past paper questions

Question 1

Explain two ways that research might be affected by how it is funded 8mks

Answer 1

The amount of money available will influence the scale of the research
and types of method used.
* The funding body may require the use of certain methods - for example,
much research comes from government which often requires quantitative
data (gatekeeper effect).
* Choice of topic - whether the research is of current interest might affect
its commission e.g. government sponsored research often linked to social
problems.
* Funder’s interest may affect the objectivity of the research process -
interpretation/presentation of results.
* Sample selection - funder’s interest may affect the type of group subject
to research – some more or less likely to be deemed worthy of study
(powerful and less powerful groups).

Question 2

Explain one strength and one limitation of using qualitative secondary
data in sociological research. 6mks

Answer 2

Strength;
access to material otherwise not available.
personal diaries provide access to information about the past.
this may be the only way to
access in-depth qualitative information from this time.

Limitations ;
difficult to authenticate some historical documents. may not be sure
who actually wrote the letter/diary
(1 mark for explaining why it is a limitation ) the data may not show a true
picture.

Question 3

Explain one strength and one limitation of using qualitative secondary
data in sociological research. 6mks

Answer 3

Strengths:
* Obtain material otherwise not available e.g. historical records.
* Practical – access to material that would otherwise involve great cost,
time and effort.
* Documentary evidence can be in great depth and detail, hence high in
validity (e.g. diaries such as Frank/Pepys).
* Facilitate comparison between past and present (e.g. Pearson on
hooligan behaviour)

Limitations:
* Difficult to authenticate; not always easy to know if the sources are
genuine (Scott).
* Is the material credible; to what extent is it biased or exaggerated (Scott);
is it in a complete form?
* Unrepresentative – (historical) diaries written by individuals may not be
typical e.g. literate v illiterate, thus making the data ungeneralisable.
* Subjective –open to different interpretation, particularly if the meaning is
unclear; does the data have the same meaning now as when first
produced?
* Reliability – cannot be repeated

Question 4

Explain two ways in which researcher values may lead to bias in
research findings 8mks

Answer 4

Collection of data – e.g. construction of question in an interview – those
posed/excluded.
* Choice of research topic e.g. sympathy for the poor may lead to an
interest in researching poverty and the way the research is conducted.
* Interviewer bias – the responses of an interviewer may affect the
answers given.
* Processing of data – Interpretation and presentation of findings may be
influenced by beliefs – researcher imposition.
* Sociologists may sometimes be influenced by the common-sense ideas
of their time, and this may then have a distorting influence on their
research (Kuhn’s paradigms).

Question 5

Explain two reasons why a researcher might use more than one method 8mks

Answer 5

To overcome the limitations of one method by the strengths of other
methods.
* To provide a check on the accuracy of findings of different types of
method/data.
* The use of different methods or data to check the validity and reliability of
the approach taken.
* To generate hypotheses from one type of data that can be checked via
the other.
* Methods that produce the best fit (most suitable, practical) for the subject
being studied whether they be quantitative or qualitative, i.e.
methodological pluralism.

Question 6

Explain one strength and one limitation of using a covert approach to
participant observation 6mks

Answer 6

Strengths
* Avoids the Hawthorne effect to the extent that the researcher is incognito.
* Ability to study groups that wouldn’t otherwise give access to a
researcher, e.g. some deviant groups.
* Ability to participate in activities that may otherwise be denied to an overt
researcher, e.g. dangerous activities.
* Easier to gain trust and acceptance than if the researcher’s identity is
known.

Limitations
* Practical issues – hard to record data / have to rely on memory; have to
devote a lot of time to gain access.
* Lacks objectivity – deep personal involvement [‘going native’] can lead to
invalid data.
* Can be dangerous – group members will not provide outsider protection
to the researcher.
* Can be hard to negotiate withdrawal from the group.
* Potentially unethical – privacy, lack of informed consent.
* Reliability