SOCIOL 110 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Nomothetic, Cohort Study, Longitudinal Study
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Exploration: when a researcher examines a new interest or when the subject of study itself is relatively new, good for more persistent phenomena. Pursued through the use of focus groups, guided small group discussions: done to satisfy he researcher"s curiosity, to test the feasibility of undertaking more extensive study, and to develop the methods to be employed in any subsequent study. To describe situations and events: u. s. census, researchers usually go on to examine why the observed patterns exists and what they imply. Answer questions of what, where, when and how and explain things: given statistics you can develop an explanation for a phenomenon. Seeks an exhaustive understanding of the causes producing events and situations in a single or limited number of cases. Pay attention to the explanations offered by the people living the social process you are studying. Comparisons with similar situations either in different places or at different times in the same place can be insightful: nomothetic explanation.