2.2 Social Science Research Methods Flashcards
What is quantitative research?
Collection of numerical data
How can quantitative data be collected?
RCT Cohort study Case-control study Cross-sectional survey Secondary analysis (eg. from the census)
What can questionnaires be used for?
Measure exposure to risk factors
Knowledge
Attitudes
Satisfaction
How can one ensure that a questionnaire is reliable and valid?
Use published questionnaires which have been pre-assessed
What are the disadvantages of using an unofficial questionnaire?
Less reliable
Time-consuming to check for reliability and validity
In what way can data be collected in a quantitative questionnaire?
Yes/no
Faces
Level of agreement
Numeric scale
How can the data for a questionnaire be collected?
Telephone
Internet
Interview
Paper
Give 3 advantages of quantitative research
Measure a response easily
Find relationships between ideas
Allow comparisons
Gis 3 disadvantages of quantitative research
May be forced into the wrong category
May not access all of the information
May not establish causality
People cannot express themselves as they like
What is qualitative research and when is it used?
Information gathered which allows people to express their opinions in written form. It is used to gain an understanding of people’s beliefs, experiences and actions.
What is ethnography?
Studying human behavior in its natural context. Interactions are observed instead of recalled.
Give 3 some advantages of ethnography
See behaviour which people are not aware of
See the whole picture
Can be combined with private interviews
Give 2 benefits of collecting data via an interview
Accurate account of personal experience
More conversational style of data collection
How can focus groups be used to collect data?
Get an overall perception of a topic
How can focus groups be problematic?
Need a good facilitator
Need a fairly homogenous group of people
Alternate views can be lost
Can be difficult to arrange
