2.5: Key Terms

American Vibe Check · LibreTexts

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    From LibreTexts, under CC BY 4.0, as the source states it; its equations are written in TeX, which the PDF shows typeset. This page at LibreTexts.

    Example and Directions
    Words (or words that have the same definition) The definition is case sensitive (Optional) Image to display with the definition [Not displayed in Glossary, only in pop-up on pages] (Optional) Caption for Image (Optional) External or Internal Link (Optional) Source for Definition
    (Eg. "Genetic, Hereditary, DNA ...") (Eg. "Relating to genes or heredity") Illustration The infamous double helix https://bio.libretexts.org/ CC-BY-SA; Delmar Larsen
    Glossary Entries
    Word(s) Definition Image Caption Link Source
    accuracy using a tool makes the measuring more precise.        
    case study in-depth analysis of a single event, situation, or individual        
    code of ethics a set of guidelines that the American Sociological Association has established to foster ethical research and professionally responsible scholarship in sociology        
    content analysis applying a systematic approach to record and value information gleaned from secondary data as it relates to the study at hand        
    correlation when a change in one variable coincides with a change in another variable, but does not necessarily indicate causation        
    debunking looking beyond the obvious to expose falseness by examining merit, logic, and evidence.        
    dependent variables a variable changed by other variables        
    empirical evidence evidence that comes from direct observations, scientifically gathered data, or experimentation        
    ethnography participating and observing thinking and behavior in a social setting        
    experiment the testing of a hypothesis under controlled conditions        
    field research gathering data from a natural environment without doing a lab experiment or a survey        
    Hawthorne effect when study subjects behave in a certain manner due to their awareness of being observed by a researcher        
    hypothesis a testable educated guess about predicted outcomes between two or more variables        
    independent variables variables that cause changes in dependent variables        
    interpretive framework 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        
    interview a one-on-one conversation between the researcher and the subject        
    literature review a scholarly research step that entails identifying and studying all existing studies on a topic to create a basis for new research        
    nonreactive research using secondary data, does not include direct contact with research subjects and does not alter or influence people’s behaviors        
    operational definitions specific explanations of abstract concepts that a researcher plans to study        
    participant observation when a researcher immerses herself in a group or social setting in order to make observations from an “insider” perspective        
    population a defined group serving as the subject of a study        
    primary data data that are collected directly from firsthand experience        
    qualitative data non-numerical, descriptive data that is often subjective and based on what is experienced in a natural setting        
    quantitative data data collected in numerical form that can be counted and analyzed using statistics        
    random sample a study’s participants being randomly selected to serve as a representation of a larger population        
    reliability a measure of a study’s consistency that considers how likely results are to be replicated if a study is reproduced        
    samples small, manageable number of subjects that represent the population        
    scientific method 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        
    secondary data analysis using data collected by others and applying new interpretations        
    surveys collect data from subjects who respond to a series of questions about thinking, behaviors, and opinions, often in the form of a questionnaire        
    validity the degree to which a sociological measure accurately reflects the topic of study        
    value neutrality a practice of remaining impartial, without bias or judgment during the course of a study and in publishing results        

    2.5: Key Terms is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.