Prior to conducting a study, researchers are careful to apply operational definitions to their terms and to establish dependent and independent variables Using the scientific method, a researcher conducts a study in six phases: asking a question, researching existing sources, formulating a hypothesis, research design, collecting & analyzing data, and drawing conclusions.

Some sociologists conduct research through an interpretive framework rather than employing the scientific method The scientific method is useful in that it provides a clear method of organizing a study.

interpretive framework — a sociological research approach that seeks in-depth understanding of a topic or subject through observation or interaction; this approach is not based on hypothesis testing. scientific method — an established scholarly research procedure that involves asking a question, researching existing sources, forming a hypothesis, designing a data collection method, gathering…. hypothesis — a testable educated guess about predicted outcomes between two or more variables. operational definitions — specific explanations of abstract concepts that a researcher plans to study.