Methods In Context

Question 1

What is a pilot study?

Answer 1

A preliminary small-scale study that researchers conduct in order to help them decide how best to conduct research. Using this, a researcher can identify/refine a research question, what methods to use etc

Question 2

Advantages of a pilot study

Answer 2

Sampling techniques can be tested
Questions,interview schedules+procedures can be checked
Training can take place
Early results can be used to obtain funding

Question 3

Disadvantage of a pilot study

Answer 3

Time, cost and extra work

Question 4

Advantages of questionnaires (in general)

Answer 4

Large samples can be used
Self-completion questionnaires avoid interviewer effects
Standardised questions can be repeated to test reliability

Question 5

Disadvantages of questionnaires (in general)

Answer 5

Generally there’s a low response rate, especially in postal questionnaires
The validity of a questionnaire rests on the quality of the question wording
Respondents may be forced into artificial categories they may not be honest+it’s not always clear who has answered the questionnaire

Question 6

What is a closed questionnaire?

Answer 6

Very structured w/the participant having a few set if answers to choose from

Question 7

Advantages of closed questionnaires

Answer 7

Quick to complete
Data is quantitative so easy to analyse and compute
Allows comparison to be made w/other sets of data
The research is easy to repeat

Question 8

Disadvantage of close questionnaires

Answer 8

Can’t explain questionnaire to a participant- could be confusing
Can’t follow up w/extra questions to get richer data
Participant might not agree w/any of the answers they have to choose from

Question 9

What is a postal/self-completion questionnaire?

Answer 9

When the participants picks up/is sent one which they fill out themselves+return by post/via internet

Question 10

Advantages of postal questionnaires

Answer 10

They’re cheap
Results are obtained quickly
People can respond whenever they want, not just when an interviewer is present
Participants are more likely to give personal/embarrassing responses as they have privacy
Less risk of interviewer bias

Question 11

Disadvantages of postal questionnaires

Answer 11

V low response rate as there’s no real pressure to complete them
Interviewer isn’t there for follow up questions and explain if participant is confused
No way of knowing whether the right person did it, or whether someone else did it

Question 12

What is an open questionnaire?

Answer 12

Less structured than closed, no pre-set choice of answers, so participant can say whether they want.

Question 13

Advantages of an open questionnaire

Answer 13

Participant isn’t limited by set answers, so they can express what they really want+explain this
Interviewer can follow up w/more questions which gets more rich data
Get richer data as the answers will be longer and more in depth

Question 14

Disadvantages of open questionnaires

Answer 14

Get qualitative data, which is hard to quantify and analyse

Interviewer has to interpret data,they could interpret it differently to how the participant meant

Question 15

What is a structured interview?

Answer 15

Interviewer asks questions using a pre-determined questionnaire

Question 16

What is an unstructured interview?

Answer 16

Interviewer has some questions but the interview depends on the answers, like convo

Question 17

Advantages of interviews

Answer 17

Presence of researcher enables any issues to be clarified
Structured interviews can be replicated+produced quantitative data
Unstructured interviews enable probing+help to establish rapport w/interviewee
Qualitative data provides rich insight into behaviour, interview may be used as ethnographic research
Truthfulness of respondent can be assessed, they achieve higher response rates than questionnaires

Question 18

Disadvantages if interviews

Answer 18

Validity of an interview rests on quality of question wording
All types of interviews are more time-consuming than questionnaires
Interviewees may wish to please interviewer
Unstructured interviews: difficult to replicate+they use small samples
Structured interviews: may force people into artificial categories

Question 19

What is a longitudinal survey?

Answer 19

An observational research method in which data is gathered for same subjects repeatedly over a period of time

Question 20

Advantage of longitudinal surveys

Answer 20

Can be used to obtain quantitative/qualitative data over time and to analyse change w/out the sample fully changing

Question 21

Disadvantages of longitudinal surveys

Answer 21

Requires long-term funding, requires commitment for participants+research team
For questionnaires, validity of the research rests on the question wording
For interviews, the validity of the research rests on the effectiveness of interview

Question 22

What is covert observation?

