Stages in the research process

Research aims set out what the researcher intends to investigate and they provide the study's focus. A hypothesis is a hunch or an informal guess and is written as a statement that can be tested. It will either be supported by the evidence or proved wrong.

A pilot study is a small-scale trial run carried out before the main research.

Rather than study the whole population, a researcher often selects a sample. This done by using a sampling technique such as stratified random sampling or snowball sampling.

Sociologists collect data using primary research methods such as questionnaires or observation. They may also use secondary sources such as offical statistics or mass media reports. Data may be either quantitative or qualitative.

Data analysis involves interpreting or making sense of the information and presenting the main findings or results.

Sociologists write articles about their research in journals and present papers at conferences. These articles and papers are reviewed and evaluated by other sociologists. This is known as peer review.