evaluate sampling techniques (20)

Question 1

intro

Answer 1

-sampling is a key stage in the process of designing and conducting sociological research , involving the researcher selecting a smaller group of people from the wider target population to gather data from
-sampling can be random (everyone has equal chance of being picked) or non-random (researcher is interested in a specific group of people)

Question 2

practical (strength)

Answer 2

-the practicality of a research method refers to how easy it is to conduct, looking at access to locations, funding, time, and ppts
-volunteer sampling is the most practical sampling method as the ppts come to you, therefore removing the issues of negotiating access
-the researcher will usually post adverts either in person or online, which is quick and easy to do, and doesn’t cost much money
-furthermore, volunteer sampling is random and therefore does not need a sampling frame, making it more practical

Question 3

ethics (strength)

Answer 3

-the BSA issues a “statements of ethical conduct” which encourages researchers to consider factors such as harm, deception, privacy and confidentiality of the ppt. Ethical research must consider the impact the study may have on both the ppts and the researcher themselves
-volunteer sampling is the most ethical sampling technique as informed consent is guaranteed as the ppts sign up themselves
-snowball sampling is also an effective sampling method as it allows for a more selective study whilst still ensuring consent and no deception

Question 4

theory (strength)

Answer 4

-Positivism is an approach to sociological research based on social facts. They believe we shouldn’t go beyond the boundaries of what is observed and prefer quantitative methods of research because statistics are factual and measurable, allowing for comparisons between groups/the findings
-Positivists like any random sampling method, but prefer stratified as it is the most representative
-eg. the Crime Survey for England and Wales uses random sampling to gain an idea of unreported crime rates, which is also high in reliability as it is repeated annually, therefore gathering objective data which is liked by Positivists

Question 5

reliability (strength)

Answer 5

-reliability refers to the repeatability of a study, so if the study were to be replicated it would produce the same results
-every sampling technique has high reliability as a standardised procedure is used to gain any sample
-eg. random sampling assigns a number to each person and randomly selects them through a random number generator
-eg. Love, Passion, and Emotional Violence used volunteer sampling and sent questionnaires out in magazines across Britain, France, and America, all containing information on how to contact the researcher to take part in the study. This is highly reliable as it is easily repeatable

Question 6

representativeness (strength)

Answer 6

-representativeness is the extent to which a sample mirrors the researcher’s target population and reflects it’s characteristics
-representative sampling techniques use a sampling frame, such as random, systematic, and cluster.
-they use a sampling frame to gain a large sample that is representative of the target population

Question 7

validity (strength)

Answer 7

-the validity of a research method refers to how detailed and accurate the study’s results are