research methods Flashcards
1
Q
what are questionaires?
A
list of questions subject to self completion. questions can either be open or closed
2
Q
what is content anyalysis?
A
this is the number of times a sign, symbol, word, picture etc is used weithin a media text
3
Q
what is structured interviews?
A
the reasearcher reads a list of closed questions and ticks boxes of pre-coded responses
4
Q
what is a semi-structured interview?
A
the researcher has some set/pre coded questions however they are able to probe respondednts and ask extra questions if needed or some semi structured interviews have some set themes which are then discussed
5
Q
what is an unstructured interview?
A
the researcher may have some themes to cover but no pre-determined questions or rigid themes that they should follow. these interviews take a conversational flow
6
Q
what are focus groups?
A
an unstructured interview directed to a group of respondents who are encouraged to discuss each other. the interviewer will set up themes and questions and manage the responses from participants
7
Q
what is a group interview?
A
are often set up with a researcher and a panel of participants- the presence of another participant can be seen as less threatening, therefore meaning they feel more comfortable to participate
8
Q
what are non participant observations-overt?
A
the participants know they are being studied but the researcher is not involved with the group being researched.
9
Q
what are non-participant observations-covert?
A
the reasearcher is not fully participating with the group and the participants are unaware they are being studied
10
Q
what are participant observations-overt?
A
the participants know they are being studied and the researcher is fully involved in the group being researched
11
Q
what is participant observation-covert?
A
the researcher is participating with the group and the participants are unaware they are being studied
12
Q
what is an ethnography?
A
involves the researcher immsering themselves into the natural setting of social group being studied, and participating in and observing their daily activities
13
Q
what are official statistics?
A
quantitative data collected by the government which is often gathered through other research methods such as questionaires. two of the biggest sources of official statistics come from the office for national statistics and the census
14
Q
what is a longitudinal study?
A
research designed to collect data on a sample (of people/documents) on at least two occasions. the research is carried out over a long period of time
15
Q
what is methodological pluralism/mixed methods?
A
a mixed method approach where methods are combined to provide a fuller and more detailed, comprihenisve picture of the topic
16
Q
what is triangulation?
A
the use of more than one method, usually one or more that collects quantitative data and one or more that collects qualitative data to cross check the data being collected, to counter the bais of using a single method or to increase confidence in findings
17
Q
what is reflextivity?
A
this is genrally used by interpritivists where they keep track of the strengths and weaknesses of the research. this is to evaluate their work with th eaim of improving its validity
18
Q
what is respondent validation?
A
this is when the researchers interpretations of an event or situation is checked with that of those who took part in the event. feedback is taken to check the accuracy of the data
19
Q
what are the practical strengths of questionaires?
A
can be distributed to a large geographical area/sample therefore likley to access the participants required for the research which increases the representativeness of the research as it refelects the characteristics of the target population
20
Q
what are th ethical strengths of questionaires?
A
due to the fact that they are subject to self completion informed consent is given which can increase validity as the participants feel comfortable answering the questions meaning they are more likely to be honest and give a trueu insight into the topic being researched
21
Q
what are the theoretical strengths of questionaires?
A
standardised questions and the potential to pre-code data makes this method replicable and therefore more reliable meaning positivists would like this method
22
Q
what are the practical weaknesses of questionaires?
A
questionaires can be subject to low response rates,therefore reducing the overall sample size.this can affect the generalisibility of the data as wider claims might not be made about the whole popualtion
23
Q
what are the ethical weaknesses of questionaires?
A
if the topics is of a sensitive nature some respondents may feel some form of emotional harm an dcould potentially lie to give socially desirable responses. this can impact validity as it does not give a true insight
24
Q
what are the theoretical weaknesses of questionaires?
