4. It has Trained Observation - Observation must be undertaken by trained observers in the field in order to make research credible. 5.

Must Identify Controlled Conditions - A characteristic where scientific observation is conducted within situations that are manageable.

Chapter 2 THE LOGIC AND METHOD OF SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY AND RESEARCH What is Sociological Inquiry? Sociological Inquiry is primarily intended to find answer to questions on the observable social word and social action. Social actions are the ways in which humans interact with each other in social units such as the family, the school, the church, and other social institution or association. It is also the systematic analysis of the motivation and behavior of individuals within groups, the study of social groups as a whole, and of institutions such as government, the church, professional groups, trade unions, or recreational units. Like any scientific activity, is like playing a game. It involves participants: the players-the scientist, their assistants, and other workers - work as a team to achieve a result. The spectators-interested or disinterested, appreciative or inappreciative, benefited or not ---- are the recipient of the result. It has goals to achieve, roles to follow, and strategies to use in order to obtain a high probability of success. The Goals of Sociological Research
The basic goal of sociological research is to understand the observable social world. Its main function is to test or verify a hypothesis. This involves having a scientific and theoretical perspective about the aspect of the social world the sociologist is studying. Sociologists follow certain steps as they go along; in the process, they acquire a set of generalizations on the nature of human behavior and society, the patterns of social life, and the forces that lead to social change. The ultimate result is the accumulation of scientific knowledge that describe the realities that surround people. Science is based on conclusion which are approximate, provisional, or tentative, and agreed upon by trained and qualified scientists at a given time. This body of knowledge stands for scientific truth. Sociological inquiry is concerned with the repetitive patterns in human behavior, presented according to logically related hypothesis and supported by empirical evidence. CONDUCTING SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY 1. Define the research problem and review related literature. Select a problem that can be investigated. It is necessary for the researcher to limit the scope and breadth of the problem. The topic may also be selected in order to fill a gap or correct a misconception in an existing research. Researchers have to locate and evaluate what is already known about his prospective area of inquiry. Scour the literature and see what has been written about the subject; look also for unpublished materials. 2. Formulate the hypothesis