SOCI201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: The Literary Digest, Operational Definition, Deeper Understanding

• School: University of Delaware
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOCI201
• Professor: Nelan

Document Summary

Sociology in practice requires: systematic study, collection and analysis of data, using scientific method: A systematic, organized series of stems that ensure maximum objectively and consistency in researching a problem. Selecting the research, design, collecting and analyzing the data. Developing the conclusion: defining the problem: Identifying what you want to study, the concepts, the nature of the relationship: reviewing the literature. Studying the previous research into your identified problem. What research has been done on those concepts. By reviewing previous research we can refine the problem we are studying. Reduce or avoid mistakes that have been made before: formulating the hypothesis. We have defined the problem and looked and the previous research/ literature. What specific variables do we want to study. What relationships do we expect to find. Variable: a measureable trait or characteristic that is subject ot change under different conditions. Operational definition: transformation of abstract concepts into indicators that are observable and measurable (ex: socioecomoc status)