A
due to the standardised nature of the questions the respondent may select the nearest answer thay describes their situation but this may not be fully relevant. the respondents cannot explain meetings behind their answers leading to interpretivists not liking this method as it is low in validity
25
what are the practical strengths of content analysis?
this is a cheap method to carry out and therefore easy to access a range of data on the research topic. this will increase the representative of th eresearch as you will be able to collect in the data that reflects of characteristics of the group you are interested in
26
what are the ethical strengths of content analysis?
no participants are required, therefore meaning that ethical considerations and guidelines set out by the BSA are easy to follow. this means issues surrounding the validity of the research are not a concern as the content can be accuratley represented
27
what are the theoretical strengths of content analysis?
produces quantitative data and is regarded as reliable as it can be carried out again and data can be cross checked.therefore positivists would favour this method
28
what are the practical weaknesses of content analysis?
is often a time consuming method. this means that you cannot collect data on a large amount of content. this can reduce the genralisibility of the research as you will not be able to make any wider claims about how a group has been represented based on a small amount of data
29
what are the ethical weaknesses of content analysis?
this can be a subjective approach at times and some sociologists could analyise text out of context. this could cause emotional harm to the groups being researched if they are not presented fully/fairly. this will reduce the validity of the research as an accurate insight is not gained
30
what are the theoretical weaknesses of content analysis?
interpretivists would state that statistics provide little information about human stories or behaviour as no meanings/feelings/opinions are given. this decreases validity
31
what are the practical strengths of structured interviews?
due to the interviews being pre-arranged with the interviewee, you are able to gain access to the required participants for the research as your sample will reflect the characteristics of the target population
32
what are the ethical strengths of structured interviews?
the interviewer can explain the aims and objectives of the research which should lead the participants to feel more comfortable and rapport can be built up. this encourages informed consent to be given. this can increase validity of the research as particpants are more likely to answer honestly
33
what are the theoretical strengths of structured interviews?
the use of closed and standardised questions and responses means the data collected is likley to be objective,numerical and therefore this data has value freedom from researchers own biases. these are reasons why positivists would like this method
34
what are the parctical weaknesses of structured interviews?
interviews can be more time consuming than methods such as questionaires. this means that it can be difficult to access a large sample of participants. this would impact on the genralisibility of the research as wider claims cannot be made to all who hold the characteristics being researched
35
what are the ethical weaknesses of structured interviews?
if the questions make the respondent feel uncomfortable this may lead to emotional harm and safeguarding issues. due to the lack of conversational flow participants may not state that they feel uncomfortable and therefore may no tfeel they have the full right to withdraw. this can impact the way they answer questions as they may lie and give socially desribale responses which will impact the validity of the research as they may not provide a true insight into their lives
36
what are the theoretical weaknesses of structured interviews?
interpretivists would critique this method as they would suggest that its not suitable when researching sensitive issues. particpants acnnot expand on their responses which reduces the validity of the research as a meaningful insight cannot be gained
37
what are the practical strengths of semi structured interviews?
due to interviews being pre arranged with the interviewee, you are able to gain access to the required participants for the research and the response rate is likley higher. this will increase representativeness of the reasearch as your sample will reflect the characteristics of the target population
38
what are the ethical strengths of semi structured interviewed?
these interviews have more chance for rapport to be built than in a structured interview. this encourages informed consent to be given. This can allow for more empathy and understanding of sensitive topics being discussed by the participant. this could lead to them being better safeguarded and therefore potentially feeling more confortable to answer honestly which increases the validity
39
what are the theoretical strengths of semi-structured interviews?
interpretivists would like the unstructured elements of the interviews as it can produce data that is more qualitative. the nature
40
what are the practical weaknesses of semi structured interviews?
interviews can be more time consuming. this means that it can be difficult to access a large sample of participants. This would impact on the genralisability of the research as wider claims cannot be made to all who hold the characteristics being researched
41
what were the ethical problems with semi structured interviews?
if the questions make the respondent feel uncomfortable this may lead to emotional harm and safeguarding issues. this can decrease the validity of the research as the respondent may feel they have to provide socially desirable responses. interviewer effect can also lead to this
42
what were the theoretical weakness of semi structured interviews?
positivits would not like the flexibility of this method and would argue that if rapport builds then the interviewer can become biased and lose objectivity and therefore impacting on the reliability of the research data and findings, as it makes it difficult to replicate
43
what are the practical strengths of unstructured interviews?
due to interviews being pre-arranged with the interviewee, you are able to gain access to the required participants for the research and the response rate is likley to be higher. this will increase the representativeness of the research as your sample will reflect the characteristics o fthe target population
44
what were the ethical strengths of unstructured interviews?
