Research Flashcards
What are Primary methods?
First hand research directly from you
What are secondary methods?
Other people data is used and analyses by a researcher like the media
What is quantitative data?
Give some examples
Research with numbers (tables/graphs) and objective (facts/scientific)
Official statistics
Surveys
Structured (closed questions)
What is qualitative data? Give some examples
Research with words (descriptive) and subjective (meaning) Diaries Personal documents Unstructured (open questions) Covert/overt (undercover or not)
What is longitudinal study/Ethnography?
Conducted over a long period of time and provide a longer term picture of a group to gain an understanding of social trends Eg Participant (observe a group by participating)
What is the research process?
1.Choose a topic/devising an aim
2. Preparing, operationalise concepts (key concepts you use to measure your aims with)
3. Choose method (structured/quantitative, postmodernist, qualitative)
Does it follow a theory?
Ethical considerations: Consent, confidentiality, right to withdraw, deception
4. Sample (choose the right people as a representative sample) Access (gatekeepers who give you permission to do the research)
5. Conduct research (practicalities, time, funding)
6. Record and analyse findings
Evaluation: Validity
Concept that refers to whether the research and its findings give a true and accurate picture
Evaluation: Reliability
Whether or not the same results would be produced if repeated by the same researcher or by another, the replicability and consistency of the results
Evaluation: Representativeness
When the group being researched is typical of the population that is being investigated. The individual sampling unit will reflect the characteristics of the research population as a whole in terms of social class, gender and ethnicity
Evaluation: Generalisability
When you can make claims about a whole population based on actually studying a small sample. Depends on the size and representativeness, a bigger sample would make a better generalisation
What is PERVERT?
Practical (cost,time)
Ethical (deceive, consent, confidentiality)
Reliability (replicability and consistency)
Validity (accuracy)
Examples
Representativeness
Theory
What is Researcher bias?
People might grow to like or dislike the researcher too much which would affect the validity
What was the Hawthorne effect?
People were more likely to stop and respond to his questions when he was wearing a suit
What is Ethics?
Moral principles that govern a persons behaviour. Governed by the British Sociological Association (BSA) Cover issues like confidentiality, protection from harm and informed consent
What is operationalise?
Concepts that help you measure your aims
What is rapport?
Creating a level of trust and understanding. Relaxed, tea/coffee, jokes
What is Verstehen?
Empathic understanding of human behaviour. Understand the view of the person being researched. Weberian concept (Max Webber)
What is Reflexivity?
Awareness that values will always effect research findings and the goal for the researcher then becomes to reflect on how their values has effected findings.
What is respondent validation?
Checking with the respondents that the findings are accurate to improve validity
What are structured interviews?
List of closed questions with quantitative data. It is used by positivists as it allows for objectivity and reliability, a large sample is required. Not suitable for sensitive or personal issues.
What are semi-structured interviews?
Mix of structured and unstructured, qualitative data. Used by interpretivists as more truthful data gained and is used when some factual data is required but wants to ask further questions. Not appropriate for collecting a large sample.
What is an unstructured interview?
Informal interview which is a guided conversion, qualitative data. Used by interpretivists as more truthful data gained but not suitable for collecting a large sample
What are focus groups?
People getting together to discuss and issue, qualitative data. Used by interpretivists as truthful data gained, not appropriate for a large sample.
Strengths and weaknesses of structured interviews
Strengths: standardised Pre-coded option Objective and reliable High response rate/large sample Informed consent/high rapport
Weaknesses: low validity
Standardised answers off putting
Time consuming
Interviewer bias can decrease validity
Strengths and weaknesses of Semi structured interviews
Strengths: flexible structure
High rapport/validity
Pre-arranged know what to say
Informed consent
Weaknesses: Time consumer
Interviewer bias, probed too much
Strengths and weaknesses of unstructured interviews
Strengths: flexible structure/high validity
High rapport
pre-arranged/get empathy
Weaknesses: conversational flow reduces validity
Time consuming/interviewer bias
Hard to find patterns
Strengths and weaknesses of focus groups
Strengths: enables exploration of issues
Designed for Specific groups/relaxed setting
Flexible/get empathy
Weaknesses: data recording difficult
May not disclose sensitive information
Dominated by individuals
Social desirability
What is methodological plurism?
When more than one method is used in order to check or verify the validity of the research findings
What is triangulation?
When more than one research method is used in order to get a broader and fuller picture of social life