SOC150H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Ethnography, Participant Observation
Document Summary
Research methods: research methods are the rules and procedures that social scientists use to approach a research question. The research process: identify a problem, review existing research literature, formulate research question, operationalize, select research method, sample/collect data, record findings, analyse data/discussion, reflections, develop the conclusion. Variables: a variable: any measurable concept with measurable traits or characteristics that change from one person, time, situation, or society to another. Reliability and validity: reliability: the extent to which a research instrument yields consistent results, validity: the extent to which a research instrument accurately measures what it is supposed to measure. Types of research methods: experiments, surveys, field research (qualitative methods broadly, secondary analysis of existing data. Experiments: an experiment is a carefully designed situation in which the research studies the impact of certain variables on subjects" attitudes or behaviour. Experiment group: contains the subjects who are exposed to the independent variable.
