2 Social Science Research Methods Flashcards
Why do we need social research?
So we answer questions about social life better. e.g. If people knew more about the risks of smoking, would they still smoke?
What are the 2 main groups of social research?
i) Quantitative
ii) Qualitative
What is QUANTITATIVE research?
Collection of NUMERICAL DATA. Beings with a hypothesis which is either rejected or accepted. Allows conclusions to be drawn between variables. Sometimes the relationship is CAUSAL.
What are examples of QUANTITATIVE study types?
RCTs, Cohort, Case-Control and Cross-sectional studies
What makes a good questionnaire design?
VALID - measure what they’re supposed to.
RELIABLE - measure things consistently. Differences in responses are because of difference in the views of participants NOT because of inconsistencies of understanding of the questionnaire.
How can you ensure RELIABILITY and VALIDITY of a questionnaire?
Use a PUBLISHED questionnaire, which has already had these established.
Questionnaires can be SELF COMPLETED or ADMINISTERED. What problems could be found with administered questionnaires?
How are the questions being asked? Tone etc - are the participants being led, leading to bias?
What are the pros of a quantitative method?
Good at measuring and describing relationships between things and allowing comparison.
What are the weakness/drawbacks of using a quantitative method?
May force people into categories that are a BEST FIT rather than what they actually think.
It may not access all the important information. ie.actual cause may not be asked about
May not effectively establish causality.
What is the function of QUALITATIVE RESEARCH?
Aims to make sense of the phenomena in terms of meanings people bring to them.
Allows people to say exactly what they mean. Emphasises meaning and experience of the respondents
What are the 4 main methods of observational research?
- OBSERVATION and ETHNOGRAPHY
- INTERVIEWS
- FOCUS GROUPS
- DOCUMENT & MEDIA ANALYSIS
What is ETHNOGRAPHY & OBSERVATION. How do they apply to qualitative research?
ETHNOGRAPHY- the study of human behaviour in its natural context.
Observe people and see what they actually do and not what they say they’re going to do.
You can do this 2 ways:
PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION
NON-PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION
Allows the researcher to record detail that the participant may have deemed too irrelevant/minute to mention when questioned.
What are the disadvantages to observation and ethnography?
Labour intensive
Normally has to be combined with one of the other 4 research methods
How are INTERVIEWS used in qualitative research?
- SEMI STRUCTURED
Prompt guide, clear agenda
Emphasis on getting the PARTICIPANT’S PERSPECTIVE
How can FOCUS GROUPS be used for qualitative research?
Gain an insight into the PERSPECTIVE of the group.
Why might focus groups not be suitable for a research topic? Why might they not be the best choice?
Sensitive topic - deviant views may be inhibited.
Can be difficult to arrange
If the group has a hierarchy, views may be suppressed.
Need the group to be as HOMOGENOUS as possible
A good FACILITATOR is needed!
How can documents and media be used for qualitative research?
Documents e.g. medical records and patient diaries used to find answers.
How is qualitative data analysed?
Analysis can often be quite LABOUR INTENSIVE.
An INDUCTIVE approach is taken, where THEMES are identified and data is assigned to these themes.
How are the approaches to qualitative and quantitative research different?
Qualitative= INDUCTIVE - you identify themes and the supporting evidence. Quantitative= DEDUCTIVE, from the numerical data, you deduce if the evidence supports the hypothesis.
What is QUALITATIVE research good for?
Understanding the PERSPECTIVE of those in a situation.
EXPLAINING the relationship between variables, not just identifying them.
ACCESSING information not easily accessed by quantitative methods
What is QUALITATIVE research not good for?
Identifying the relationships between variables, better at explaining them.
The findings cannot be EXTRAPOLATED or GENERALISED. They are SPECIFIC to those participating and it would be dangerous to make more general inferences from such a small sample.
How can QUALITATIVE research be appraised?
TRANSPARENCY is key! Transparency of METHODS, SAMPLING and ANALYSIS.
CASP tool: RIGOUR, CREDIBILITY, RELEVANCE.
