SYBA Sociology – Research Methodology (Unit 1 & 2): 60 flashcards
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1. What is social research?
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The systematic and scientific study of society, social behaviour, social relationships, and social problems.
2. Name the six main aims of social research.
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1. Discover new facts 2. Understand social behaviour 3. Study social problems 4. Test existing knowledge 5. Establish relationships 6. Explain social phenomena and help society.
3. What is a 'motive' in social research?
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The reason that encourages a researcher to conduct research — e.g., curiosity, search for knowledge, testing theories, finding solutions.
4. List the eight principles of social research.
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Objectivity, scientific approach, accuracy, reliability, validity, systematic procedure, ethical behaviour, confidentiality.
5. What is an interview?
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A method of collecting information through direct interaction between a researcher and a respondent.
6. What is a questionnaire?
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A systematically prepared list of questions used to collect information from respondents.
7. What is observation?
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A method of collecting information by systematically watching and recording people's behaviour or social situations.
8. Name the six types of questionnaires.
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Structured, unstructured, open-ended, closed-ended, mixed, and online.
9. Name the six types of interviews.
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Structured, unstructured, semi-structured, individual, group, and focused.
10. Name the six types of observation.
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Participant, non-participant, structured, unstructured, controlled, and uncontrolled/natural.
11. What is a research problem?
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A specific issue, question, or difficulty that a researcher wants to investigate systematically.
12. What is a hypothesis?
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A tentative statement or prediction about the relationship between two or more variables, tested through research.
13. What is research design?
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The overall plan or framework prepared by the researcher for conducting research — the road map of the study.
14. What is sampling?
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The process of selecting a smaller group (sample) from a larger population for the purpose of research.
15. What is a variable?
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A characteristic or factor that can have different values or levels — e.g., age, income, marks.
16. What is a concept?
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A general, abstract idea — e.g., education, poverty — that cannot always be directly measured.
17. List the eight research ethics principles.
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Informed consent, voluntary participation, privacy, confidentiality, avoidance of harm, honesty, objectivity, and respect for participants.
18. What are the sources of a research problem?
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Previous research, social problems, personal observation, books and journals, theories, newspapers and media, and discussions with experts.
19. What are the functions of a hypothesis?
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Gives direction, helps data collection, identifies relationships, helps analysis, tests theories, focuses research, and helps draw conclusions.
20. What are the characteristics of a good hypothesis?
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Clear, specific, testable, logical, related to variables, tentative, and verifiable.
21. What are the functions of research design?
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Provides a framework, guides data collection, helps select methods and sample, saves time and resources, and guides analysis.
22. What is the research process sequence?
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Topic → Problem → Literature Review → Objectives/Hypothesis → Design → Sampling → Data Collection → Analysis → Interpretation → Conclusion → Report.
23. What is the difference between population and sample?
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Population is the entire larger group; sample is the smaller selected group from the population.
24. What is basic research?
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Research conducted mainly to develop knowledge and theories.
25. What is applied research?
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Research that focuses on solving practical social problems.
26. What is qualitative research?
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Research that studies experiences, meanings, opinions, and behaviour.
27. What is quantitative research?
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Research that uses numerical data and statistical methods.
28. What is exploratory research?
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Research that explores a problem that is not well understood.
29. What is descriptive research?
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Research that describes a social situation, group, or phenomenon.
30. What is explanatory research?
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Research that attempts to explain relationships and causes.
31. What is a structured questionnaire?
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A questionnaire in which questions and answer choices are prepared in advance.
32. What is an unstructured questionnaire?
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A questionnaire in which questions are not completely fixed and respondents have greater freedom to provide information.
33. What is an open-ended questionnaire?
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A questionnaire in which respondents are allowed to answer in their own words.
34. What is a closed-ended questionnaire?
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A questionnaire in which respondents select answers from given options.
35. What is a mixed questionnaire?
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A questionnaire that contains both open-ended and closed-ended questions.
36. What is an online questionnaire?
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A questionnaire distributed electronically through platforms such as online forms.
37. What is a structured interview?
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An interview in which the researcher prepares questions in advance and asks them in a fixed order.
38. What is an unstructured interview?
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An interview with no completely fixed list of questions; the researcher can change direction based on answers.
39. What is a semi-structured interview?
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An interview in which some questions are prepared in advance, but the researcher can ask additional questions.
40. What is a group interview?
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An interview in which several respondents are interviewed together.
41. What is a focused interview?
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An interview that focuses on a particular event, experience, or issue.
42. What is participant observation?
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Observation in which the researcher becomes a participant in the group or activity being studied.
43. What is non-participant observation?
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Observation in which the researcher observes the group without participating in its activities.
44. What is structured observation?
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Observation in which the researcher prepares a fixed plan or schedule before observation.
45. What is unstructured observation?
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Observation in which the researcher observes freely without following a completely fixed schedule.
46. What is controlled observation?
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Observation that takes place under controlled or planned conditions.
47. What is uncontrolled/natural observation?
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Observation in which the researcher observes behaviour in its natural social environment.
48. What is informed consent?
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The ethical principle that participants should know about the research and agree to participate.
49. What is voluntary participation?
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The ethical principle that people should participate willingly and should not be forced.
50. What is confidentiality in research?
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The ethical principle that personal information provided by participants should be kept confidential.
51. What is the difference between reliability and validity?
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Reliability means methods and findings are dependable; validity means the research actually studies what it claims to study.
52. What is the difference between a research topic and a research problem?
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A topic is a broad area (e.g., Social Media); a research problem is a specific, researchable question (e.g., How does social media use affect academic performance?).
53. What is the difference between basic and applied research?
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Basic research develops knowledge and theories; applied research focuses on solving practical social problems.
54. What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative research?
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Qualitative research studies experiences, meanings, and opinions; quantitative research uses numerical data and statistical methods.
55. What is the difference between exploratory and explanatory research?
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Exploratory research explores a poorly understood problem; explanatory research attempts to explain relationships and causes.
56. What is the difference between descriptive and explanatory research?
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Descriptive research describes a situation, group, or phenomenon; explanatory research explains relationships and causes.
57. What is the difference between a concept and a variable?
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A concept is a general, abstract idea (e.g., education); a variable is a measurable characteristic that can take different values (e.g., years of education).
58. What is the difference between structured and unstructured interviews?
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Structured interviews use pre-prepared questions in a fixed order; unstructured interviews have no completely fixed list and allow flexibility.
59. What is the difference between participant and non-participant observation?
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In participant observation, the researcher joins the group; in non-participant observation, the researcher observes without participating.
60. What is the difference between structured and unstructured observation?
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Structured observation uses a fixed plan or schedule; unstructured observation is free and flexible without a completely fixed schedule.
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