research
(noun)
Diligent inquiry or examination to seek or revise facts, principles, theories, and applications.
Examples of research in the following topics:
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Reviewing the Literature
- Sociological researchers review past work in their area of interest and include this "literature review" in the presentation of their research.
- In writing the literature review, the purpose is to convey what a researcher has learned through a careful reading of a set of articles, books, and other relevant forms of scholarship related to the research question.
- It indicates the theoretical framework that the researcher is working with.
- It offers an explanation of how the researcher can contribute toward the existing body of scholarship by pursuing their own thesis or research question .
- Good literature reviews require exhaustive research.
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Research Funding
- Research funding comes from grants from private groups or governments, and researchers must be careful to avoid conflicts of interest.
- Money for sociological research doesn't grow on trees.
- Research funding is often applied for by scientists and approved by a granting agency to financially support research.
- Money for sociological research doesn't grow on trees.
- Examine the process of receiving research funding, including avoiding conflicts of interest and the sources of research funding
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Use of Existing Sources
- Studying existing sources collected by other researchers is an essential part of research in the social sciences.
- The study of sources collected by someone other than the researcher, also known as archival research or secondary data research, is an essential part of sociology .
- In archival research or secondary research, the focus is not on collecting new data but on studying existing texts.
- Without a thorough understanding of the research that has already been done, it is impossible to know what a meaningful and relevant research question is, much less how to position and frame research within the context of the field as a whole.
- Researchers use secondary analysis for several reasons.
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Documents
- Documentary research involves examining texts and documents as evidence of human behavior.
- It is possible to do sociological research without directly involving humans at all.
- One such method is documentary research.
- In documentary research, all information is collected from texts and documents.
- Sociologists may use government documents to research the ways in which policies are made.
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Preparing the Research Report
- Like any research paper, sociological research is presented with a literature review, an overview of the methods used in data collection, and analysis, findings, and conclusions.
- It shows the path of prior research and how the current project is linked.
- It places the formation of research questions in their historical context.
- Without assurance that the research is based on sound methods, readers cannot countenance any conclusions the researcher proposes.
- In the findings and conclusion sections, the researcher reviews all significant findings, notes and discusses all shortcomings, and suggests future research.
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Determining the Research Design
- The research design is the methodology and procedure a researcher follows to answer their sociological question.
- In this method of research, the researcher actually becomes a member of the group she or he is studying.
- A research design encompasses the methodology and procedure employed to conduct scientific research.
- Although sociologists often specialize in one approach, many sociologists use a complementary combination of design types and research methods in their research.
- Even in the same study a researcher may employ multiple methods.
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Misleading Research Subjects
- If a researcher deceives or conceals the purpose or procedure of a study, they are misleading their research subjects.
- Asch's study of conformity is an example of research that required deception.
- Some sociology studies involve intentionally deceiving subjects about the nature of the research.
- Pre-consent involves informing potential participants that a given research study involves an element of deception without revealing its exact nature.
- Researchers working in dangerous environments may deceive participants in order to protect their own safety.
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Confidentiality
- These rules apply to field research as well.
- Any research notes that might identify subjects should be stored securely.
- By ensuring the safety of sensitive information, researchers ensure the safety of their subjects.
- Following ethical guidelines, researchers keep individual details confidential for decades.
- Give examples of how the anonymity of a research subject can be protected
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Defining the Sample and Collecting Data
- Many empirical forms of sociological research follow the scientific method .
- It is important to determine the scope of a research project when developing the question.
- The choice of method often depends largely on what the researcher intends to investigate.
- While quantitative research requires at least 30 subjects to be considered statistically significant, qualitative research generally takes a more in-depth approach to fewer subjects.
- Sampling can be used in both quantitative and qualitative research.
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Protecting Research Subjects
- There are many guidelines in place to protect human subjects in sociological research.
- In the context of sociological research, a code of ethics refers to formal guidelines for conducting research, consisting of principles and ethical standards concerning the treatment of human individuals.
- For instance, research on children and youth always requires parental consent .
- Institutional review boards (IRBs) are committees that are appointed to approve, monitor, and review research involving human subjects in order to make sure that the well-being of research participants is never compromised.
- Identify the core tenet of research ethics, the importance of research ethics, and examples of ethical practice