But sociologists deliberately use the scientific method to maintain as much objectivity, focus, and consistency as possible in a particular study. This doesn’t mean researchers do not have their own personalities, complete with preferences and opinions. They work outside of their own political or social agendas. They are interested in-but not attached to-the results. They deliberately apply scientific logic and objectivity. Sociologists can use the scientific method not only to collect but also to interpret and analyze the data.
WHAT IS THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD FULL
Thus, what is actually being measured is police officers’ perception of crime, and their subsequent actions during a full moon, rather than criminal activity. This evidence would be created even if the amount of criminal activity were no different than on any other night. If police officers believe there is more criminal activity during a full moon, they might be more likely to see criminal activity and to formalize it by making arrests instead of giving warnings, which would actually create the appearance of increased criminal activity–via documentation–during a full moon. Validity would ensure that the study’s design accurately examined what it was designed to study and not something else such as one’s perception of criminal activity. Returning to the crime rate during a full moon topic, the reliability of a study would reflect how well the results represent the average adult crime rate during a full moon. Researchers also strive for validity, which refers to how well the study measures what it was designed to measure. The more exciting the findings, and the more they challenge prevailing understandings, the more likely it is that other sociologists will try to replicate them. No matter what research approach they use, researchers want to maximize the study’s reliability, which refers to how likely research results are to be replicated if the study is reproduced. If another sociologist follows the same research protocols, will they come up with the same results? If so, then the study is reliable. Results of studies tend to provide people with access to knowledge they did not have before-knowledge of other cultures, knowledge of rituals and beliefs, or knowledge of trends and attitudes. The scientific method is an essential tool in research.
WHAT IS THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD SERIES
It involves a series of prescribed steps that have been established over centuries of scholarship.įigure 2.
It is defined by its commitment to systematic observation of the empirical world and strives to be objective, critical, skeptical, and logical. A scientific process of research establishes parameters that help make sure results are sound. The scientific method involves developing and testing theories about the world based on empirical evidence. Sociologists make use of tried and true methods of research, such as experiments, surveys, and field research, but humans and their social interacti ons are so diverse that these examples might seem un-scientific. However, this is exactly why scientific models work for studying human behavior. 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. 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?Ĭonnecting crime to a full moon might not seem like common sense to the skeptic. 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. 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.
The good news is we can look at data sets that show us if there is a connection between full moons and crime rates. The “crime rate during a full moon” discussion mentioned earlier put forth a few loosely stated opinions. Research provides no evidence that crime rates increase during a full moon.
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