Why do sociological methods matter? Sociological methods are the scientific strategies used to collect data on social happenings. The methodology one chooses has an effect on the questions one asks...

Why do sociological methods matter? Sociological methods are the scientific strategies used to collect data on social happenings. The methodology one chooses has an effect on the questions one asks and the answers one gets from research. Sociologists follow the rules of the scientific method; this means their arguments must be backed up by data that are systematically collected and analyzed. Research is also divided between quantitative research, which is statistically based, and qualitative research, which is used to understand the texture of social life and is text based.