informed consent will be given and participants can build rapport can be built between the researcher and participant meaning that a conversational flow can occur meaning they would not feel emotional harm. this means the particpants are genrally more comfortable, meaning they will answer honestly which increases validity
45
what are the theoretical strengths of unstructured interviews?
this method leads to lots of in-depth data collection as the interviewer can probe and ask extra questions. rapport and verstehen can also be built. this dramatically increases the validity meaning the interpretivists would like this method
46
what are the practical weaknesses of unstructured interviews?
interviews can be informed consent so only a small sample is gathered. this decreases the genralisisbility as wider claims cannot be made
47
what are the ethical weaknesses of unstructured interviews?
if the questions make the respondent feel uncomfortable this may lead to emotional harm and safeguarding issues. this can decrease the validity of the research as the respondent may feel they have to provide socially desirable responses. the interviewer effect can also lead to this
48
what are the theoretical weaknesses of unstructured interviews?
positivists would not like the lack of structure of this method and would argue that if rapport builds then the interviewer can become biased and loss objectivity and therefore impacting on reliability of the research data and findings, as it becomes difficult to replicate
49
what are practical strengths of focus groups?
due to focus groups being pre-arranged with the respondednts you are able to gain access to the required participants for the research an dthe response rate is likley to be higher. this will increase the representativeness of the research as your sample will reflect the characteristics of the target
50
what are th eethic strengths of focus groups?
informed consent will be given and participants can build rapport, meaning that they would not feel emotional harm due to the relaxed environment. this means that the respondents will again provide more rich and valid data
51
what are the theoretical strengths of focus groups?
interpretivits would favour this method as rich and indepth specific groups needs creating a relaxed and informal setting which increases validity as the participants feel more relaxed and informal setting which increases validity as the participants feel more comfortable to answer honestly
52
what are the practical weaknesses of focus groups?
data recording and analysis can be difficult and time consuming as all respondents will give varying accounts and opinions on the topics being discussed therefore sample size is likley to be small which will reduce the genralisibility of the results as wider claims cannot be made about the whole population based on a small group of people
53
what are the ethical weaknesses of focus groups?
repondednt smay feel uncomfortable if sensitive topics arise or if other respondents dominate the discussions. this could lead to others feeling uncomfotable, in some extreme cases they may also suffer emotional harm, therefore meaning that they do no tinput as they naturally would which decreases the validity
54
what are theoretical weaknesses of focus groups?
if rapport builds than the interviewer can become baised and lose objectivity. this will reduce the reliability as it will be difficult to replicate the study in the same way. as a result positivists will not like this method
55
what are the practical strengths of non-participant observation-overt?
the researcher is not involved in the group meaning that it is a fairly easy and cost effective method. as a result the researcher may be able to access more people to observe which can increase the representative and genralisibility of the research
56
what are the ethical strengths of non-participant observations-overt?
as the participants know they are being observed, informed consent is likley to be gained, this increases the validity as the participants will be more informed and should feel more comfotable to behave normally
57
what are the theoretical strengths of non-participant observations-overt?
interpretivists would favour this method as rich and indepth insight can be gained which increases validity
58
what are the practical weaknesses of non-participant observations-overt?
observations can be fairly time consuming and therefore the researcher may not be able to carry out as many observations. as a result, this can reduce the genrelisability as wider claims cannot be made based on a small number of observations
59
what are the ethical weaknesses of non-participant observations-overt?
empathy and understanding may be reduced if the participants feel uncomfortable being observed. they may not display their true behaviour and could feel some form of emotional harm if they feel this way. this reduces the validity of the findings as behaviour may not br natural and they may demonstrate social desirability
60
what are the theoretical weaknesses of non-participant observation-overt?
positivists would not like this method as it is difficult to replicate, especially if there isnt a coding scheme, meaning that reliability is reduced
61
what are the practical strengths of non-participant observations-covert?
the researcher is not involved in th egroup meaning that it is a fairly easy and cost effective method. as a result the researcher may be able to access more people to observe which can increase the representative and genralisibility of the research
62
what are the ethical strengths of non-participant observations-covert?
