Key Issues in Sociological Research

Question 1

What is primary data?

Answer 1

Data generated ‘first hand’ by the sociologist

Question 2

What is secondary data?

Answer 2

Using ‘second hand’ data, which already exists

Question 3

What is quantitative data?

Answer 3

Methods which generate numerical information

Question 4

What is qualitative data?

Answer 4

Methods that generate rich, in depth data

Question 5

What are the 3 issues that affect choose is data?

Answer 5

Practical issues
Ethical issues
Theoretical issues

Question 6

What are the 5 things that cause practical issues?

Answer 6

• time and money
• requirements of funding bodies
• personal skills and characteristics
• subject matter
• research opportunities

Question 7

What are practical issues?

Answer 7

Issues that have to be settled before research

Question 8

What are ethical issues?

Answer 8

Moral principles - beliefs about what is right or wrong

Question 9

What are the 6 issues that cause ethical issues?

Answer 9

• deception
• harm
• informed consent
• confidentiality and privacy
• covert research
• vulnerable groups

Question 10

What are the 3 issues that cause Theoretical issues?

Answer 10

• validity
• reliability
• representatives

Question 11

How does time and money cause and issue? (PET issue?)

Answer 11

Practical

-different methods require different amounts of time and money which can influence a sociologists choice of method

Question 12

How does the requirements of funding bodies affect research choice? (PET issue?)

Answer 12

Practical
-research institutes, businesses and other organisations that provide the funding for research may require the results in a particular form

Question 13

How does subject matter affect choice of method? (PET?)

Answer 13

Practical

-it may be much harder to study a particular groups or subject by one method than by another

Question 14

How does research opportunities cause issues? (PET?)

Answer 14

Practical
-sometimes the opportunity to carry out research occurs unexpectedly and this means that it may not be possible to use structured methods such as questionnaires, which take longer to prepare

Question 15

Who provides ethical guidelines?

Answer 15

British sociological association

Question 16

How can informed consent pose an issue? (PET?)

Answer 16

Ethical

Research participants should be offered the right to refuse to be involved

Question 17

How can deception be an issue? (PET?)

Answer 17

Ethical

-participants should be told about relevant aspects of the research before agreeing to take part

Question 18

How does confidentiality and privacy cause issues with research? (PET?)

Answer 18

The identity of the participants should be kept secret in order to prevent possible negative effects on them
Personal information about participant should be kept confidential

Question 19

How can harm to the research participants be an issue? (PET?)

Answer 19

Ethical 
-researchers should be aware of possible effects on participants 
•harm to employment 
•police intervention 
•social exclusion 
•psychological damage 
•physical damage

Question 20

How do vulnerable groups cause issues? (PET?)

Answer 20

Ethical
-special care should be taken where participants are particularly vulnerable because of age, disability or physical/ mental health

Question 21

How does covert research cause issues? (PET?)

Answer 21

Ethical

-the purpose and identity of research is hidden from participants in order to avoid the Hawthorne effect