1-Structuralism: an approach focusing on large scale social structures in

which people play defined roles.

2-Macro/micro approaches: macro approaches focus on the large scale
of whole societies, micro approaches on small scale social interaction.
3-Correlation: when two variables are related to each other but
causation cannot be proved; for example, ill-health is related to poverty.
This is not a causal relationship because some sick people are not poor
and some poor people are not sick.
4-Causation: where a strict link can be proved between variables in a
time sequence; such as, heating water to 100 Degree Celsius causes it
to boil. Causation is hard to find in sociology.
5-Interpretivism: approaches that start at the level of the individual
focusing on a small-scale phenomenon and usually favoring qualitative
methods.
6-Identity: how a person sees themselves and how others see them, for
example as a girl and a student.
7-Perspective: ways of viewing social life from different points of view.
8-Consensus: basic agreement on a set of shared values.
9-Conflict: disagreement between groups with different interests.
10-Positivism: an approach to sociology based on studying society in a
scientific manner.
11-Quantitative data: information and facts that take a numerical form.
12-Bias: prejudice that distorts the truth when research is influenced by
the values of the researcher or by decisions taken about the research,
such as the sampling method used.
13-Objectivity: absence of bias, the researchers do not allow their
values or feelings influence the research.
14-Hypothesis: a theory or explanation at the start of research that the
research is designed to test.
15-Pilot study: a small-scale test of a piece of a research project before
the main research.
16-Survey population: all those to whom the findings of the study will
apply and from which a sample is chosen.
17-Sampling frame: a list of members of the population from which the
sample is chosen.
18-generalisability: when the findings about a sample can be said to
apply to a larger group of people sharing their characteristics.
19-random sampling: when each person has an equal chance of being
selected.
20-stratified sample: when the sampling frame is divided for example by
gender or age.
21-quota sampling: deciding in advance how many people with what
characteristics to involve in the research and then identifying them.
22-snowball sampling: when one respondent puts the researcher in
contact with others.
23- sampling method: the different ways in which samples can be
created.
24- Ethical issues: issues that have a moral dimension, such as when
harm or distress may be caused to the participants.
25- Questionnaires: a standardised list of questions used in social
surveys.
26- Social surveys: the systemic collection of information from a sample,
usually involving a questionnaire or structured interviews.
27- Open, closed and pre-coded questions: close or pre-coded
questions are those where the researcher has set out which responses
can be recorded. In open questions the respondent can reply freely in
their own words to give their responses.
28- Respondent: someone who provides information to researchers,
usually used for surveys and interviews rather than other methods.
29- Qualitative data: information and facts (like attitudes or kinds of
actions) that are not able to be presented in numerical form.
30- Self-completion questionnaire: questionnaires that are completed
by the respondent on their own, with the researcher not present.
31- Postal questionnaires: self-completion questionnaires that are sent
out and returned by post.
32- Response rate: the proportion of responses obtained out of a
sample.
33- Structured interview: an interview in which the question are
standardised (the same questions asked in the same order) and the
replies codified to produce quantitative data.
34- Telephone questionnaires: when the researcher reads the questions
to a respondent over the telephone and records their answers.
35- Reliability: when the research can be repeated and similar
responses will be obtained.
36- Validity: when the findings accurately reflect the reality that it is
intended to capture.
37- Unstructured interview: an interview without set questions that
usually involves probing into emotions and attitudes, leading to
qualitative data.
38- Semi-structured interview: an interview with some standardised
questions but following the researcher some flexibility on what is asked
in what order.
39- Focus group: a group brought together to be interviewed on a
particular topic, a special type of group interview.
40- Group interview: any interview involving a group interviewed
together.
41- Interviewer bias: intentional or unintentional effect of the way that
the interviewer asks questions or interprets answers.
42- Interviewer effect: ways in which an interviewer may influence
participants responses by their characteristics or appearance or by
verbal cues such as facial expressions and tone of voice .
43-subjectivity: lack of objectivity ,the researchers view influences the
approach taken.
44- laboratory experiments: experiments taking place in a laboratory
that is an artificial setting created for the research where the external
variables are excluded as far as possible .
45- hawthorne or observer effect : the unintended effects of
researchers presence on the behaviour or responses of praticipants .
46- field experiments : experiments that take place in the natural setting
of the real world rather than in laboratory .
47-case study : a detailed in depth study of one group or event .
48-longitudinal survey : a survey taking place at intervals over a long
period .
49- overt participant observation :when the group being studied is
aware that research is taking place and of who the researcher is .
50-covert participant observation: covert means hidden , in such
research the group being studied is unaware of the research and its
deceived into thinking the researcher is a real member of the group .
51- non participant observation: when the researcher observe a group
but does not participate in what is doing .
52- content analysis : a method of studying communication and the
media , which involve classifying the content and counting frequencies .
53-triangulation : use of two or more methods in the same research
project .
54- representativeness: the degree to which research findings about
one group can be applied to a larger group of similar groups .
55-primary data: information collected by the sociologist at first hand .
56-secondry data: information collected earlier by others and used
later on by the sociologist .
57-offcial and non official statistics: official statistics are produced by
government and official agencies , non official are produced by other
organizations , such as charities and think tanks .
58-trend:a changer over time in a particular direction .
59- comparative study : in research , looking at two or more different
groups or events in terms of their similarities and differences .
60- historical documents : a wide range of documents from the past
used as sources of information by sociologist .