choosing a method Flashcards
primary data
information collected by sociologists themselves for their own purposes to obtain a first hand understanding of a group of to test a hypothesis
methods - social surveys, participant observation, experiments
advantages - can gather exactly the information they need to test their hypothesis
disadvantages - can be expensive and time consuming
secondary data
information collected or created by someone for their own purpose which the sociologist can then use
methods - official statistics produced by the government as well as other recognised bodies such as charities, businesses and the nhs. letters, diaries and photographs
advantages - quick and cheap
disadvantages - the data may not provide exactly the information the sociologist needs as the original may not have been interested in the same questions
quantitative data
information that can be gathered in numerical form
methods - official statistics, opinion polls, market research surveys, questionnaires
advantages - data can be measured and analysed. the researcher is more objective
disadvantages - does not gather people’s ideas or feelings, cannot understand the context
qualitative data
gives a feel for what something is like. takes into account the person’s ideas and opinions. provides rich descriptions of people’s feelings and experiences
methods - participant observation, in depth interviews, historical documents
advantages - gains more detailed, rich data. looks at context and social meaning and how it affects individuals
disadvantages - interprets the data with their own biased view, time consuming and costly
practical
the practicality of the different research methods
ethical
moral issues of right and wrong
methods will raise ethical dilemmas.
ethical guidelines by british sociological association
theoretical
questions about what we think society is like, whether we can obtain an accurate, truthful picture of it.
our views will determine the research methods we use
factors influencing choice:
practical
time and money - large scale surveys require many interviewers, data inputting staff, and cost a large sum of money.
requirements of funding bodies - funders may require the research to be in a particular form. sociologists will have to use the most appropriate method to suit the needs of the funders.
personal skills and characteristics - personal skills of the researcher will affect the methods used. participant observation requires the ability to mix well with others and recall information. in-depth interviews require the researcher to be able to develop a rapport with the interviewee.
subject matter - method used will be determined by the subject to be researched. measuring low literacy levels using a written questionnaire would not yield the same results as an interview.
research opportunity - an opportunity to study a particular group, especially a hard to reach group, may occur quite suddenly with little time to prepare.
factors influencing choice:
ethical
informed consent - participants should have the right to refuse to be involved
confidentiality and privacy - participant’s identity should be kept secret, to prevent possible negative side effects on them. personal information should be kept confidential.
effects on research participants - researchers needs to be aware of the possible effects of the research on their participants. researchers should anticipate and prevent any harm. possible harm could be police intervention, social exclusion, employment prospects, psychological damage.
vulnerable groups - special care should be taken where participants are particularly vulnerable for example age, disability or physical or mental health.
covert research - the researcher’s identity and research purpose are hidden from the people being studied .impossible to gain informed consent in covert research. sociologists argue that the use of covert research can be justified in certain circumstances such as gaining access to secretive, dangerous, powerful groups.
factors influencing choice:
theoretical
validity - a method that produces a true or genuine picture of what something is really like. many sociologists argue that qualitative methods give more valid data than quantitative as it provides a more personal account, such as participant observation.
reliability - a reliable method is one which can be replicated again by another researcher yielding the same results. quantitative methods, such as questionnaires, tend to produce more reliable results than qualitative methods.
representativeness - refers to whether or not the people in the research are a true cross- section of the group we are interested in
positivist
assumes society is factual and objective.
society influences its members shaping their behaviour.
prefer quantitative data as it produces reliable, representative data.
they wish to describe society through a scientific law of cause and effect that determine behaviour.
interpretivist
believe that reality is constructed by our interactions with others and
the meanings we place on those interactions.
our actions are based on the meanings we give to social interactions, not as a result of an external force.
they prefer qualitative data as they wish to understand the individual’s meanings and actions.
they prefer methods that produce valid data.
choice of topic
a sociologist’s perspective - their personal perspective will determine their choice of subject and method.
society’s values - sociologists are influenced by society’s values. as
values change so does the focus of the research.
funding bodies - most research requires funding from external bodies, as a result this will determine the topic to be investigated and its method
practical factors - practical limitations may influence what can be
studied such as access to participants.
