Data Collection in Sociology

Question 1

Content Analysis

Answer 1

• a research method for studying documents and communication artifacts like pictures, audio, texts, transcripts or video
• Social scientists take these artifacts to discover patterns and form conclusions

Question 2

Advantages of Content Analysis

Answer 2

• Looks directly at communication via texts or transcripts, therefore, gets at the central aspect of social interaction
• Is used in both qualitative and quantitative operations
• Can provide valuable historical/cultural insights over time through analysis of texts

Question 3

Focus Groups

Answer 3

• A small, but demographically diverse group of people are studied
• A form of qualitative research
• Consists of interviews in which a group of people are asked about their perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, etc.
• Questions are asked where participants are free to talk with each other
• Researcher takes notes
• members are selected carefully