the researcher is unlikley to influence the group studied. also they are at less risk of harm if they are not fully involved in the group. therefore the group is less likley to change their behaviour increasing the validity of the data collected
63
what are the theoretical strengths of non-participants observations-covert?
interpretivists would favour this method as rich and in-depth insight is gained which increases validity
64
what are the practical weaknesses of non-participant observations-covert?
observations can be fairly time consuming and therefore the researcher may not be able to carry out as many observations. as a result, this can reduce the generalisibiltiy as wider claims cannot be made based on a small number of observations
65
what are the ethical weaknesses of non-participant observations-covert?
this method holds real ethical issues as no informed consent can be given if the participants do no tknow that they ar ebeing observed. as a result, the researcher could hold prejudices/biases towards the group being researched which could reduce the validity of the research
66
what are the theoretical weaknesses of non-participant observation-covert?
the researcher would be hard to replicate reducing reliability.positivists would not like this method
67
what are the practical strengths of participant observations-overt?
as the participants know that they are being observed and the researcher is part of the observation, they may be able to gain access to more participants through discussion. this can increase the representative and generalisibility of the research
68
what are the ethical strengths to participant observations-overt?
the researcher can be fully immersed in the group to be studied and experience verstehen/understanding. this can mean that a really true insight into groups can be gained. as the partcicpants know they are being researched, BSA ethical guidelines are followed and informed consent is likely to be gained, this increases the validity as the participants will be more informed and should feel more comfortable
69
what are the theoretical strengths of participant observations-overt?
interpretivists would favour this method as rich and in-depth insight can be gained which increases validity
70
what are the practical weaknesses of participant observations-overt?
observations can be fairly time consuming and therefore the researcher may not be able to carry out as many observations. as a result, this can reduce generalisibilty as wider claims cannot be made based on a small number of observations
71
what are the ethical weaknesses of participant observations-overt?
participants may feel uncomfortable being observed and this could lead to emotional harm. they may treat the researcher as an outsider therefore this would reduce validity as they may not act naturally and display social desirability. by being immesred into the group the researcher has the potentional to be at risk from harm, also they could become too involved meaning they present the group with bias which reduces the validity of the findings
72
what are the theoretical weaknesses of participant observations-overt?
positvists would not like this method as it is difficult to replicate, especially if there isnt a coding scheme, meaning that reliability is reduced
73
what are the practical strengths of participant observations-covert?
as the researcher is part of the observation, they may be able to gain access to more participants through discussion. this can increase the representative and generalisibilty of the research
74
what are the ethical strengths of participant observations-covert?
the researcher can be fully immersed in the group to be studied and experience verstehen/understanding. this can mean that a really true insight into groups can be gained. this increases the validity as the researcher will have the oppotunity to build up a rapport meaning the participants should feel more comfortable to act naturally. this leads to less risk of emotional harm
75
what are the theoretical strengths of participant observation-covert?
interpretivists would favour this method as rich and in-depth insight is gained which increases vaildity
76
what are the practical weaknesses of participant observations-covert?
observations can be fairly time consuming and therefore the researcher may not be able to carry out as many observations. as a result, this can reduce the generalisibility as wider claims cannot be made based on a small number of observations
77
what are the ethical weaknesses of participant observations-covert?
this method holds real ethical issues as no informed consent can be given if the participants do not know that they are being observed. as a result, the researcher could hold predjudices/biases towards the group which could reduce the validity of the research. there is also a higher possibility og 'going native' or losing objectivity decreasing validity
78
what are the theoretical weaknesses of particpant observations-covert?
the research would be very hard to replicate reducing, reliability. positivists would not like this method as a result
79
what are the practical strengths of ethnographys?
by immersing yourself with the group, you can gain access to a range of participants. this will increase the representativeness of the research as your sample will reflect the characteristics of the target population
80
what are the ethical strengths of ethnographys?
allows the researcher to gain informed consent from participants. this increases validity as the participants feel more comfortable answering questions meaning they are more likley to be honest
81
what are the theoretical strengths of ethnographys?
ethnographic research is preferred by interpretivists sociologists as rapport can be built and verstehen can be gained which allows the researcher to access the 'lived experience' of particular social groups which increases validity and true insight is gained
82
what are the practical weaknesses of ethnographys?
a good ethnoraphic research study will require a huge investement in the researchers time, this means a small sample can only be researched which can decrease the generalisibility of the research as wider claims cannot be made about the whole population
83
what are the ethical weaknesses of ethnographys?
