AS RESEARCH METHODS

Question 1

One of the advantages of lab experinments is that they hypotheses can be trested in controled conditions

MENTION MORE

Answer 1

1) particapants may not be aware that they are being observed thus –> hawthrone effect is avoided

2) Postivits see this as a detatched + Objective scinteifc mean of study

being in controled coditons –> relaible thus replicable

Question 2

What are the types of interviews

Answer 2

Unstructured
Semi structured
Focus groups

Question 3

What does reliability mean

Answer 3

Research can be repeated with the same responses

Question 4

What includes content annylisis

Answer 4

Studying the content of documents and mass media

Question 5

what is the interviewer effect?

Answer 5

when interviewer may influence participants responses –> through their characteristics –>
- apperance
- verbal cues –> such as facial expresssions OR tone of voice

Question 6

what are hard statistics/evidence copy?
AND give examples

Answer 6

they should be complete accurate
apart from any errors ot incompleteness
recorded by law
eg// in most countries records kept of al births + marriages + death

Question 7

what does generalisabilty mean?

Answer 7

when findings about a sample can be applied to a larger grp of ppl sharing same characteristics

Question 8

what are soft statistics copy?
AND give examples

Answer 8

these depend on ppl making decisions about what + how to record
^these decisions may lead to –> different statistics + there may be changes overtime IN WHAT IS RECORDED
not clearly recorded

e.g// include unemployment statistics +
how many crimes taken place –> bec DECISIONS ARE MADE ABT WHAT TO INCLUDE + HOW TO COMPILE STATISTICS

Question 9

what is the difference bwetween qualitative and quantitive data?
3 mention

Answer 9

QLTLTIVE DATA
- describes phenomena
descriptive
includes U.I and Participant obervation
prefered by interprevitists
offers validity
- looks a t meanings, interaction patterns between induviduals

QNTTIVE DATA
- numerical
produced as numbers such as officual statistics
- allows representativeness of target population
- includes surveys questionaries, Structured interviews
allows relaibility, representation and generalizability

Question 10

what are the 2 methodoligies used in research

Answer 10

Inductive methodolgy

• gathering statistics fro evidence –> then giving theory on the basis of of evidicne

Deductive Methodolgy

give a theoratical hypothosis then –> testing agqainst evidence

Question 11

What is primary data
Mention it’s + and -

Answer 11

Data that sociologists personally gather themselves

Researcher has greater control over the definition of Sociological phenomena
Representative data
Validity and reliability

Time consuming
Requires a lot of effort and expense
Difficult to gain access to target grp

Question 12

what does the term validity mean?

Answer 12

it refers to the extent to which findings REFLECT REALITY + give TRUE PIC

Question 13

define historical documents

Answer 13

Documents produced in the past so may be useful to investigate how society has changed over time

Question 14

Define the features of personal documents

Answer 14

First person accounts
Documents less easy for researcher to obtain since may feel that they are private thus may not show their availability or existence

Question 15

Mention the limitations of using personal docs and historical docs

Answer 15

May be unrepresentative

Need to be checked
against resources

May give favourable view of themselves and actions
May be biased

intentionally as may have the intention to publish in the future

Question 16

Mention the strengths of digital sources

Answer 16

Make vast range of information available at low cost + very easy access

Are global -> makes it easier to access information about different parts of the world

Question 17

What does representativeness mean

Answer 17

Sampling a smaller version of the population

Question 18

how do quessionares add to flexibility of the scientific quantitive methods?

Answer 18

can be used in different ways
administered in different ways
- via internet
- via telephone
- via postal or online qs
via person (can include hawthrone effect)

Question 19

What is secondary data?
Mention it’s + and -

Answer 19

Data that already exists in form such as docs or research previously completed by other sociologist

Save time money and effort —> by using existing data eg statistics of crime
May be situations where secondary data only the available resource

Definitions of sociological phenomena may not match with those of the researcher
Validity + reliability may impact
Official definitions about social institutions + behaviours may be unreliable and varied

Question 20

in depth methods–> allows researcher to develop _______ _______ of the ________ and how they actually ____ about the _____ being researched

Answer 20

detailed understanding
feel
issue

Question 21

What does Objectivty mean?

Answer 21

Ability of researcher to remain detached in his work

Question 22

mention the strengths of qualitative data

Answer 22

1) valid due to indepth + detail
2) more in depth
3) procides with understanding of meanings + motivations –> behind respondants actions
4) Led more by the respndant rather than researcher who is less likely to impose own perspective

Question 23

mention limitations of qualitative data

Answer 23

since small sample size difficult to generalize –> cannot ensure representativeness

less relaible –>bec research difficult to replicate

time consuming process that quantititve

cannot make comparisions btween different patterns and trends

Question 24

questionaires reflect _______ _______ ________

Answer 24

researchers world view

Question 25

Mention the strengths of historical and personal documents

Answer 25

May be highly valid
Provide pic of reality at that time they were produced
Provide disrcriptive details + insights that may be missing in statistical sources
Offer first hand accounts from ppl included

Question 26

what is the 4 pointer paradigm by scott

Answer 26

1) Authenticy –>

Question 27

What are the + and - of present qs

Answer 27

+
Generate consistent findings
Answered in short span of time
Ease to quantify data
Useful when researcher wants to contact large sample quickly
Reliability
Less Risk of bias

-
Low response rate
Carefully designed sample may turn unrep
Difficult to examine complex issues
Researcher not know whether respondant has interpreted qs properly
Ignored

Question 28

What are Questionaries

Answer 28

Written qs that can be ausmisteten through no of ways
Researcher asks qs to respondent
Involve close ended and open ended qs