The Elements of Science

Concepts: a mental construct that represents some part of the world in a simplified form

Variable: a concept whose value changes from case to case.

Measurement: the process of determining the value of a variable in a specific case.

Defining Concepts: Operational a variable means to specify exactly what one is to measurement in
assignment a value to a variable.

The Methods of Sociological Research

The Experiment Testing a Hypothesis

Survey Research Asking Questions

Participant Observation in the Field

Secondary and Historical Analysis Using Available Data

Assemble together: Ten steps in Sociological Investigation

1. What is your topic?

2. What have others already learned?

3. what-exactly-are your questions?

4. What will you need to carry out research?

5. Are there ethical concerns?

6. What method will you use?

7. How will you record the data?

8. What do the data tell you?

9. What are your conclusions?

10. How can you share what you’ve learned?

Concepts and Glossary

.Empirical evidence: information we can verify with our senses.

. Hawthorne effect: a change in a subject’s behavior caused simply by the awareness of being
studied.

.Cause and effect: a relationship in which change in one variable (the independent variable causes
change in another (the dependent variable)

.Population and sample: the former is the people who are the focus of research; the later is a part
of a population researcher select to represent the whole.

.Qualitative research: investigation, in which a researcher gathers impressionistic, not numerical

data.
.Quantitative research: investigation in which a researcher collects numerical data.

Secondary analysis: a research method in which a researcher uses data collected by others

.Inductive logical thought: reasoning that transforms specific observations into general theory.

.Deductive logical thought: reasoning that transforms general theory into specific hypothesis
suitable for testing.

Scientific Research Method