SOAN 2120 Final: Intro Methods Exam Review final.docx

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Sociology and Anthropology
• Course: SOAN 2120
• Professor: D Walters

Document Summary

Purpose of course-an introduction to research methodology in the social sciences. Quantitative vs. qualitative-quantitative tests theories, objective, free from bias, reliable, but is less thorough and less valuable to sensitive issues. Qualitative creates theories, subjective, not free of bias, less reliable but more thorough. E. g. evaluation for exams often starts off with mostly multiple choice with little long answer. It then moves into more of an essay format which is much more thorough and valid and we can do this because there are less students however it still takes a long time to evaluate. Experimental designs-controlled environment modeled after the natural sciences. Pretest (often irrelevant), treatment (apply the experiment to one thing/group), posttest (results we get that we can compare). e. g. theory-drug reduces cancer cells. Hypothesis-cancer cells exposed to the drug will deteriorate. Treatment-put some cells is 1 dish, more in another, apply treatment to one cell. Cover dishes to prove nothing else has influenced the cells.