Page 54 - Introduction To Sociology

46 Chapter 2 | Sociological Research
gathered may in itself be surprising, and the study design should provide a solid framework in which to analyze predicted and unpredicted data.
Table 2.2 Main Sociological Research Methods Sociological research methods have advantages and disadvantages.
Method Implementation
Advantages Challenges
Survey
• Questionnaires • Interviews
• Yields many responses
• Can survey a large sample
• Quantitative data are easy to chart
• Can be time consuming
• Can be difficult to encourage
participant response
• Captures what people think and believe but not necessarily how they behave in real life
Field Work
• Observation
• Participant observation • Ethnography
• Case study
• Yields detailed, accurate real-life information
• Time consuming
• Data captures how people behave but
not what they think and believe
• Qualitative data is difficult to organize
Experiment
• Deliberate manipulation of social customs and mores
• Tests cause and effect relationships
• Hawthorne Effect
• Ethical concerns about people’s wellbeing
Secondary Data Analysis
• Analysis of government data (census, health, crime statistics)
• Research of historic documents
• Makes good use of previous sociological information
• Data could be focused on a purpose other than yours
• Data can be hard to find
2.3 Ethical Concerns
Sociologists and sociology students must take ethical responsibility for any study they conduct. They must first and foremost guarantee the safety of their participants. Whenever possible, they must ensure that participants have been fully informed before consenting to be part of a study.
The ASA maintains ethical guidelines that sociologists must take into account as they conduct research. The guidelines address conducting studies, properly using existing sources, accepting funding, and publishing results.
Sociologists must try to maintain value neutrality. They must gather and analyze data objectively and set aside their personal preferences, beliefs, and opinions. They must report findings accurately, even if they contradict personal convictions.
Section Quiz
2.1 Approaches to Sociological Research
1. A measurement is considered ______ if it actually measures what it is intended to measure, according to the topic of the study.
a. reliable
b. sociological c. valid
d. quantitative
2. Sociological studies test relationships in which change in one ______ causes change in another. a. test subject
b. behavior
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