PET Flashcards
What are 4 practical factors influencing the researchers choice of topic?
1- Time
2- Cost and funding
3- Access
4- Researcher characteristics
1- Time
- some observations are done over years, longitudinal studies = decades
- secondary sources of data may be more effective rather than primary data as it has already been conducted
- sample size/ amount of Ps often increases or reduces the time collecting data
2- Cost and funding
- pay for private training
- financial incentives to increase the response rate
- funding bodies won’t want to fund researcher who are involved in deviant or criminal activity
- gov agencies are more likely to fund research that meets their interests of political policy or agenda
3- Access
access to resources may be stalled/restricted by a gatekeeper
- hard to gain access to vulnerable groups, pose safeguarding issues
- DBS clearance may be needed
4- Researcher characteristics
age, ethnicity, gender, personal appearance/identity
- Power relations
- feminist RICH said women are less likely to talk to a male researcher about their experiences of male sexual harassment
How has practicality been applied to Griffins study?
Ethnicity was a practical consideration as he changed the colour of his skin and under went sun bed lamps and skin bleaching in order to understand the impact of racism.
What are the practical issues in research?
X availability of existing data
X time/funding
X access to those studied
X pressure to publish findings
X career/promotion prospects of R
X values and beliefs of R
X safety of R
X skills and characteristics of R
How do do ethical considerations influence the choice of topic?
Right to withdraw- leave at any point
Informed consent- full info, voluntary, purpose n role
Confidentiality- Data Protection act, GDPR
Harm- ethical proposal accept/reject, VAL HEY
Anonymity- maintain, privacy, dignity, safety
Regulatory bodies- uphold research ethics, established guidelines BSA, sued if gone wrong
Deception- false/incomplete info, misleading R intentions
What does going native mean?
The observer becomes too involved, losing objectivity
DICK HOBBS- constantly drank in pubs, was hungover
- unreliable and discredited
What is a gatekeeper?
Will provide, restrict, or deny access to resources
- limit access to vulnerable groups
- pose safeguarding issues
BBS clearance may be needed
How does a sociologists theoretical perspective influence their choice of topic?
Positivist or Interpretivist
Positivist
- human behaviour is cased by socialisation into norms and values
- look for large scale patterns in behaviour
- quantitative method of research
Interpretivist
- human behaviour is caused by individuals influence of what is going on around them
- look for in-depth understanding
- qualitative method of research
Positivist evaluations
- objective, scientific
- large-scale, representative
- quick to carry out
- reliable, standardised
Interpretivist evaluations
- subjective, verstehen
- small-scale, unrepresentative
- unreliable
- pose more ethical issues
- good rapport with Ps, validity
What is rapport?
The feeling of identity and relationship between P and researcher, helps sociologist to obtain the necessary info
- friendly, understanding relationship
