Practical issues

Question 1

Time and money

Answer 1

• different methods require different amounts of time and money
• for example, large-scale surveys may employ dozens of interviewers and data-inputting staff and cost a great deal of money
• a small-scale project involving a lone researcher using participant observation may be cheaper to carry out, but it can take several years to complete
• a well known professor will probably have access to more research funds than a young student, for example

Question 2

Requirements of funding bodies

Answer 2

may require results to be in a particular format

• for example, a government department funding research into educational achievement may have targets for pass rates and so require quantitative data to see whether these targets are being achieved
• meaning the sociologist would have to use a research method capable of producing such data

Question 3

Personal skills and characteristics

Answer 3

• each sociologist possesses different personal skills and this may affect their ability to use different methods
• for example, a participant observation usually requires the ability to mix easily with others as well as good powers of observation and recall, while depth interviews call for an ability to establish rapport with the interviewee
• not all sociologists have these characteristics

Question 4

Subject matter

Answer 4

• it may be much harder to study a particular group or subject by one method than another
• for example, it might prove difficult for a male sociologist to study an all-female group by the means of participant observation, while written questionnaires may be useless for studying those who cannot read or writ

Question 5

Research opportunity

Answer 5

• sometimes the opportunity to carry out research occurs unexpectedly and this means that it may not be possible to use structured methods such as questionnaires, which take longer to prepare
• for example, a Glasgow gang lader offered the sociologist James Patrick the chance ‘out of the blue’ to spend time with his gang
• with little time to prepare, Patrick had no option but to use participant observation
• in other circumstances, the researcher might have been able to set up the research opportunity carefully beforehand and have plenty of time to select their methods

Question 6

• each sociologist possesses different personal skills and this may affect their ability to use different methods
• for example, a participant observation usually requires the ability to mix easily with others as well as good powers of observation and recall, while depth interviews call for an ability to establish rapport with the interviewee
• not all sociologists have these characteristics

Answer 6

Personal skills and characteristics

Question 7

• may require results to be in a particular format
• for example, a government department funding research into educational achievement may have targets for pass rates and so require quantitative data to see whether these targets are being achieved
• meaning the sociologist would have to use a research method capable of producing such data

Answer 7

Requirements of funding bodies

Question 8

• different methods require different amounts of time and money
• for example, large-scale surveys may employ dozens of interviewers and data-inputting staff and cost a great deal of money
• a small-scale project involving a lone researcher using participant observation may be cheaper to carry out, but it can take several years to complete
• a well known professor will probably have access to more research funds than a young student, for example

Answer 8

Time and money

Question 9

• it may be much harder to study a particular group or subject by one method than another
• for example, it might prove difficult for a male sociologist to study an all-female group by the means of participant observation, while written questionnaires may be useless for studying those who cannot read or write

Answer 9

Subject matter

Question 10

• sometimes the opportunity to carry out research occurs unexpectedly and this means that it may not be possible to use structured methods such as questionnaires, which take longer to prepare
• for example, a Glasgow gang lader offered the sociologist James Patrick the chance ‘out of the blue’ to spend time with his gang
• with little time to prepare, Patrick had no option but to use participant observation
• in other circumstances, the researcher might have been able to set up the research opportunity carefully beforehand and have plenty of time to select their methods

Answer 10

Research opportunity