Access and sampling

Question 1

People difficult to gain access to?

Answer 1

• Celebrities
• Royals
• Prison population
• Drug users
• Old people
• Gangs
• Government officials

Question 2

What strategy would you use to gain access to those difficult to access?

Answer 2

Snowball sample

- One who introduces you to someone else

Question 3

Who are gatekeepers?

Answer 3

People through whom the researcher must go in order to access participants e.g. headteacher of a school

Question 4

Are gatekeepers useful?

Answer 4

Yes, e.g. winning over the manager of a Women’s Refuge could help you gain access to survivors, as they are trying to protect those

Question 5

What are target populations?

Answer 5

Researchers are usually interested in certain sections of society

Question 6

What is census research?

Answer 6

Researches studying every single participant within the target population which would give a comprehensive understanding of the target population

Question 7

Weakness with census research?

Answer 7

Can be extremely expensive

Question 8

The British Census occurs every 10 years, why does the census not provide a detailed picture of the entire popuation?

Answer 8

People may lie when answering

Question 9

What is sampling?

Answer 9

Researches must limit the number of people that they study, they must find a way of selecting a more manageable number of participants from the target population

Question 10

What is generalisation?

Answer 10

Sociologists want to be able to draw conclusions about large numbers of people based on a study of a small sample

Question 11

What is representiveness?

Answer 11

Researchers need to make sure the people they study are typical of the target population (characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity and social class), can be representative and generalisations can be made.
- Otherwise we could accuse the study of sample bias

Question 12

Why researchers take a sample?

Answer 12

Researchers take a sample to select a manageable number of participants from the target population

Question 13

What is macro research?

Answer 13

Large samples tend to be more representative, therefore easier to build representative samples using quantitive methods (quick and time efficient)
- Large sample doesn’t guarantee that it will be representative

Question 14

What is random sampling?

Answer 14

Researchers first needs a list of everybody in the target population = sampling frame, participants are then selected from the list at random

Question 15

Strengths and weaknesses of random sampling

Answer 15

S 
- Quick and easy 
- No researcher bias 
W
- Might not be representative (could end up with all boys)

Question 16

What is systematic sampling?

Answer 16

Where there is a regular pattern e.g. every 10th person from the sampling frame is chosen

Question 17

Strengths and weaknesses of systematic sampling?

Answer 17

S
- No bias (not picking people you know/smiling at you)
W
- Still random

Question 18

What is stratified sampling?

Answer 18

The sampling frame can be divided (e.g. into boys and girls) and a random sample is taken from each, can be done by sex, age, ethnicity or any other characteristic

Question 19

Strengths and weaknesses of stratified sampling?

Answer 19

S
- Deliberate effort has been made to make the sample representative
W
- Time consuming to calculate percentages

Question 20

What is quota sampling?

Answer 20

An alternative approach to generating a representative sample which is often used in opinion surveys and market research

Question 21

Strengths and weaknesses of quota sampling?

Answer 21

S
- Exactly what the researcher needs 
- Effort made to make it representative 
W
- The person who stops in the street may be different from the person who doesn't

Question 22

What is purposive sampling?

Answer 22

A non-probability sample that is selected based on characteristics of a population and the objective of the study, sociologists attempt to locate individuals who suit the “purposes” of their research

Question 23

Strengths and weaknesses of purposive sampling?

Answer 23

S
- Researcher only study people they need e.g. smokers
W
- Might not agree to take part

Question 24

What is snowball sampling?

Answer 24

The researcher finds an initial participant who puts them in touch with others, these contacts are then used to find new participants and the sample “snowballs”
E.g. Homeless people, drug dealers, gangs

Question 25

Strengths and weaknesses of purposive sampling?

Answer 25

S
- Good for difficult to reach people
- Easy as the sample collects itself 
W
- Not representative as similar characteristics/personalities

Question 26

What is self-selecting aka volunteer sampling?

Answer 26

Easiest/most used technique of gaining participants, the researcher places an advert (e.g. in the newspaper) and participants volunteer to take part

Question 27

Strengths and weaknesses of self-selecting sampling?

Answer 27

S
- Ethical - consent given
- Easy - just put up a poster
W
- The person who takes part is likely to be different
- People might only be motivated by an incentive

Question 28

What is opportunity sampling?

Answer 28

The researcher isn’t fussy and uses whoever is available at the time

Question 29

Strengths and weaknesses of oppurtunity sampling?

Answer 29

S
- Easy, quick, cheap
W
- Biased selection (might pick people who look friendly)
- Not representative - could all be a-level students