Research Methods in Sociology and Anthropology

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Research Methods in Sociology and Anthropology Research is used in all types and kinds of sciences. Usually, when we think of research, the first thing that might come to mind is people in a lab working with dozens of test tubes, microscopes, and other fancy equipment, doing multiple experiments. Research and experiments are done not just in sciences such as medicine, chemistry, etc., but in the subjects such as sociology, psychology, anthropology, and such. I will be discussing methods of research in subjects of sociology and anthropology; and both use very similar methods. Sociological research methods. Sociology is a science of human interaction between different social groups. It studies “human society and social interactions”. (Tischler, 2011, p. 4). Sociologist’s goals are to accurately gather, study, and present the information to the public. “Sociologists are engaged in a rigorous scientific endeavor, which requires objectivity and detachment.” (Tischler, 2011, p. 4). The subject of sociological studies is a society and not an individual person. There are multiple research methods that are being used by sociologists, such as observation, experiments, surveys, historical comparison, case studies, and many more. Each research project is thought out carefully. It has to have a problem, hypothesis, reviewing media/books/articles for already available information, then the gathering and analyzing of data takes place, and conclusion is made. Conducting interviews is one of the methods of qualitative research that is “used to understand the experiences of others”. ("Interview," 2012). Interviews can be informal or conversational, general, standardized or open-ended, and closed or fixed. This type of research method can be quite personable. You are able to interview your subject face to face and adjust your questions accordingly with the answers the subject is
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