Asociologist who is interested in examining racism in sports might determine what percentage of team owners, general managers, coaches, and managers are members of each racial group. this would be an example of developing a(n) research design. operational definition. hypothesis. theory.

This would be an example of developing an "operational definition."

An operational definition, when connected to information collection, is an unmistakable, brief meaning of a measure. The requirement for operational definitions is principal when gathering a wide range of information. It is especially imperative when a choice is being made about in the case of something is right or mistaken, or when a visual check is being made where there is space for perplexity.  

When gathering information, it is fundamental that everybody in the framework has a similar comprehension and gathers information similarly. Operational definitions ought to along these lines be made before the accumulation of information starts.

there is an explationation of this on a site called crash   course world history 1

radiant energy is a form of kinetic energy only.(a)