About Research

In quantitative research, some historical precedent exists for viewing a theory as a scientific prediction or explanation (see G. Thomas. 1997. for different ways of conceptualizing theories and how they might constrain thought). For example, the definition of a theory, such as the one by Kerlinger (1979), is still valid today. A theory is "a set of interrelated constructs (variables), definitions, and propositions that presents a systematic view of phenomena by specifying relations among variables, with the purpose of explaining natural phenomena" (p. 64). In this definition, a theory is an interrelated set of constructs (or variables) formed into propositions, or hypotheses, that specify the relationship among variables (typically in terms of magnitude or direction). The systematic view might be an argument, a discussion, or a rationale, and it helps to explain (or predict) phenomena that occur in the world. Labovitz and Hagedorn (1971) add to this definition the idea ...

Abstract A term with two meanings in literature reviews: a short summary of a scholarly journal article that usually appears at its beginning, and a reference tool for locating scholarly journal articles. Acceptable incompetent When a field researcher pretends to be less skilled or knowledgeable in order to learn more about a field site. (11) Accretion measures Nonreactive measures of the residue of the activity of people or what they leave behind. (9) Action research A type of applied social research in which a researcher treats knowledge as a form of power and abolishes the division between creating knowledge and using knowledge to engage in political action. (1) Alternative hypothesis A hypothesis paired with a null hypothesis stating that the independent variable has an effect on a dependent variable. (4) Analytic domain In domain analysis, a type of domain a researcher develops using categories or terms he or she developed to understand a social setting. (13) An...