Research Methods

Question 1

Main features of structured interviews?

Answer 1

Closed, preset questions
Face to face
Primary, quantitative research
Limited responses

Question 2

Advantages of structured interviews?

Answer 2

Quick response rate
Easily quantifiable
Respondents can get clarification if needed
Gain factual information well

Question 3

Disadvantages of structured interviews?

Answer 3

Costly
High researcher and respondent involvement time
Preset questions cannot be explored
Possible dishonesty out of face-face embarrassment or shame

Question 4

Main features of focus groups?

Answer 4

Primary, qualitative research
Select individuals have an organised discussion
Aims to get a representative example of a larger population

Question 5

Advantages of focus groups?

Answer 5

Participants will naturally mention new ideas
Individuals may feel more confident to discuss topics if others are discussing them too
Answers can be reflected on

Question 6

Disadvantages of focus groups?

Answer 6

May be difficult to record all data at once
Dominant participants may take over the discussion
Some participants may change their answers to conform with the group
Possible dishonesty due to embarrassment
Ethical issues- sensitive topics may be discussed, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed

Question 7

Main features of participant observation?

Answer 7

Researcher becomes a participant
Qualitative, primary research
Getting in, staying in, getting out
Pearson (2009) Blackpool FC

Question 8

Advantages of participant observation?

Answer 8

An in-depth understanding of social behaviour is gained
Realistic view of social behaviour
Explores issues of feelings, meanings, interactions and processes behind social behaviour

Question 9

Disadvantages of participant observation?

Answer 9

High researcher involvement
High costs
Results may become biased
Researcher may have to take part in illegal acts
Findings can be difficult to generalise
Participants are deceived
Difficult to quantify data due to descriptiveness

Question 10

Main features of non-participant observation?

Answer 10

Qualitative, primary research
Researcher observes social behaviour of others without actively participating in the group being studied
Observations are recorded at the time, data is taken at face value

Question 11

Advantages of non-participant observation?

Answer 11

Beneficial in describing ‘natural’ behaviour

In-depth picture of social behaviour if group is unaware of researchers presence

Question 12

Disadvantages of non-participant observation?

Answer 12

High input time
High costs
Results are difficult to quantify
No exploration of the behaviour is made because it is taken at face value
Ethical issues- no consent to being observed

Question 13

Main features of case studies?

Answer 13

Qualitative, secondary source of data
One event/case is examined over time
Finds specific information about a specific topic

Question 14

Advantages of case studies?

Answer 14

Cases can be analysed with detail and depth which generates ideas for future research
Other research methods can be combined to complement case studies

Question 15

Disadvantages of case studies?

Answer 15

Time consuming and demanding
Information may only apply to one specific case
Information may be difficult to collect and quantify

Question 16

Main features of postal questionnaires?

Answer 16

Quantitative, primary research
Preset questions
Yes, No, Maybe answers

Question 17

Advantages of postal questionnaires?

Answer 17

Wide sample by selecting postcode areas
Low cost and researcher involvement 
Results are easily quantifiable 
Gain factual information well
Anonymity may be liked

Question 18

Disadvantages of postal questionnaires?

Answer 18

Poor response rate in some cases, respondents either forget to send them back or can’t be bothered to do them
Relies on reading and writing abilities
Respondents are unable to get clarification
Can take a while to complete

Question 19

Main features of unstructured interviews?

Answer 19

Primary, qualitative data
Open questions, not preset
Interviewer may suggest headings which lead to an open discussion

Question 20

Advantages of unstructured interviews?

Answer 20

Issues can be explored in depth
Not restricted to preset, closed questions
Points can be clarified
Beneficial to understand meanings, motives and feelings behind issues

Question 21

Disadvantages of unstructured interviews?

Answer 21

The purpose of the interview can go off track
Difficult to quantify descriptive data 
Time consuming for both parties 
Costly 
Answers may not be easily comparible

Question 22

Main features of official statistics?

Answer 22

Quantitative, secondary source of data
Found by police, government and councils
Analyse trends in behaviour

Question 23

Advantages of official statistics?

Answer 23

Beneficial for quantitative studies
Save researcher time, results already gathered
Low cost
May indicate trends in social behaviour as some statistics are gathered from wide numbers

Question 24

Disadvantages of official statistics?

Answer 24

Can be biased dependent on the source
Many people may lie (1991 census, 1mil not completed due to poll tax issues)
Difficult to use between time periods

Question 25

Main features of surveys?

Answer 25

Primary, quantitative source of data
Used to represent larger populations
Closed, preset questions

Question 26

Advantages of surveys?

Answer 26

Efficient and practical
Statistic calculations can easily measure reliability, validity and statistical significance
Typically easy to administer
Researcher can focus directly on the topic

Question 27

Disadvantages of surveys?

Answer 27

Reliant on memory and honesty
Not effective for research on social behaviour as more academic understanding is needed
Answers can lack depth
Respondents are often selected, reducing reliability and validity