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Chapter 2: Methods of Sociological Research
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Chapter two examines sociological research, defining what it
constitutes and describing the process by which it is undertaken.
Some of the steps in the research process are defining the problem,
reviewing the literature, forming a hypothesis, collecting data,
analyzing the data, and drawing conclusions. Validity is the
degree to which a study measures what it purports to measure,
while reliability is the degree to which a study produces the
same results when repeated. Quantitative research refers to
research involving formally measurable phenomena, and qualitative
research refers to research involving phenomena that can be
observed but that cannot be formally measured. Specific methods
of research include surveys, interviews, experiments, and ethnographies.
There are different kinds of experiments and different kinds
of ethnographies. Other sociological tools for research are
comparative methods, in which two different groups are compared,
and cross-cultural studies, in which the comparison involves
different societies. Historical methods may also be used, and
a content analysis can be helpful when analyzing things like
diaries and letters.
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