Qualitative Research Methods Flashcards
According to interpretivists, why should sociologists use qualitative research methods?
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In what way do unstructured interviews from structured interviews?
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What is the main attraction of unstructured interviews?
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Briefly explain the following practical issues associated with unstructured interviews:
- Rapport
- Training
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Briefly explain the following practical issues associated with unstructured interviews:
- Time
- Large amounts of data
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Briefly explain the following practical issues associated with unstructured interviews:
- Checking meanings
- Flexibility
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Briefly explain the following practical issues associated with unstructured interviews:
- Limited knowledge of the subject
- No pre-set questions
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What is the key criterion used by interpretivists to judge the usefulness of a method?
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Briefly explain how valid data can be achieved through involvement.
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According to Glaser and Strauss, why is it important to develop grounded theory?
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Briefly explain why unstructured interviews are more likely to reveal the interviewee’s true meanings.
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Why do positivists reject the use of unstructured interviews?
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Briefly outline why positivists argue that unstructured interviews are not reliable.
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Why are the answers from unstructured interviews hard to categorise and quantify?
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According to positivists, why are unstructured interviews unlikely to be representative?
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Why is representativeness less important for interpretivists?
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According to positivists, why do unstructured interviews lack validity?
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Briefly outline the following features of a feminist approach to research:
- Value-committed
- Involvement
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Briefly outline the following feature of a feminist approach to research:
- Equality and collaboration
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According to Oakley, why was it advantageous to use unstructured interviews to research women becoming mothers?
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According to Pawson, why is Oakley’s approach not distinctively feminists or original?
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Briefly explain non-participant observation.
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Briefly explain participant observation.
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What type of observation might positivists use?
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Briefly describe overt observation.
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Briefly describe covert observation.
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Which is the most common form of observation used in sociology?
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Using examples, explain the following problems associated with observation:
- Getting in
- Staying in
- Getting out
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Define verstehen.
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Briefly outline how participant observation allows a sociologist to gain verstehen.
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Briefly describe two kinds of group for whom participant observation might be the only suitable method for studying them.
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Briefly explain why participant observation enables sociologists to discover things that other methods miss.
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Briefly outline 5 practical limitations of using participant observation.
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What is the key criterion used by interpretivists to judge the usefulness of a method?
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Briefly explain how valid data can be achieved through involvement.
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According to Glaser and Strauss, why is it important to develop grounded theory?
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Briefly explain why participant observation is more likely to give a valid picture than interviews or questionnaires are.
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Why do positivists reject the use of participant observation?
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According to positivists, why is participant observation unlikely to be representative?
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Briefly outline why positivists argue that participant observation is not reliable.
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Briefly outline three ways in which participant observation lacks objectivity.
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According to positivists, why does participant observation lack validity?
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What is the Hawthorne effect and how does this affect participant observation?
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Briefly outline four characteristics of structured non-participant observation.
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Why do interpretivists reject structured observation?
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Briefly outline three ethical issues associated with covert participant observation.
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Briefly outline one ethical issue associated with both overt and covert participant observation.
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Why might it be difficult to obtain informed consent for participant observation?
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Briefly explain what is meant by ‘going native’.
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Identify one ethical issue associated with covert non-participant observation.
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Why is participant observation favoured by ‘action’ perspectives?
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Why might a functionalist use participant observation?
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Give five examples of the following information sources:
- Written texts
- Other texts
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Give examples of public document.
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Give examples of personal documents.
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Give examples of historical documents.
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Briefly outline three advantages of using documents in sociological research.
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Briefly outline two practical difficulties in using documents in sociological research.
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Which methodological perspective favours the use of documents?
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Use an example to illustrate the ways in which documents reveal individuals’ meanings.
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According to Soctt, why might documents lack validity?
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Briefly explain why documents may not be reliable.
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Briefly outline two reasons why documents may not be representative.
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Briefly outline why using unpublished documents may raise ethical issues.
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Why might their be justification for not gaining informed consent to use a document?
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Why might there still be an ethical issue with the use of documents even when the author is dead?
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Briefly outline how formal content analysis works.
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Why is formal content analysis attractive to positivists?
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Why might feminists use formal content analysis?
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Briefly explain an interpretivist criticism of formal content analysis.
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Briefly explain what is meant by thematic analysis.
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Briefly outline two criticisms of thematic analysis.
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