Introduction to Sociology

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  Introduction to Sociological Research. Authored by: OpenStax CNX. Located at: https://cnx.org/contents/AgQDEnLI@11.2:3jKfjHaQ@10/Introduction-to-Sociological-Research. License: CC BY: Attribution. License Terms: Download for free at http://cnx.org/contents/02040312-72c8-441e-a685-20e9333f3e1d@3.49
  

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED CONTENT

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  Urban Sociologist Matthew Desmond, 2015 MacArthur Fellow. Provided by: macfound. Located at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wajNrp43q8M. License: Other. License Terms: Standard YouTube License
  

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The Scientific Method

LEARNING OUTCOMES

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  Describe the scientific method as it applies to sociological research
  
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  Distinguish reliability from validity in a research study
  
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  Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable
  

When sociologists apply the sociological perspective and begin to ask questions, no topic is off limits. Every aspect of human behavior is a source of possible investigation. Sociologists question the world that humans have created and live in. They notice patterns of behavior as people move through that world. Using sociological methods and systematic research within the framework of the scientific method and a scholarly interpretive perspective, sociologists have discovered workplace patterns that have transformed industries, family patterns that have led to legislative changes, and education patterns that have aided structural changes in classrooms.

Figure 1. Research provides no evidence that crime rates increase during a full moon.

The “crime rate during a full moon” discussion mentioned earlier put forth a few loosely stated opinions. The good news is we can look at data sets that show us if there is a connection between full moons and crime rates. If there appears to be a trend of increased crime during those times, we should begin to investigate other variables to see whether there is something else that could account for this relationship. If we were to discover that more crime occurs during full moons, this information could inform policing strategies and potentially make cities safer during full moons. Of course, we would be left with more questions! What is it about full moons that lead to increases in crime? Is this true for men and women? Young and old? In cities and in rural areas?

Connecting crime to a full moon might not seem like common sense to the skeptic. What about crime and hot weather? Or crime and holidays? Or crime during natural disasters? Are there more violent crimes in states with less restrictive gun policies? You can see how there are many, many questions that can be asked about any given topic, also how this type of research can be extremely important for informing and shaping public policy.