SOC 1113 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Qualitative Property, Informed Consent
Document Summary
A theory is not just a hunch or personal opinion. Theories are systematic sets of interrelated statements intended to explain some aspects of social life. There are limits to everyday thinking such as : unquestioned trust in authorities, acceptance of common snese and traditional beliefs, generalization based on personal experience, reliance of selective observation, biased observation. Empirical evidence: evidence that can be observed or documented using the human senses. Quantitative data: evidence that can be summarized numerically. Correlation: a relationship in which change in one variable is connected to a change in the another variable. Qualitative data: any kind of evidence that is not numerical in nature, including evidence gathered from interviews, direct observation and written or visual documents. Survey and interview: public opinion surveys: use a large representative sample who are questioned either in person or by phone, interview survey: researchers question people according to predetermined schedule and record answers.
