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An approach to sociology that looks at large scale ¨macro¨views and studies society scientifically.
Positivism
Approaches that take a large scale view of whole societies
Macro approaches
Information and facts that take numerical form
Quantitative data
The way in which scientists work by observing, formulating and tests hypotheses
Scientific Method
When research can be repeated to produce similar responses
Reliability
Being open-minded and avoiding bias
Objectivity
When a researcher is not neutral in carrying out research
Bias
Links between different variables like gender, ethnicity or age
Patterns
Changes over time in a particular direction
Trends
When two variables change at the same time
Correlation
When a change in one variable has a direct effect on another variable
Causation
Approaches that study a small scale view (micro) focusing on the indivdual
Interpretivism
A German word meaning to identitify with another person or group seeing things from their point of view
Verstehen
Information that cannot be presented numerically
Qualitative research
The extent to which research findings give a true picture and reflect reality
Validity
Allowing a personal point of view to influence and understanding and interpretation
Subjectivity
The use of two or more methods in the same research project
Triangulation
Research taking place of long intervals of time
Longitudinal research
The group of people on whom research is carried out.
Sample
The degree to which research findings about one group can be applied to a larger group
Representativeness
Ways in which the interviewer asks questions and interprets answers that have an effect on the findings
Interviewer bias
The unintended effect of the researcher´s presence on the behavior or responses of the people being studied.
Hawthorne effect
When finding about a sample can be said to apply to a larger group of people sharing the same characteristics.
Generalisability
The whole group that the research relates to and to whom the research findings will be applied.
Target population
The different ways that samples can be chosen
Sampling methods