Definitions - Reduced

Question 1

What is validity?

Answer 1

A true or genuine picture of what something is really like

Question 2

What is reliability?

Answer 2

Research is reliable if it can be repeated in exactly the same way, and produce exactly the same results

Question 3

What is informed consent?

Answer 3

When participants know the details and true aim of the study and give their full permission to participate

Question 4

What is deception?

Answer 4

Where participants are lied to about some (or all) parts of the study

Question 5

What is representativeness?

Answer 5

Research is representative if the participants mirror the target population

Question 6

What is generalisability?

Answer 6

Research is generalisable if its results can be applied to other scenarios/populations

Question 7

What is objectivity?

Answer 7

The opposite of subjectivity. Research is objective if it is unbiased and is not based on opinion

Question 8

What is subjectivity?

Answer 8

The opposite of objectivity. Research is subjective if it is down to personal opinions/preferences

Question 9

What is positivism?

Answer 9

A theoretical perspective which believes Sociology should be scientific: objective, reliable, representative, macro, and quantitative

Question 10

What is interpretivism?

Answer 10

A theoretical perspective which believes Sociology should NOT be scientific: subjective, valid, micro, qualitative, and with verstehen/empathy

Question 11

What is a sample?

Answer 11

The group of participants in a study

Question 12

What does PET stand for?

Answer 12

Practical, Ethical, Theoretical. These are the categories for different issues which can affect research

Question 13

What do we mean by practical issues?

Answer 13

Anything which will affect our ability to carry out the research

Question 14

What do we mean by ethical issues?

Answer 14

Moral issues of right or wrong

Question 15

What do we mean by theoretical issues?

Answer 15

Anything which will affect the usefulness of the data. Positivist/interpretivist approach

Question 16

What does “researcher’s skills & characteristics” mean?

Answer 16

Some research may require the researcher to have specific abilities, or be a certain person. E.g. they may need to speak a certain language, or their gender could make participants feel more/less comfortable

Question 17

What does confidentiality mean?

Answer 17

Not publishing participants’ information, e.g. keeping them anonymous

Question 18

What does privacy mean?

Answer 18

Allowing participants to keep some information to themselves, e.g. not pushing a domestic violence victim to tell you details they may not want to share

Question 19

What does right to withdraw mean?

Answer 19

All participants should be allowed to leave the research whenever they like, and should be allowed to ask their data not to be included even after the study is complete

Question 20

What does verstehen mean?

Answer 20

Empathy/putting yourself in their shoes. Understanding why your participants act and feel the way they do

Question 21

What is the Hawthorne Effect?

Answer 21

People will change their behaviour when they know they’re being observed

Question 22

What is researcher/interviewer bias?

Answer 22

Any impact that the researcher can have on the participant, or on the data

Question 23

What is rapport?

Answer 23

A bond or connection of trust and understanding between the researcher and the interviewer

Question 24

What is going native?

Answer 24

When a researcher taking part in a participant observation decides to abandon the research and fully join the group they have been observing

Question 25

What is ecological validity?

Answer 25

This represents whether or not an experiment reflects something that would happen in real life/a natural setting

Question 26

What does standardised mean?

Answer 26

Research is standardised if there are set rules/regulations/steps that the research must follow. This makes it very reliable

Question 27

What is longitudinal research?

Answer 27

Research that is carried out over a long period of time, e.g. the Census which has existed since 1086

Question 28

What is triangulation?

Answer 28

All research methods have weaknesses, but by combining methods it is possible to use methods with strengths which cancel out these weaknesses. Triangulation is where at least 3 methods are used to study one particular issue

Question 29

What would an example of triangluation look like?

Answer 29

S = Strength, W = WeaknessParticipant observation​S: Verstehen​W: Subjectivity/bias​Official statistics​S: Objectivity​W: Less representative​Questionnaires​S: Highly representative​W: Lacks verstehen​