Human Society: Quantitative Research Methods Flashcards
What are the features of quantitive research?
-involves the collection and analysis of data that is quantifiable and therefore tends to deal with numerical data
-large sample sizes are usually involved
-results are often presented in charts or tables
How can surveys be used?
Almost interchangeably with questionnaires, but can also be done without the sample group’s knowledge (for example, looking at which queue people joined in a supermarket).
What are questionnaires?
Questionnaires are a fixed (predetermined) set of questions, which the research subject answers. These are more likely to be closed- or short-response questions (yes/no/don’t know).
How can questionnaires and surveys be delivered?
Questionnaires and surveys can be delivered and received in-person, by post or online.
What are the advantages of surveys and questionnaires?
-Easy to use — the questions are generally short, and the possible answers are limited, so they can be completed by a wide range of people, regardless of educational background.
-Potential for high response rate — people are more likely to respond, as surveys and questionnaires don’t need to take up a lot of time and are not complicated.
-Can cope with volume — they can cover a large amount of people, and the sample size can be big (increasing reliability), which means they are good for looking at trends over time.
-Low cost — little face-to-face researcher time is required: postal questionnaires only need the price of a stamp and an envelope; online questionnaires can be even cheaper.
What are the disadvantages of surveys and questionnaires?
-Potential for a low response rate — people often throw away or forget to send back postal questionnaires. Email surveys are easily ignored or deleted. This could affect the sample size and skew the sample, as the type of person who does return it may not be typical of the population.
-Limited scope of responses — questions often have ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers, or are similarly closed, and there is no scope to explain the meaning behind answers. With posted questionnaires and online surveys, respondents can’t ask for clarification if they have not understood a question.
What are the features of structures interviews?
-generally carried out face-to-face, with the interviewer asking a set series of questions
-interviewers can present the same set of questions to many different respondents
-received answers are generally short, but not necessarily just ‘yes’ or ‘no’
What are the advantages of structured interviews?
-Reliable — standardised questions result in a standardised response, as all respondents are faced with the same questions in the same order.
-Produce quantitative data — question designers can pre-code answers, and use computers to analyse the data, making it more straightforward to produce statistical results, as well as being able to quote interviews in the study.
-High response rate — interviews give more responses than postal questionnaires, and interviewers can access new respondents if the sample size drops.
What are the disadvantages of structured interviews?
-Interviewer influence — compared to surveys and questionnaires, the interviewer can potentially affect the answers through tone of voice and body language.
-Potential for misunderstanding — the interview is only as good as the questions it contains, and these must be constructed so there is no room for misinterpretation. If the interviewer or the respondent misinterprets the data, then the answer becomes invalid.
-Time-consuming and expensive — interviewing people takes time, and it is costly to hire and train interviewers.
What are the features of official statistics?
-gathered for, or on behalf of, governmental or associated bodies
-large amounts of quantitative data are gathered from very large samples or even the whole population
-often repeated at regular intervals (annually or every decade)
What are the advantages of official statistics?
-High-volume, low-cost — for researchers, official statistics provide an abundant, free source of information.
-Good for trends — as the surveys or questionnaires used to gather the data are often repeated at regular intervals, official statistics are good at identifying trends over time.
-Aid comparison — official statistics allow comparison between and among classes, ethnicities, ages, genders and other groups.
What are the disadvantages of official statistics?
-Not always suitable — as statistics are collected for the government, they may not be exactly what is required for another group’s research.
-Changing definitions — the definitions used when collecting data may be different from those used in research and may change over time.
-Potential pro-government bias — statistics could potentially be manipulated before publication to show the government in a positive way.
