Research Methods 1 Flashcards
Primary research (4points)
- information is gathered directly by the researcher (apart from official stats)
- will involve choosing appropriate sample size, relevant individuals, emailing /calling/intv
- requires large degree of planning by researcher (often pilot study)
- needs to be recorded correctly by the researcher for results to be valid
Secondary research (2pts)
- the internet and books, including journals and articles are widely used to conduct background research before more in depth research of your topic
- this allows you to get a good level of background knowledge and is likely researchers will conduct a large volume of secondary research in order to help plan and support their primary findings
Qualitative methods
- qualitative methods are ways of collecting data which are concerned with describing meaning rather than drawing statistical inferences (case study, interview)
- in depth and rich description best used at the explanatory stage of research
Quantitative methods
- quantitative data is data that can be represented numerically eg Yougov stats, office for national statistics, Scottish crime and justice survey
- good for identifying trends in research and allow easy comparison between similarities. Best used at exploratory stages of your research
What judgments do positivist make
Quantitative judgements
What judgments do interpretivists make
Intepretivists make qualitative judgements
Ethical approval
All studies which will involve people as participants need to protects people’s right safety and dignity and well being of participants
Informed consent
The process in which participants are educated about the risks, benefits and alternatives of a given experiment / research
Confidentiality
Set of rules that limits access of puts restrictions on the use of certain types of information
Covert
Not openly acknowledged or displayed
Overt
Done or shown openly: plainly apparent
What are the research methods we need to know for the exam (5)
- official statistics
- focus groups
- case studies
- longitudinal studies
- social surveys
What are official statistics
Quantitative
3 main points on official statistics
- these are classed as a form of primary research although you do not actually generate the stats yourself
- this cannot be any statistics they have to be gathered from an official source ans referenced appropriately
- it is often the case that statistics for the UK govt are composited by the ONS on their behalf
4 advantages of official statistics
- they are produced by a reliable source
- they are widely available and generally easy to locate online eg official crime stats
- they are usually free to download so no cost is involved
- they tend to be taken from larger representative samples
3 disadvantages of official statistics
- they can be biased
- eg govt who are trying to tackle crime may only publish the crime stats for crime which have reduced in order to paint themselves in good light
- they can be misinterpreted
What are ethics of official stats
No ethics as the information is public
Focus groups
Focus groups are usually a small group taking part in discussion which is used to highlight the opinions, feelings and preferences of group members
Advantages of focus groups (6)
- detailed feedback can be given to the organisation
- good qualitative information is generated through group discussion
- participants are more likely to give better feedback as they agreed to take kart
- cheap and quick
- moderator can interact with the participants which allows for follow up questions
- information is provided more quickly than if people were interviewed separately
Disadvantages of focus groups (6)
- required a trained member
- quality of the discussion depends on skills of the moderator
- data is difficult to analyse
- the sample may not be representative of the population
- less control over the data collected
- the data collected can lack confidentiality and anonymity
Example of focus groups
Case studies
Case studies can be primary or secondary. They focus on qualitative data using methods such as interviews, observations and analysis of primary + secondary sources
4 advantages of case studies
- ability to see a relationship between a phenomenon context and people
- flexibility to collect data through various means
- ability to capture the context and lived reality of participants
- flexibility to be used at various points in a research project, including pilot research.
4 disadvantages of case studies
- case study results can be difficult to replicate
- case studies can be expensive and time consuming
- researchers can allow their own feelings to influence the case study creating researcher bias
- case studies can lack sufficient method and rigour to protect the accuracy of data collected
Case study example
- Researchers might study a group of people in a certain setting or look at an entire community
- psychologists might explore his access to resources in a community has affected the collective mental well being of those who live there
- ?
