to which the results of the study are to be generalized. Units can be anything from individuals, animals, or objects to businesses or websites.
Standpoint Theory
The theory that individuals view society from different social locations depending on their past experiences and their status and position.
Triangulation
A technique used by researchers to determine validity in their studies by gathering data from multiple sources.
Saturation
A method used to confirm that sufficient and valuable data have been collected to support the findings of a study.
Statistics
A branch of mathematics concerned with the collection, analysis, interpretation, and representation of numerical data.
Validity
The extent to which findings are an accurate reflection of the social.
Reliability
The degree to which findings can be replicated. In qualitative work, reliability is often expressed in terms of trustworthiness and authenticity.
Correlation
A statistical technique that assesses how strongly pairs of variables are linearly associated and whether the association is positive or negative.
Research Design
The blueprint of the study, which includes the study type, research question, hypotheses, variables, data collection methods, and statistical analysis plan.
Social Research Methods
The use of a wide range of methods and approaches to learn more about the social world following a plan or research design.
Computational Social Sciences
The use of approaches such as machine learning to collect and analyze research data with unprecedented, breadth, depth, and scale.
Bias
Any opinion, characteristic, or attitude of a researcher that can influence any part of the research process, such as interpretation of the data.
What are the 5 main goals of social research methods?
- Enumeration and description.
- Prediction
- Explanation
- Debunking
- Social Justice
What are the benefits of interviews over surveys?
- Allow participants to provide opinions in their own words, unlike surveys
- An ideal data collection method in projects that seeks to understand a social group, garner info about peoples opinions and attitudes, and uncover meaning and relevance.
Which theoretical approach(es) take the background, status, and roll of the researcher into account as part of their methodology?
- Conflict theory
- Researchers don’t take the rule for granted, but rather critically reflect and question their own role in the research process.
What is the difference between participant observation and PAR?
- Participant observation: the researcher observes an individual, a group, or a community, in order to understand and become familiar with their customs and practises.
- Participatory Action Research (PAR): the participants become collaborators in the research.
What are the downsides of secondary data analysis?
- Takes time to become familiar with the data set.
- Data is pre-established.
- No additional data can be added.
- It is difficult to establish the quality of data.
What kind of studies require approval of a research ethics board (REB)?
All studies undertaken at institutions of higher education, including those that are part of a class exercise, need to be reviewed by an REB