Answer 22

A method which involves a researcher joining the group in which he/she’s status isn’t made known to the group

Question 23

What is overt observation

Answer 23

Is when the researcher being open about their intentions, ensuring all members of the social groups are aware of what’s happening

Question 24

Advantages of observations

Answer 24

Researcher observes behaviour in its true setting, so their evidence is likely to be valid
Researcher can pursue new avenues of research as they emerge in the research
Research is based on Vertsehen, where behaviour is seen from viewpoint of the actor
Qualitative data is often interesting to read+reveals meanings+motives behind behaviour

Question 25

Disadvantages of observations

Answer 25

Often time-consuming
Research often studies small groups so it may not be representative, its often difficult to corroborate +replicate
Presence of researcher may alter behaviour of the group, objectivity may be undermined as researcher becomes involved in the group/native
Covert research faces distinct limitation on lack of informal consent, breaking cover+engaging in morally reprehensible/illegal activities

Question 26

Advantages of case studies + community studies

Answer 26

Case studies are in-depth studies of a particular event
Community studies are in-depth studies of a whole community, generating rich insight
In both, multiple methods are used to gain data in workings of the group

Question 27

Disadvantages of case studies+community studies

Answer 27

May not be possible to generalise the data from one case/community to other case/communities
Presence of researcher may alter the behaviour of case/community
In using multiple methods, researcher may encounter problems w/each specific research method

Question 28

Advantages of life histories

Answer 28

Generates in-depth history of a socially interesting individual
Multiple methods e.g. Interviews,observations and diaries are used to build up valid picture of events

Question 29

Disadvantages of life histories

Answer 29

When using multiple methods, each method may have its own set of problems
There may be interviewer bias and effects in documents
A life of history of a marginalised individual may be difficult to generalise

Question 30

What is a laboratory experiment?

Answer 30

Experiment which allows researchers to manipulate possible variables/causes to test the hypothesis
Researcher will set up two groups
1. Control group(subjected to normal condition)
2. Experimental group(has its conditions manipulated)

Question 31

Advantages of laboratory experiments

Answer 31

Enables scientists to test hypothesis under controlled conditions
Makes it easier to isolate+manipulate possible causes events
Preferred by positivists, they’re v scientific, reliable and objective- repeatable+excludes personal bias
Produces lots of scientific data: compared for correlation

Question 32

Disadvantages of laboratory experiments

Answer 32

Difficult to use experiments in sociological research as social events aren’t the result of a single variable
Experiments are only possible for small-scale research
Unethical to experiment w/out ppls knowledge
-> may have negative effect
May be hawthorne effect: factory became the laboratory - manipulated by researcher

Question 33

What is a social/field experiment?

Answer 33

Involves researcher in a process whereby a situation is set in naturalistic context, control group is made up of similar groups who aren’t taking part in the experiment

Question 34

Advantages of social/field experiments

Answer 34

Interpretivists like using these as they can uncover meanings that underpin social behaviour
Allow sociologist to unravel the process+rules of natural everyday social life+behaviour
Enables researcher to get v close to ppls interpretations of everyday experiences

Question 35

Disadvantages of social/field experiments

Answer 35

Researcher may not be representative as often only small samples are used
Hawthorne effect: behaviour being observed may be result of the actual experiments
Don’t involve informal consent of these being experimented therefore, concerns w/ethical issues
-ve effect on respondent: emotionally/physically damaged

Question 36

Advantages of official statistics

Answer 36

Useful source of existing info
Info easy to access+widely available
Use large samples: tend to be representative
Enable comparisons

Question 37

Disadvantages of official statistics

Answer 37

Soft statistics don’t give valid picture as data has missing categories
Interpretivists argue statistics aren’t facts but product of a complex process of definitions+decision-making @various levels
They may not operationalise concepts in the researcher wants
May not be available for researchers specific topic

Question 38

Advantages of documents

Answer 38

Can provide quantitative/qualitative data
Can be used as the basis of context analysis to give access to data that isn’t held in official stats
Gregson+lowe(1994) used newspaper to build up picture of an overall national trend
Provide first hand insight into previous events
May be personal documents,expressive+formal public documents

Question 39

Disadvantages of documents

Answer 39

They many not be a credible, authentic or representative

The meanings may be difficult to comprehend (Scott 1990)

Question 40

Name the key theorists for positivism

Answer 40

Comte - ‘social facts’

Durkheim - ‘suicide’

Question 41

What methods do positivists use?

Answer 41

Quantitative data

Produce data thats reliable and representative

Question 42

What is a positivists purpose of research?

Answer 42

Scientific
Objective: value free
Investigate cause and effect
Social change/process

Question 43

Name the key theorists for interpretivism

Answer 43

Weber - ‘verstehen/understanding’
Blumer - placing ‘meaning’ to ‘action’
Atkinson - ‘common sense’ ideas

Question 44

What methods do interpretivists use?

Answer 44

Qualitative methods
Produce data that’s valid
Gain rich,insightful detail and understanding

Question 45

What is interpretivists purpose of research?

Answer 45

Non-scientific
Subjective: own values not ignored 
Discover daily interaction
Understand motive, intention and purpose
Seek to understand social action meaning

Question 46

What does CHILD stand for?

Answer 46

C - confidentiality 
H - harm
I - informed consent
L - legality
D - deception