Research Methods

Question 1

What are the three sources of gathering information in sociology research?

Answer 1

1. official statistics
   .2. survey
2. field research

Question 2

Official Statistics Define

Answer 2

• primarily used by university researchers
• numerical data collected over time
• associated with absolutist perspective of deviance because they think crime and trends over time just not change

Question 3

Survey research define

Answer 3

• questionnaire is asked of participants (sample)
• data collected, tabulated, then analyzed
• face to face, over call, online

Question 4

Field research, participation, observation

Answer 4

• observing participants in a group
• descriptive, and analytical rather than numerical
• longitudinal, entailing years

Question 5

Strengths and Weakness of Official Statistics

Answer 5

Strengths
- easy and quick to access
- cheaper to gather information
- able to see patterns over time
- sampling can be broad and general

Weakness
- hard to see changes and missing absent categories
- bias in interpretation
- lack of standardization
- Validity (dark vs grey crime)

Question 6

what is dark crime?

Answer 6

Dark crime is that is reported

Question 7

what is grey crime?

Answer 7

a crime that is reported but not recorded

Question 8

Survey research strengths and weakness

Answer 8

Strengths
- generate your own questions (creativity)
- good for subjects that have not been explored
- allows for generalization through random sampling
- unbias –> strict standardization and impartiality in interviews

Weakness
- expensive
- time-consuming
- reluctance in participating
- correlation is not always causation
- low response rate

Question 9

Field and Observation Strengths and Weakness

Answer 9

Strengths
- leads to a deep understanding
- richer portrayer of subjects
- less expensive than survey researcher

Weakness
- time-consuming
- subjects may not like the field researcher
- lacks generalizability

Question 10

what was laud humprehy’s method?

Answer 10

Combining multiple of these steps together to research sexual tendencies between homosexual men

• highly unethical
• issue –> deception

Question 11

Explain the Child Abuse Reporting by Besharov Laumann

Answer 11

• reporting laws now make it mandatory for professionals to report child abuse cases
• cases of child abuse have actually fallen but the reporting has increased –> disparity in recorded cases
• Unsuntantitaed reporters that waste child support agencies’ funding

Question 12

Explain the Survey of Sexual Behaviour of Americans

Answer 12

• needed big sample size for generalization, with subpopulations and random sampling
• unable to get participants to disclose intimidating information about their sex life

Question 13

The Sucess story of the NHLS interview method

Answer 13

• face-to-face interviews allow a higher response rate and more detailed information
• extreme training of interviewers for neutral language
• consent and warning sent
• privacy envelopes were used
• pilot testing

Question 14

Explain the Adler and Adler’s Dealers and Smuglers Study

Answer 14

• studied high levels of drug trafficking
• gained trust through an overt to-covert relationship
• previous experience with fieldwork in drug-associated issues
• the right approach through mutual exchange

Question 15

Explain the Covert to Over Role and the dangers associated with it

Answer 15

The overt and upfront nature of the study made the study quite problematic
- initially, the antlers were covert and then when the time was right, they disclosed their objectives

Dangers
- coming on to fast
- chance of having the cover blown in juggling between roles

Question 16

What was the issue with Adler and Adler’s study?

Answer 16

• data reliability problems
• data gathering
• information could be dangerous
• losing trust and connection