methods Flashcards
Validity
Is how truthful or accurate the data is
Validity is favoured by Interpretivists as they make a micro (small scale) approach and look at individuals’ meanings and motives.
Validity is more likely with qualitative methods (expressed in words/text) with open questions, where respondents don’t approximate answers, respondents can fully explore the topic in their own worlds. This increases the accuracy or validity.
Qualitative methods often mean the research and respondent can build a rapport, or a relationship, this makes respondents feel more comfortable, so they are likely to give truthful responses, increasing the validity.
Reliability
the ability to repeat the research and get similar / the Same results
Reliability is more likely with methods that have closed questions where responders approximate their answers e.g questionnaires
or methods that generats quantitative data
Qualitative
Qualitative data is data expressed in words or text
It is favoured by interpretivist as it’s enables them to understand the individuals meaning and motives and take a micro or small scale approach
Qualitative methods have open questions where respondants don’t approximate their answers , they fully explore the topic in their own words increasing validity
Qualitative methods allow the researcher and respondent build a rapport which makes the respondents feel more comfortable which increases the validity ( truthful )
Quantitative
Quantitative data is expressed in numerical or statistical form and uses methods with closed questions, for example cross sectional surveys.
Closed questions make the research quick to complete, this increases the sample size, leading to more representative data (that accounts for social class, gender and ethnicity. This means results can be generalised, make a claim, or apply results.
Closed questions also mean respondents have to approximate, so they are likely to give the same or similar answers, increasing the reliability.
Quantitative data is sought by Positivists as it enables them to establish key patterns and trends.
Representativeness
Sample (or group) reflects the characteristics of the population in terms of social class, gender and ethnicity.
Representativeness is sought by Positivists as it can enable them to understand patterns and trends and take a macro, or large scale approach.
Representativeness is more likely with Quantitative methods as the closed questions make it quick to complete, this means researchers can access larger samples, making the research more representative.
Representative samples, means researchers can generalise or apply the results or make a claim to the target population.
