Methods keywords

Question 1

What is a quantitative method?

Answer 1

research method focusing on data and statistics, favoured by positivists

Question 2

What is a qualitative method?

Answer 2

research method focusing on verstehen and in depth human understanding, favoured by interpretivists and interactionists.

Question 3

What does Verstehen mean?

Answer 3

German word for deep empathetic understanding

Question 4

What is primary data?

Answer 4

New data that is gathered through research

Question 5

What is secondary data?

Answer 5

Data that already exists, that can be used to aid in research

Question 6

What does practical mean?

Answer 6

to do with the application in real life context

Question 7

What does ethical mean?

Answer 7

to do with the morality of actions

Question 8

What does theoretical mean?

Answer 8

to do with the form of the resulting methods, quantitative or qualitative

Question 9

What is validity?

Answer 9

how sound and accurate the results of research are

Question 10

What is reliability?

Answer 10

how repeatable the research is in terms of finding the same results

Question 11

What is representativeness?

Answer 11

How widely the research findings are accurate

Question 12

What is triangulation?

Answer 12

uses a qualitative and quantitative method in a study

Question 13

What is methodological pluralism?

Answer 13

using more than one method in research

Question 14

What is the hawthorne effect?

Answer 14

acting different under the knowledge you are being observed

Question 15

Define sampling

Answer 15

Technique aimed to reduce the number of participants in research whilst retaining validity and representativeness.

Question 16

Define a sampling frame

Answer 16

a list of the items or people forming a population from which a sample is taken

Question 17

Define sampling technique

Answer 17

a method used to select a sample e.g snowball sampling

Question 18

Define a sampling unit

Answer 18

one member of a sample

Question 19

What is the survey population?

Answer 19

the group of people you are interested in studying

Question 20

What is Access?

Answer 20

how a researcher gains access to the group they’re interested in studying

Question 21

What is a gatekeeper?

Answer 21

Sometimes required for a sociologist to gain access to an area

Question 22

What is generalisation?

Answer 22

a general statement or concept obtained by inference from specific cases

Question 23

What are the general advantages of primary sources?

Answer 23

Easy control over data and how to consider reliability and validity

Question 24

What are the general disadvantages of primary sources?

Answer 24

Access may be difficult, time consuming and expensive

Question 25

What are the general advantages of secondary sources?

Answer 25

Cheap, easy, useful for historical perspective and making comparisons

Question 26

What are the general disadvantages of secondary sources?

Answer 26

May not be valid/reliable, may be biased or just one possible interpretation of events

Question 27

What are the general advantages of quantitative data?

Answer 27

Easy for comparison, reliable, easy way to identify change. No personal involvement/going native

Question 28

What are the general disadvantages of quantitative data?

Answer 28

Does not provide verstehen or validity

Question 29

What are the general advantages of qualitative data?

Answer 29

Validity and verstehen, researcher less likely to impose their opinions on others

Question 30

What are the general disadvantages of qualitative data?

Answer 30

Loses relevance quickly, unreliable and hard to compare. Requires skilled researchers