Research

Question 1

What are Primary methods?

Answer 1

First hand research directly from you

Question 2

What are secondary methods?

Answer 2

Other people data is used and analyses by a researcher like the media

Question 3

What is quantitative data?

Give some examples

Answer 3

Research with numbers (tables/graphs) and objective (facts/scientific)
Official statistics
Surveys
Structured (closed questions)

Question 4

What is qualitative data? Give some examples

Answer 4

Research with words (descriptive) and subjective (meaning)
Diaries
Personal documents
Unstructured (open questions)
Covert/overt (undercover or not)

Question 5

What is longitudinal study/Ethnography?

Answer 5

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)

Question 6

What is the research process?

Answer 6

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

Question 7

Evaluation: Validity

Answer 7

Concept that refers to whether the research and its findings give a true and accurate picture

Question 8

Evaluation: Reliability

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Evaluation: Representativeness

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Evaluation: Generalisability

Answer 10

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

Question 11

What is PERVERT?

Answer 11

Practical (cost,time)
Ethical (deceive, consent, confidentiality)
Reliability (replicability and consistency)
Validity (accuracy)
Examples
Representativeness
Theory

Question 12

What is Researcher bias?

Answer 12

People might grow to like or dislike the researcher too much which would affect the validity

Question 13

What was the Hawthorne effect?

Answer 13

People were more likely to stop and respond to his questions when he was wearing a suit

Question 14

What is Ethics?

Answer 14

Moral principles that govern a persons behaviour. Governed by the British Sociological Association (BSA) Cover issues like confidentiality, protection from harm and informed consent

Question 15

What is operationalise?

Answer 15

Concepts that help you measure your aims

Question 16

What is rapport?

Answer 16

Creating a level of trust and understanding. Relaxed, tea/coffee, jokes

Question 17

What is Verstehen?

Answer 17

Empathic understanding of human behaviour. Understand the view of the person being researched. Weberian concept (Max Webber)

Question 18

What is Reflexivity?

Answer 18

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.

Question 19

What is respondent validation?

Answer 19

Checking with the respondents that the findings are accurate to improve validity

Question 20

What are structured interviews?

Answer 20

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.

Question 21

What are semi-structured interviews?

Answer 21

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.

Question 22

What is an unstructured interview?

Answer 22

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

Question 23

What are focus groups?

Answer 23

People getting together to discuss and issue, qualitative data. Used by interpretivists as truthful data gained, not appropriate for a large sample.

Question 24

Strengths and weaknesses of structured interviews

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Strengths and weaknesses of Semi structured interviews

Answer 25

Strengths: flexible structure
High rapport/validity
Pre-arranged know what to say
Informed consent

Weaknesses: Time consumer
Interviewer bias, probed too much

Question 26

Strengths and weaknesses of unstructured interviews

Answer 26

Strengths: flexible structure/high validity
High rapport
pre-arranged/get empathy

Weaknesses: conversational flow reduces validity
Time consuming/interviewer bias
Hard to find patterns

Question 27

Strengths and weaknesses of focus groups

Answer 27

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

Question 28

What is methodological plurism?

Answer 28

When more than one method is used in order to check or verify the validity of the research findings

Question 29

What is triangulation?

Answer 29

When more than one research method is used in order to get a broader and fuller picture of social life