Introduction to Social Science Research Methods Flashcards
Why do we need social research?
So that we can be more confident in answering questions about social life
Why do doctors need to know about social science research methods?
- Policies and practices are based on social science research
- Have a responsibility as a doctor to be able to assess, appraise, and use this research
- Need to integrate and critically evaluate multiple resources
What are the two main groups of social science research methods?
- Quantitative
- Qualitative
What is quantiative research?
Collections of numeral data
What does quantitative data collection begin with?
Idea/hypothesis
What does quantitative data allow by deductions?
Conclusions to be drawn about relationships between variables, and sometimes about casual relationships
What are the strengths of quantitative data collection?
- Reliability
- Repeatability
What research designs are used in quantiative data collection?
- Experimental study designs - RCTs
- Cohort studies
- Case-control studies
- Cross-sectional surveys
- Secondary analysis of data from other sources
- Questionnaires
What do qualitative research designs aim to do?
Isolate key factors of interest from other contributory factors
What sources can be used for secondary analysis of data?
- Official statistics
- Other national surveys
- Local and regional surveys
What sources of official statistics are there?
- Census
- Economic Social Data Service
What other national surveys can be used in secondary analysis of data?
- Conducted by charities
- Universities
- Think tanks
- Polling companies
Who may conduct local and regional surveys?
- Universities
- NHS organisations
- Local councils
What are the applications of questionnaires?
- Measure exposure to risk factors, effect of lifestyle, and dietary factors
- Knowledge and attitudes
- Satisfaction with health services
What should questionnaires be?
- Valid
- Reliable
What is meant by valid?
Measure what its supposed to measure
What is meant by reliable?
Differences in results come from differences between participants, not from inconsistencies in how items are understood, or in how responses are interpreted
When may a questionnaire be tested for reliability and validity?
When it has been published
What is the problem with unpublished questionnaires?
They are developed in a specific context, and so validity and reliability have to be established
What type of questions are asked in a quantitative questionnaire?
Mainly closed questions, e.g. yes/no, strongly agree/agree/neither agree nor disagree…, numerical scales, :) :/ :(
What option should questionnaires offer?
Other - please specify
How can a questionnaire offer open ended questions?
Offer free text box at the end of the questionnaire
What are the disadvantages of opening open questions on questionnaires?
- May need to give instructions
- Will take longer to complete
What should be planned in advance with questionnaires?
How to analyse
How can questionnaires be analysed?
- Coding of free-text responses into new or exisiting categories
- More qualitative analysis
How can questionnaires be given?
- Self-completed on paper
- Telephone
- Interviewer
- Internet
What are the advantages of questionnaires?
- Describing
- Measuring
- Finding relationships between things
- Allowing comparisons
What are the disadvantages of questionnaires?
- May force being into inappropriate categories
- Don’t allow people to express things in the way they want
- May not access all important information
- May not be effective in establishing causality
What are the aims of qualitative analysis?
To make sense of phenomena in terms of the meaning people bring to them
When needs to be done in qualitative analysis?
Listen to what people have to say, and understand their perspective
What is the emphasis on in qualitative analysis?
- Meaning
- Experience
- Views of respondants
What odes the analysis of qualitative research emphasise?
The researchers interpretation, not measurement
What can qualitative research provide insights into?
Peoples behaviour
What research methods are used in qualitative research?
- Observation and ethnography
- Interviews
- Focus groups
- Documentary and media analysis
What is ethnography?
Studying peoples behaviour in its natural context
What is the point of ethnography?
You observe what people actually do, rather than relying on what they tell you
What does ethnography access?
Behaviour of which individuals themselves may produced biased accounts, or be unaware of
What doe ethnography and observation allow?
The researcher to record the ‘mundane and unremarkable’ features of life that interviewees might not feel were worth commenting on, and the context in which they occur
What are the forms of ethnography and observation?
- Participant observation
- Non-participant observation
What is the problem with observation?
It is labour intensive
What is the advantage of observation?
- It can provide a valuble insight into what actually happens
- Can explore aspects of health and health care that other methods cannot
What is observation commonly combined with in qualitative studies?
More formal interviews and other sources of data in ethnographic studies
What are semi-structured interviews structured by?
Prompt guide, with clear agenda of topics
Is the order of the agenda of topics in semi-structure interviews followed ridigly?
No
What is the emphasis on in semi-structured interviews?
Participatants giving their perspectives (interviewers should facilitate this)
What is obtained from semi-structured interviews?
Detailed, focused accounts relating to an issue of interest - gives someones professed views of, or explanation of, the issue, not an unproblematic description of the issue itself
Where did focus groups originate?
Market research
What is the advantage of focus groups being a flexible method?
- Can be a quick method for establishing parameters
- Good for accessing group-based, collective understanding of the issue
What may focus groups encourage?
People to participate
What are the disadvantages of focus groups?
- Not so useful for individual experience
- Some topics may be too ‘sensitive’ for focus groups
- Deviant views may be inhibited
- Can be difficult to arrange
- Have to consider the membership of the group
- Need a fairly homogenous group
- Good facilitator is needed
Why is a good facilitator needed with focus groups?
Managing group dynamics is challenging
What does documentary and media analysis use?
Independant evidence, e.g medical records, patient diaries
What may documentary and media analysis provide?
Historical context
What are documentary and media analyses useful for?
Some subjects that are difficult to investigat e
What sources can be analysed in media analysis?
- Television
- Newspaper
- Media stories
What is the problem with the analysis of qualitative data?
Ongoing interative process, which is labour intensive
What approach is often taken with analysis of qualitative data?
Inductive approach
What is done in an inductive approach to analysis of qualitative data?
- Close inspection of data
- Try to identify themes
- Produce specification for themes
- Assign data to themes
- Constantly compare data analysis against themes
What is qualitative research good for?
- Understanding the perspective of those in the situation
- Accessing information not revealed by quantitive approaches
- Explaning relationships between variables
What is a qualitative approach not good for?
- Finding consistent relationships between variables
- Generalisability
Why is qualitative data not good for generalisability?
May be good at identifying range of values on an issue, but it would be dangerous to infer prosperity of those views from a small sample that may not be statistically representative
What is the problem with carrying out qualitative research robustly?
Some debate over the most appropriate criteria for assessing quality of the qualitative reseach
What does CASP offer?
A tool which measures rigour, credibility, and relevance
What is key when carrying out qualitative research robustly?
Transparency around sampling, methods, and analysis
What will good qualitative research leave?
An audit trail
What does choosing an approach and study design depend on?
- Topic under investigation
- Research team’s preferences/expertise
- Time and money available
- Funders and/or audience
Can different methods be used in the same study?
Yes, especially if complementary
