Doing Sociological Research

Question 1

What do quantitative researchers use?

Answer 1

Numbers and statistics, using a control variable to isolate causes.

Question 2

What do qualitative researchers use?

Answer 2

Qualitative researchers make inferences and theoretical statements about empirical contexts that may be tested in other similar contexts

Question 3

Define science

Answer 3

Science: the use of systematic methods of empirical investigation, the analysis of data, theoretical thinking and the logical assessment of argument to develop a body of knowledge about a particular subject matter.
Giddens 2009: 41

Question 4

What are the four methodological approaches?

Answer 4

Positivism
Post-positivism
Interpretivism
Post-modernism/post-structuralism

Question 5

What is the positivism methodological approach?

Answer 5

Social science modelled on the natural sciences

Knowledge can only comprise what we can sense (empirical evidence)

Reality is ‘out there’ waiting to be discovered

Question 6

What is the Post-positivism methodological approach?

Answer 6

Still believes in an objective truth and scientific methods

Acknowledges that the social world is a human construction and truth depends on context

Error and bias are inevitable, and these must be accounted for

Question 7

What is the Interpretivism methodological approach?

Answer 7

Verstehen – understanding how people construct meaning in the social world

Social actors’ subjective constructions of reality are of prime concern to researcher

Reality exists in the ways that social actors understand the world – there is no ‘objective reality’ waiting to be discovered

Question 8

What is the Post-modernism/post-structuralism methodological approach?

Answer 8

Reality is chaotic and unknowable – only available locally and for the life of an exchange

Research designed to elicit an emotional response or insight, to provide alternative narratives and to challenge what we take for granted

Question 9

What is the research cycle?

Answer 9

Research question formulation
Review literature
Design methodology
Conduct research
Write up and publish findings

Question 10

Define research methods

Answer 10

The scientific process by which sociologists conduct research in an effort to develop knowledge

Question 11

What are the key concepts of research methods?

Answer 11

Objectivity
Variables
Causes
Correlation
Triangulation

Question 12

Define triangulation

Answer 12

Using one source and method with another, in order to corroborate or enhance the quality of the data.

Question 13

Define qualitative data

Answer 13

Primarily deals with words and images and gives an in-depth understanding of the meaning behind the phenomena

Question 14

Define quantitative data

Answer 14

The analysis of measurements, numbers and statistics, allowing us to test hypotheses and make generalisations

Question 15

What are reasearch methods ‘in their own words’

Answer 15

Narrative research, storytelling
Interviews
Focus groups

Question 16

What are field research methods?

Answer 16

Detached observation
Participant observation
Ethnography

Question 17

What are unobtrusive research methods?

Answer 17

Document analysis

Content analysis

Question 18

What are patterns and generalisations seen by?

Answer 18

Surveys and questionnaires

Question 19

What is the control group, experimental group?

Answer 19

Is the group in an experiment that is not exposed to the independent variable

Is the group in an experiment that is exposed to the independent variable

Question 20

What is the dependant and independent variable?

Answer 20

Is the presumed effect in the cause-and-effect relationship

Is the presumed cause in the cause-and-effect relationship

Question 21

What are 6 qualitative research methods?

Answer 21

Field research - Observing people in their natural settings

Ethnographic research - Spending months or years living with people and developing an intimate understanding of their behaviour

Participant observation - Observing people’s face-to-face interaction and participating in their lives over a long period of time

Interviews - seek data on meanings and understandings, on life-worlds and experiences
Examples: focus group interviews and narratives

Observation - researcher either immerses themselves within a culture or setting to observe or remains detached and watches from the ‘outside’

Document analysis - data sources that are already created such as diaries, newspapers, published historical works and web sources

Question 22

What is key to uphold when gathering information?

Answer 22

Ethics