Research Basics
These are the broad “lenses” or worldviews that guide how researchers see social reality, what questions they ask, and how they interpret data.
What are paradigms?
In a study of how work hours affect stress, the number of hours worked per week is this type of variable.
What is an independent variable?
A researcher counts how many times people check their phones in an hour and then runs statistics on the numbers. This is an example of collecting this broad type of data.
What is quantitative data?
This ethical principle means participants must be free to join or leave a study without penalties, such as losing points or benefits.
What is voluntary participation?
If a scale gives the same weight every time you step on it under the same conditions, it has a high level of this property.
What is reliability?
A sociologist wants to “paint a picture” of people who use food delivery apps—reporting their average age, gender, and work schedule—but is not trying to explain cause and effect. This is what general type of study?
What is a descriptive study?
In conceptualization, moves from general to specific. For example, “social class” (broad idea), “income and education” Name the two terms in order from least specific to most specific.
What are concepts and dimensions?
A researcher asks people to tell detailed stories about their first day at college and analyzes the themes in their narratives.
What is a qualitative method of gathering and analyzing data?
A researcher explains the purpose of a study, how long it will take, and that participants can stop at any time before asking them to sign a form. This step ensures people understand what they’re agreeing to.
What is informed consent?
If a measure actually captures the concept it is supposed to capture—for example, a depression scale truly measuring depression rather than just stress—it has high what?
What is validity?
After one noisy lunch period, a teacher concludes that “students today are always on their phones and never talk to each other,” based on just that single observation. This is an example of what common error in everyday thinking?
What is overgeneralization?
A researcher collects many interviews about gig workers, notices patterns in how they talk about job security, and then develops a new theory of “digital precarity.” This is an example of what research process.
What is the inductive process?
A study looks at 50 different schools and compares their average test scores. What is the unit of analysis?
Schools
One draw back to this method is the inability to replicate a study.
What is qualitative data?
A researcher realizes their study will involve interviewing teenagers and must therefore take extra care to get both teen assent and parent or guardian permission. This situation arises because teens fall into what category of participants?
What are vulnerable populations?
What is inter-rater relatability?
A researcher first runs a large survey about neighborhood safety, then follows up by interviewing a smaller group of respondents to better understand why they answered the way they did. This is an example of which general mixed methods strategy.
What is explanatory sequential design?
Instead of running their own survey, a researcher downloads an existing national health survey dataset and analyzes it to answer a new question about exercise frequency. This is an example of this kind of data use.
What is secondary data analysis?
A research team studies “workplace satisfaction.” They define it as having multiple aspects like pay, relationships with coworkers, and autonomy, then design specific questions to measure each aspect. This process is called what?
What is operationalization?
A community researcher wants to interview residents about neighborhood safety and plans to keep all identifiable details—such as names, addresses, and audio recordings—secure and only accessible to the research team. This step ensures the ethical requirement that personal data be protected. What principle does this represent?
What is confidentiality?
A qualitative researcher’s first step is to do what before spending time in a community center, watching interactions and taking field notes. This first step is called what?
Reflexivity and Bracketing
Before starting a study, a researcher must determine whether they are collecting information directly from living individuals. This is part of evaluating whether the project involves what?
What are human subjects?