What are ethics of case studies 4
- participants must be fully informed about the purpose, producers, potential risks and benefits of the study they should voluntarily agree to participate without any coercion
- confidentiality + privacy
- avoiding harm
- integrity and honesty
Longitudinal studies
- this is when researches repeatedly examine the same individual to detect any changes that might occur over a period of time
Example of longitudinal studies
Hey features of longitudinal studies
- continuous or repeated monitoring of risk factors or health outcomes or both
- such investigations vary enormously in their size + complexity at one extreme a large population may be studied over decades
- the same subjects are observed or measured multiple times over the course of the study
How can longitudinal studies help with trading development trends
Monitor how individuals or groups change over time eg researchers might study children’s brains as they develop into adulthood
How are causes and effects identified in longitudinal studies
They can help researchers identify changes overtime and how this can affect individuals. For example the long term effects of early childhood education
Understanding health outcomes with longitudinal studies
In medical or public health researcher they are used to understand how various factors contribute to disease and health conditions over a persons life
Advantages of longitudinal studies (2)
- They provide data on the same subject over time allowing for a deeper understanding of how and why changes occur
- they help establish the order of events which is crucial for making conclusions
Disadvantages of longitudinal studies
- they are very fine consuming and expensive as they require a lot of time and finance
- overtime participants may drop out which can result in the information being bias
What are the key features of social surveys
Variety of formulas such as self completion questionnaires and face to face surveys there are also a number of methods such as posters surveys, online surveys, telephone surveys used to find correlation between variety of factors and link to crime
Advantages of social surveys
Vast quantities of quantitative data are produced quite quickly and easily the same questionnaire can be used by different researchers since there is limited interactions between the researchers and the participant for self -completion sections, sensitive data can be collected
Disadvantage of social surveys
- Depth and detail cannot he captured for example a researcher may know something has happened (proven by statistics) but lack the knowledge of why it happened
- face to face surveys are similar to structured interviews with kitties of no room for variation in questions of tangents
Ethics of social surveys
Within regards to ethics of social studies it is important to maintain attention and promptly to informed consent the right to withdraw confidentiality and protection from harm
Cap 1
Cap 1 may be used as part of a survey that may be conducted in a persons home or elsewhere
What does the format of cap 1involve
This format involves a person responding to a survey of personal questions online as they may find it more comfortable than speaking to a person face to face
What are general advantages of interviews
- personal: interviewers are usually conducted face - to - face over the phone. Or through video conferencing allowing for personal interaction between the researcher and participants
- interactive due to interviews being a two way conversation it allows for follow up questions
- qualitative based on subjective opinions and experiences
- in depth : interviews normally last between 30-180 minutes
- contextual can give insight into cultural social and historical factors that may influence the topic
Structured interviews
- a structured interview is where the researcher asks the participants a list of questions and prepared in advance
- these questions are close - inclined and appear in a set order with the respondent expected to reply with a short response
- however the rigid structure limits in depth responses
Unstructured interviews
- Unstructured interviews include the researchers asking follow up questions based on the participants responses
- these interviews are non-directive meaning not rearranged
- the interview has no structure + can ask interviewer what they want
- these questions are open ended allowing the participant to express themselves
- the main goal of a unstructured interview is to collect data in a friendly and controversial way
- flexible and creates a friendly atmosphere
- however lacks structure and can provide lots of irrelevant info
Semi structured interviews
Stem structured interviews are a mix of structured and unstructured this includes a list of questions not in a set order and the interviewers can choose what to ask based on the situation.
Participant interview
- involves interviewing a specific person for a better understanding of their unique reflections + opinions
- qualitative
- however biases can be implemented
- eg piers Morgan + CR7 exclusive interview
Informant interview
- qualitative in depth interviews with multiple people on a particular subject
- allows multiple views and opinions
- involves a range of professionals or residents
- results could be screened if partIcipants consist of a reoccurring group
Participant observation
- yields valid data compared to most
- involves researchers participating in the day to day lives of respondents
- takes place over an extended period of time
Advantages of participant observation
- extreme period of close contact allows the researcher to get in depth data of a qualitative nature and is able to see the respondents perspective
- allows researchers to gain empathy and understand the researchers
- respondent led which adds flexibility
Disadvantages of participant observation
- extremely time consuming as it can take months or even years
- inaccurate or biased data if participants alter their behaviour in response to the researchers presence
- can be expensive
- challenging to carry out
Ethics of participant observation
- obtaining informed consent from all participants
- protecting their privacy and confidentiality
- ensuring that they aren’t placed at undue risk by the research
- only acceptable in public situations where those observed would expect to be observed by strangers
- the researcher may be involved in illegal activities if involved in certain groups as it reveals research
Participation observation example
