Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Sociology > Research methods > Flashcards

Research methods Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What is a primary research method

A

The researcher collects the data themselves

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is a secondary research method

A

The data is already available (collected by someone else)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

2 examples of primary research method

A

Field experiments

Questionnaires

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

2 examples of secondary research methods

A

Official statistics

Mass media e.g. newspapers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are the 2 types of data that can be collected

A

Quantitative

Qualitative

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is quantitative data?

A

Data which is represented in number form or something that can be measured

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is qualitative data?

A

Descriptions of people’s feelings about a particular subject

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Example of quantitative data

A

Statistics on qualifications

Statistics on social class

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Two positives of using primary data

A

More likely to be up to date

Have full control

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Two negatives of using primary data

A

Takes more time

Can be expensive

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Positives of using secondary data

A

Easy/quick to find

Less expensive

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Negatives of using secondary data

A

Could be outdated

Could be biased

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Positives of using quantitative data

A

Easy to correct large amounts

Easily analysed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Negatives of using quantitative data

A

May lack detail

Lacks validity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Positives of using qualitative data

A

Rich and detailed

Subjective

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Negatives of using qualitative data

A

Can’t be generalised if it’s a small sample

Low reliability

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are the 5 strategies for research

A

Social survey

Ethnography

Longitudinal study

Case study

Triangulation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is a social survey

A

A large scale research, using questionnaires or structured interviews

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What data do social surgery’s collect

A

Quantitative data

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

An example of a social survey

A

The census

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is an ethnography

A

An approach that involves getting inside the heads of those being studied

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What does ethnography use

A

Participant observation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What type of data does ethnography produce

A

Qualitative data

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is longitudinal study

A

A study that revisits the group at intervals to see how things have changed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

An example of a longitudinal study

A

The BBC programme ‘child of our Time’

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What is a case study

A

A one-off study of a social group

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

An example of a case study

A

Paul Willis study of the working class lads

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What is a triangulation

A

Where the researcher combines methods that creat both quantitative and qualitative data

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

An example of a researcher who used the triangulation

A

Paul Willis

Combined participant observation and individual interviews in his study of the lads

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

What are the ethical issues researchers should consider

A

Informed consent

Protection from harm

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

What are the two approaches to studying society

A

Positivism

Interpretivism

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What type of data do positivists favour?

A

Quantitative data

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

What type of data do Interpretivists prefer

A

Qualitative data

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

Two examples of methods that positivists prefer

A

structured interviews

Questionnaires

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

two examples of methods that interpretivists prefer

A

Unstructured interviews

Observations

36
Q

What are the issues that we should could consider when it comes to evaluating a method

A

Representativeness

Validity

Reliability

Practical issues

Ethical issues

Theoretical issues

37
Q

Other issues that a researcher may face

A

Hawthorne effect

Going native

38
Q

What is the Hawthorne effect

A

Where people act differently because they know they are being watched/asked questions

39
Q

What does going native mean?

A

Where a researcher gets too involved in the group they are researching

40
Q

An example of sociological research

A

The census

41
Q

What is the census

A

A very representative questionnaire that gets sent to every household in the UK every 10 years

42
Q

Practical problems with interviews with children

A

Time available

Skills you’d need to interview children

43
Q

Practical problem with studying someone for a four year time period

A

Time - a long period of time

Cost - may be expensive

44
Q

Ethical problems with questionnaires about sensitive topics

A

May need protection from harm

Stay confidential

45
Q

What is sampling?

A

Where a smaller group of people is drawn from the relevant population

46
Q

How can sampling be done?

A

By finding lists or databases with names of situable people on

47
Q

What type of lists could be used to find names for Sampling

A

Registers

School rolls

48
Q

What is the aim of choosing people when it comes to sampling

A

To have a sample that is representative of the survey population

49
Q

Things a researcher should consider when it comes to choosing a sample of people

A

The proportions of people

E.g. males, females, different age groups

50
Q

What are the seven types of sampling methods

A

Random sampling

Systematic sampling

Stratified sampling

Quota sample

Snowball sample

Volunteer sample

Opportunity sample

51
Q

What is random sampling

A

Using a computerised system or drawing names out of a hat to get the required number of people

52
Q

What can be an advantage of random sampling

A

It can be relatively easy

53
Q

What is an issue when using random sampling

A

It may not result in a representative sample

54
Q

What is systematic sampling

A

Involves a more patterned approach, by choosing every tenth or hundredth name on a list

55
Q

What is an issue with systematic sampling

A

It may not be representative

56
Q

What is stratified sampling

A

Involves creating a number of sampling frames which represent different types of people such as males, females, age groups

57
Q

What are the issues of using stratified sampling

A

Time consuming

58
Q

What is an advantage of using an stratified sample

A

More likely to get a representative sample

59
Q

What is quota sampling

A

A straight forward method, where the researcher has been instructed to get people of certain ages in the street

60
Q

What is a problem with using Quota sampling

A

Particular groups such as people who work will be less likely to be on the street

61
Q

What is volunteering sampling

A

Where the researcher advertises for people willing to take part in the study

62
Q

An advantage of using volunteering sample

A

It’s likely to result in full answers by co-operative respondents

63
Q

An issue with using volunteering sampling

A

People who are more interested

In the topic will make the results untypical

64
Q

What is opportunity sampling

A

Sociologists who are lectures or teachers may persuade their audience of students to answer questionnaires on the spot

65
Q

What is the positive of using opportunity sampling

A

It has a 100% response rate

66
Q

What is an issue with using opportunity sampling

A

The sample of sociology students will be unrepresentative of the population as a whole

67
Q

What are questionnaires

A

A set of fixed response questions that

respondents either tick or circle

68
Q

Can questionnaires have open questions

A

Yes, they may give the respondent a chance to write their answer in full

69
Q

What is an open question

A

A space provided for a respondent to write what they want

70
Q

What is a closed question

A

Requires a short answer, usually listed for the respondent to tick

71
Q

What is an advantage of using open questions

A

Gives greater detail

72
Q

What type of data do open questions give

A

Qualitative data

73
Q

What is an advantage of using closed questions

A

Easier to quantify and analyse

74
Q

What type of data does closed questions give

A

Quantitative data

75
Q

What are the 3 types of questions that can be seen as problematic

A

Leading questions

Ambiguous questions

Recall questions

76
Q

What is a leading question

A

A question that influences the respondents to answer in a way that the researcher wants

77
Q

What is an ambiguous question

A

A question that is unclear of difficult to understand

78
Q

What is an recall question

A

A question that requires the respondent to remember something from the past

79
Q

Problems with using questionnaires to investigating education

A

Children may struggle to understand the questions

The pupils may influence each other’s answers

Some pupils may refuse to co-operate

80
Q

Advantages of using questionnaires to investigate education

A

Useful for investigating sensitive issues such as bullying - anonymous

81
Q

What is an interview

A

An social interaction which results in a transfer of information from the interviewee to the interviewer

82
Q

How can interviews be conducted

A

Face to face
By phone
Email

83
Q

What are the 4 types of interviews

A

Structured

Unstructured

Group

Semi-structured

84
Q

What is a structure interview

A

Where the interview read the set questions and then writes down the replies

85
Q

Advantages of using structured interviews

A

More straightforward factual information

Easy to use in large scale surveys

86
Q

Disadvantages of using structured interviews

A

Limited range of possible answers

Limited guiding for respondents who do not understand the questions

Sociology (2 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions