ABSTRACT
The research process utilizes scientific methods of study to establish information pertaining to sociological analyses. Sociologists believe that research should be “value neutral.” Sociologists usually choose from surveys, interviews, field research, experiments, content analysis, and secondary analysis when developing a research project. A researcher must first consider whether a quantitative or qualitative approach to a topic is appropriate to their research question. Quantitative research, in its simplest form, generates descriptive information regarding the characteristics of a population. Correlations are relationships between two characteristics, or variables, to be studied. The advantage of the type of interview is that the researcher can probe for deeper meanings, motivations, and nuances. A content analysis “decodes” elements of a product to examine particular features. Classical experiments refer to research where a scientist creates equivalent groups and manipulates one dimension, designated as the experimental condition, and compares this group to a control group. Analyzing data is more complicated than gaining descriptive profiles.
