Research Methods in Criminal Justice Final Exam –
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Terms in this set (48)
Qualitative Methods such as participant observation, intensive
interviewing, and focus groups that are designed to
capture social life as participants experience it,
rather than in categories predetermined by the
researcher. Data that are treated as qualitative are
mostly written or spoken words, or observations that
do not have a direct numerical interpretation.
Quantitative Methods such as surveys and experiments that
record variation in social life in terms of categories
that vary in amount. Data that are treated as
quantitative are either numbers or attributes that can
be ordered in terms of magnitude.
Qualitative VS Quantitative -Qualitative data collected focuses on words
-Quantitative data focuses on counts or numbers
-Distinction between the two methods involves more
than just the type of data collected
-Quantitative methods are most often used when the
research agendas are exploratory, explanatory,
descriptive, or evaluative
-Quantitative researchers adopt the goal of
developing an understanding that correctly reflects
what is actually happening in the real world
-Qualitative researchers emphasize the goal of
developing a broader more "authentic"
understanding of a social process or social setting
, Qualitative Method Designs -Participant observation
-Intensive interviewing
-Focus groups
Features of Qualitative Method Though the three qualitative method designs differ,
Designs they share several features that distinguish them from
experimental and survey research designs:
-Collection of primarily qualitative rather than
quantitative data- emphasis on observations about
natural behavior and artifacts that capture social life
as it is experienced
-Exploratory research questions, with a commitment
to inductive reasoning- researchers seek to discover
what people think and how and why they act in
certain social settings rather than testing a pre-
formulated hypothesis
-A focus on previously unstudied processes and
unanticipated phenomena- not structured and
explores new issues, investigates hard-to-study
groups, or determines the meaning people give to
their lives and actions
-An orientation to social context, to the
interconnections between social phenomena rather
than to their discrete features- concerned with things
like programs, organizations, or a broader social
context
-A focus on human subjectivity, on the meanings that
participants attach to events and that people give to
their lives- themes people create for their lives by
which they interpret and evaluate their life
experiences
-A focus on the events leading up to a particular
event or outcome instead of general causal
explanations- identifies causes of particular events
embedded within an unfolding interconnected action
sequence
-Reflexive research design- design develops as the
research progresses
-Sensitivity to the subjective role of the researcher-
little pretense is made of achieving an objective
perspective on social phenomena
Practice Questions with A+ Solutions
Save
Terms in this set (48)
Qualitative Methods such as participant observation, intensive
interviewing, and focus groups that are designed to
capture social life as participants experience it,
rather than in categories predetermined by the
researcher. Data that are treated as qualitative are
mostly written or spoken words, or observations that
do not have a direct numerical interpretation.
Quantitative Methods such as surveys and experiments that
record variation in social life in terms of categories
that vary in amount. Data that are treated as
quantitative are either numbers or attributes that can
be ordered in terms of magnitude.
Qualitative VS Quantitative -Qualitative data collected focuses on words
-Quantitative data focuses on counts or numbers
-Distinction between the two methods involves more
than just the type of data collected
-Quantitative methods are most often used when the
research agendas are exploratory, explanatory,
descriptive, or evaluative
-Quantitative researchers adopt the goal of
developing an understanding that correctly reflects
what is actually happening in the real world
-Qualitative researchers emphasize the goal of
developing a broader more "authentic"
understanding of a social process or social setting
, Qualitative Method Designs -Participant observation
-Intensive interviewing
-Focus groups
Features of Qualitative Method Though the three qualitative method designs differ,
Designs they share several features that distinguish them from
experimental and survey research designs:
-Collection of primarily qualitative rather than
quantitative data- emphasis on observations about
natural behavior and artifacts that capture social life
as it is experienced
-Exploratory research questions, with a commitment
to inductive reasoning- researchers seek to discover
what people think and how and why they act in
certain social settings rather than testing a pre-
formulated hypothesis
-A focus on previously unstudied processes and
unanticipated phenomena- not structured and
explores new issues, investigates hard-to-study
groups, or determines the meaning people give to
their lives and actions
-An orientation to social context, to the
interconnections between social phenomena rather
than to their discrete features- concerned with things
like programs, organizations, or a broader social
context
-A focus on human subjectivity, on the meanings that
participants attach to events and that people give to
their lives- themes people create for their lives by
which they interpret and evaluate their life
experiences
-A focus on the events leading up to a particular
event or outcome instead of general causal
explanations- identifies causes of particular events
embedded within an unfolding interconnected action
sequence
-Reflexive research design- design develops as the
research progresses
-Sensitivity to the subjective role of the researcher-
little pretense is made of achieving an objective
perspective on social phenomena
