2-2 Introduction to Sociology/Sociological Methods

1. Summary

  This document is an article on the methodology of how sociologists describe or understand social phenomena. Scientific methods base scientific investigation based on verifiable evidence, the acquisition of new knowledge. The approach to science to predict results based on knowledge of variables and relationships is called empiricism and empiricism. This approach seeks to explain and predict social phenomena. Empiricism adopts a quantitative approach and mostly uses deductive reasoning. At first, it is a method of forming hypotheses and theories and making conclusions based on empirical data. Conversely, there is an approach called qualitative sociology. This uses inductive inference that the investigator repeatedly observes the phenomenon being studied. Both approaches use scientific methods to observe, collect data and suggest hypotheses. Finally, the hypothesis is tested and verified.
  Sociologists use methods such as observation, hypothesis, reasoning, and induction to develop the explanation of social phenomena into a form of theory. The basic elements of the scientific method consist of a four-step iteration, through the process of character, hypothesis, prediction, and testing. Characterization of the subjects addressed, determining the units of measure and observing and measuring the study targets, setting hypotheses that attempt to explain based on the information obtained through observation and measurement, forecasting logical and deductive causes in light of hypotheses or theories, and testing that verifies what is predicted by hypotheses. Characterization in scientific methods necessarily involves extracting quantitative and abstract concepts from observed phenomena. Measurements of amounts that are operationally defined through the characterization process have uncertainty. Science has developed a variety of measurement methods to reduce the error of measured quantities. Hypothesis are descriptions of phenomena, or suggestions for possible causes of the phenomenon. The hypothesis should explain the cause of the phenomenon and be able to predict the phenomenon accordingly. Hypothesis can be verified by experimentation or observation of natural phenomena.Until the hypothesis's prediction is verified, the hypothesis will only mean a possibility that can be done to any extent and will be treated as an unconfirmed explanation of its true conformance. Hypothesis that cannot be verified by experiments or observations are treated as unscientific. Therefore, various knowledge that is accepted as true in many areas other than science is also treated as unscientific. Prediction according to scientific assumptions should be measurable and verifiable by experiment or observation. The scientific method is a process that is carried out according to the mutual reaction between each element. Since the scientific method is to build a theory by empirical inductive inversion, new evidence is presented, and when the existing hypothesis is rebutted, a new hypothesis is established to replace the existing hypothesis. If the experimental results are different from the hypothesis, the hypothesis should be modified or discarded. Therefore, scientific knowledge is not absolute and there is always a chance of rebuttal. Therefore, it is difficult to recognize scientific knowledge by just one or two experiments and generally accepted if the same results are confirmed through repeated experiments by various scientists. It is called generalization, which is recognized as a scientific theory. But scientific theory also has uncertainty and nothing complete exists.


2. Interesting

  The most interesting part is that the research verification process, which I always thought was the same every time I read a paper, can actually be divided into qualitative and quantitative research methods. It was impressive to see that quantitative research methods are applied to studies that can be quantified even in the process of verifying hypotheses, and qualitative research methods are suitable for studying deep human psychology.
Also, scientific knowledge that thought to be absolute truth always has uncertainty and nothing is complete. It was impressive that it could be changed by experiments and research.

3. Discussion

  A Study on the quantitative and qualitative research are a clear difference and there is a difference in how to test hypotheses. What is written in quantitative and qualitative research study leading paper?








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