-if sensitive topics are covered, it may cause emotional harm as participants may not feel comfortable to respond honestly;reducing valdity
-if participants are deemed as vulnerable this could cause safeguarding issues, may not feel comfortable to respond honestly reducing the validity of the research
-this typ eof research can be harmful for the researcher as they can put themselves into dangerous situations.
-they may also go native or lose objectivity if they become too involved. this will decrease the validity as true insight may not be shown
84
what are the theoretical weaknesses of ethnographys?
positivits do not favour this type of research because quatitative data is not gained and therefore it will not be objective, or replicable which will decrease the reliability
85
what are the practical strengths of official statistics?
as it is not a time consuming method, a large representative sample can be accessed which can increase the generalisibility of the method
86
what are the ethical strengths of official statistics?
as official statistics are secondary data, following ethical guidelines is not an issue as the research has already been done. the data also tends to be gathered by the government in the form of questionnaires which are likley to be anonymous. therefore responses are likley to be honest which increases the validity
87
what are the theoretical strengths of official statistics?
positivists like this method of data collection as it is very objective and has been collected in a systematic, scientific and standardised way increasing reliability as it can be replicated easily
88
what are the practical weaknesses of official statistics?
they may not fully represent the whole picture of what is being researched as although data can be collected from a large sample, response rate can be low and this can reduce the generalisibility of the research as wider claims cannot be made about the whole popualtion
89
what are the ethical weaknesses of official statistics?
official statistics are open to political abuse, which can be manipulated to look better, for instance to give a good impression of the governments economic policies. they could also lead to harm as some groups may be misrepresented. this means the validity of the data is reduced
90
what are the theoretical weaknesses of official statistics?
statistics are quantitative, and tell us nothing about the stories behind the statistics, interpretivists and feminists would therefore not like this method as a result. they would state that the research is low in validity as no verstehen can be gained
91
what are the practical strengths of longitudinal studies?
the lengthy time spent researching means that it may enable good access to a wider range of participants as time goes on
92
what are the ethical strengths of longitudinal studies?
regular contact with the sample can create trust and rapport increasing valdity as they will feel more comfortable leading to more honest responses
93
what are the theoretical strengths of longitudinal studies?
positivists would favour the statistical/numerical data that is used and the trends that are gained and would state that this increases the reliability of the data, meaning the same or similar results can be achieved each time
94
what are the practical weaknesses of longitudinal studies?
high drop-out rate and a time consuming method- participants may get bored, move address, school and change friendship groups. tracking the sample can be complex and the sample size may be reduced the generalisability of the research
95
what are the ethical weaknesses of longitudinal studies?
if the research is of a sensitive nature, it could lead to emotional harm for participants if they are required to readdress issues surrounding inequality over a long period of time.participants may change their answer or withold information which coulkd reduce the validity of the research
96
what are the theoretical weaknesses of longitudinal studies?
interpretivists would be less likely to use lonitudinal reseach because it often provides quantitative data to assess patterns and trends which is low in validity as deeper explanations are not gained
97
what are the practical strengths of methodlogical pluralism/mixed methods?
useful by looking at a single thing from several angles using several methods, a sociologist can build a rich picture of the explanations as to why actions/social behaviours occur-increases validity
98
what are the ethical strengths of methodological pluarlism/mixed methods?
as participants will be reflected more accurately,validity is increased reducing the risk of emotional harm caused by misrepresentation
99
what are the theoretical strengths of methodlogical pluralism/mixed methods?
provideds a detailed and in-depth examination of one particular case. interpretivists and realists would prefer this method as it gives a comprehensive insight into the study area. you would need to read the source carefully to find what methods were adopted
100
what are the practical strengths of traingualtion?
helps to eliminate biases as a range of methods used to cross-check data/findings- therefore increasing valdity
101
what are the ethical strengths of traingualtion?
participants are fully represented by different methods reducing emotional harm so increasing validity
102
what are the theoretical strengths of triangulation?
is supported by both positivists and interpretivists. also realists are in favour as they want to ensure the research fits the purpose of the study
103
what are the practical strengths of reflexivity?
