questionnaires

Question 1

case study’s

Answer 1

census
Connor and dewson

Question 2

census

Answer 2

·Structured postal questionnaires sent by the government to count and find out information about the population every 10 years – this increases the representativeness of the study.
Analysed by computer due to structured nature – this increases the reliability of the study as it can easily be replicated.
Legal requirement for each household to complete it.
Those who have difficulty completing it are helped by a member of staff who assists them.
Asked questions about income, age and religion – in 2001, 0.7% of the population declared their religion ‘Jedi’ – a group in the fictional Star Wars films, suggesting not everyone takes it seriously!
Jedi was the 7th largest religion based on the 2001 Census. This decreased by about half by the next Census in 2011.
Campaigners encouraged Brits to declare themselves as ‘European’ on the 2021 Census.

Question 3

connor and dewsom

Answer 3

Posted 4,000 questionnaires to students at 14 different universities around the country
They were looking at factors that influence the decisions of working class students who gain entrance to university
There was no need to recruit/train interviewers or observers to collect data because respondents complete and return the questionnaires themselves
The data was easily processed quickly by a computer due to the pre-coded, close-ended questions used
The data was analysed to reveal the relationships between different variables

Question 4

types of questionaire

Answer 4

· Telephone

· Email

· Postal

· Face to face

Question 5

practical advantage

Answer 5

Do not need to train interviewers. This is because participants will complete the questionnaire themselves. · Quick & cheap - covers large area (postal). · Quick and easy to quantify data to compare & contrast (closed ended questions). If postal questionnaires are used then they are completed at a distance, for this reason they are a good way of maintaining detachment & objectivity. · Easy to process data by computers, especially if pre-coded and/or used closed questions. This allows the researcher to identify patterns and trends quicker and easier.

Question 6

practical disadvantage

Answer 6

Limited & superficial data – answers often too brief due to most respondents being unlikely to complete and return a long, time-consuming questionnaire. · With postal and online questionnaires, the researcher cannot be sure whether the respondent received the questionnaire, or if returned, was it completed by the person to whom it was addressed. · Lacks flexibility – once the questionnaire has been finalised, the researcher is stuck with the questions and cannot explore new ideas.

Question 7

ethical advantage

Answer 7

If anonymous, they are more ethically sound than other methods. This allows the researcher to protect participants by ensuring confidentiality is maintained. · Respondents are under no obligation to answer intrusive or sensitive questions. · By guaranteeing anonymity and making it clear participants do not have to answer any questions that they do not want to, informed consent can be gained.

Question 8

ethical disadvantage

Answer 8

Sensitive issues - difficult to explore certain topics/areas e.g. religion. This can be a difficult and sensitive topic and participants may not feel comfortable responding through a questionnaire. · Deception - if data is shared and participants are unaware of this.

Question 9

theoretical advantage

Answer 9

Positivists favor this method as they are highly structured. This means the study is high in reliability because the same questions are asked, therefore comparisons can be made e.g. between different societies (Census) · Gain quantitative data from the high numbers of participants in the study. Due to the standardized nature, questionnaires can be quick and easily be repeated, increasing reliability. · Findings from a large number of people means results are likely to be more representative, allowing us to make accurate generalizations · Produces unbiased data – increases validity

Question 10

theoretical disadvantage

Answer 10

· Interpretivists dislike this method due to the detached nature of questionnaires. E.g. postal questionnaires involve no direct contact between researcher & respondent. · Lack of contact means there is no way to clarify what the questions mean or to deal with any misunderstandings. · As a result, you cannot gain verstehen/empathetic understanding due to the standardised nature of questions and numerical data gathered. · Low response rates could affect representativeness (postal questionnaires). · Questionnaires only provide us with a snapshot of someone’s life; their answers would reflect the mood they are in affecting validity. · Respondents may lie, forget, not know, not understand or try to second-guess the researcher rather than tell the truth.