Primary Quantitative Methods Flashcards
What is a questionnaire?
Series of questions asked in clear and simple manner, without leading. Should avoid technical and vague language.
2 studies that use structured questionnaires?
Census (every 10 yrs)
British crime survey for England and wales
Practical strengths of structured questionnaires?
Don’t need to train interviewer as self completed.
Quick
Cheap
Representative
Easy to analyse and find trends/patterns
Practical weaknesses of structured questionnaires?
Answers often too brief.
With postal - don’t actually know who filled it in.
Lacks flexibility.
Ethical strengths of structured interviews?
If anonymous, more ethical than other methods. Leads to confidentiality
Under no obligation to ask personal Qs.
Informed consent can be gained.
Ethical weaknesses of structured questionnaires?
Sensitive issues - ppl may not want to answer through questionnaire.
Deception - if data is shared and participants are unaware.
Theoretical strengths of structured questionnaires?
Positivists approve - highly structured and reliable
Gain quantitative data
Representative
Unbiased data produced.
Theoretical weaknesses of structured questionnaires?
Interpretivists dislike due to detached nature.
No way of clarifying meanings
No verstehen
No in-depth understanding of why
What is a social survey?
Systematic collection of same type of data from large number of people. Usually through questionnaires.
3 uses of social survey?
Find out facts about population.
Uncover different beliefs, values and behaviour.
Test hypothesis.
2 studies who use structured interviews?
Young and Willmott
British Crime Survey for England and wales.
Practical strengths of structured interviews?
Training interviewers relatively easy and cheap since it’s set of instructions.
Quick and cheap.
Can cover big groups.
Easily quantified.
Practical weaknesses of structured interviews?
More time consuming and expensive than questionnaires.
Can’t reach numbers of questionnaires.
Ethical strengths of structured interviews?
No obligations to answer intrusive or sensitive Qs.
Can guarantee anonymity.
Informed consent.
Ethical weaknesses of structured interviews?
Not suitable for highly personal or sensitive topics.
No opportunity for rapport/trust between interviewer and interviewee.
Theoretical strengths of structured interviews?
Positivists favour - quantitative data
Higher response rate than questionnaire.
Reliable
Limited interviewer bias.
Theoretical weaknesses of structured interviews?
Interpretivists dislike close-ended Qs.
Data lacks verstehen.
May not be valid if answer doesn’t fit into what interviewee really wishes to say.
Interviewer bias - tone, body language.