-when the researcher is reflexive they will think critically about their research methods. this means that they should review the strengths and weaknesses of the data collection with the aim of improving their methods. this ensures that groups are examined effectively and a true picture of them is given which increases the valdity of the data
104
what are the ethical strengths of reflexivity?
if a researcher is being reflexive they are reviewing how their role can impact on the valdity of the data. for example they would look out for issues surrounding interviewer effect which could mean that the respondents change their responses to give socially desirable ones
105
what are the theoretical strengths of reflexivity?
interpretivists would favour this method as it aims to ensure a true insight into the social reality is gained meaning that the validity is increased and verstehen about a group is gained
106
what are the practical strengths of respondent validation?
the researcher can gain feedback frrom the participants who were involved in the event or situation that was researched in order to check how their behaviour was interpreted. this can avoid bias and improve the validity of the research as it ensures that a group and social situation is presented accuratley
107
what are the ethical strengths of respondent validation?
it reduces emotional harm as the participants are able to check that they have been portrayed fairly and accurately. this increases the validity as it ensures an accurate and fair reflection of the group being researched
108
what are the theoretical strengths of respondent validation?
interpretivists would like this method due to it allowing the researchers to develop rapport and verstehen with the participants. this increases the validity of the research as participants are more likley to be honest and clarify any mistakes they may have made initially. this means a deeper insight into their lives can be gained
109
what are the practical weaknesses of respondent validation?
it can be very time consuming. allowing participants the opportunity to check their findings can take up valuble research time which can be spent more wisely. this may reduce the generalisibility of the findings overall as the researchers will not have the time to gather data from more participants and therefore unable to make wider claims to the rest of the population
110
what are the ethical weaknesses of respondent validation?
it could cause emotional harm as going over experiences/responses for a second time with a researcher could have been distressing. this could decrease the validity as participants may change their responses if they feel interrogated leading to a lack of true insight into their lives
111
what are the theoretical weaknesses of respondent validation?
positivists will dislike this method as it is not objective or scientific. it can decrease reliability as it is not something another researcher could replicate easily as there is lack of controls
112
what are the strengths of random sampling and systematic sampling?
-everyone has the same chance (if repeated a similar sample will emerge)-reliable
-not baised- representative
-preferred by positivists because of its scientific, objective nature- reliable
113
what are the weaknesses of random and systematic sampling?
-time consuming, people may pull out by the time research is carried out- lowers representativeness and generalisibility
-the sampling frame wont always provide useful information (e.g. gender, class) therefore can be baised- lowers representitativness and generalisibility
-can lack representativeness if a greater number of one type of person is picked
114
what are the strengths of stratified sampling?
-can ensure that each group is represented- representative
-not baised- representativeness
-preffered by positivists because of its scientific, objective nature- reliable
115
what are the weaknesses of stratified sampling?
-time consuming, people may pull out-lowers representativeness and generalisibility
-sampling frame may not give specific groups to include-lowers representativeness and generalisibiltity
- if some groups have a large number of people then they are more likley to be chosen/biased- lowers representativeness and generalisibility
116
what are the strengths of quota sampling?
-useful when there is no sampling frame
-more representative than other non-random samples-target a range of groups- representative
-easy to set targets
117
what are the weaknesses of quota sampling?
-researcher may be baised towards a certain group- lowers representativeness
-no sampling frame, less scientific, more difficult to repeat-lowers reliability
-numbers needed may be representative of the target population
118
what are the strengths of snowball sampling?
-useful when there is no sampling frame
-good to use for studies with difficult groups to access or a specific type of person- validity and representativness
-easy if one person acts as a gatekeeper, allows access and can build up a rapport-validity
119
what are the weaknesses of snowball sampling?
-not representative-no sampling frame
-sample will be made up of the same type of people- lowers representativeness
-biased/subjective-insider researchers
120
what are the strengths of purposive sampling?
-useful when there is no sampling frame
-good when there is a specific type of person needed
-easy/quick can get large sample- representative
121
what are the weaknesses of purposive sampling?
-not reprsentative-no sampling frame
-sample will be made up of the same type of people-lowers representativeness
-biased/subjective-chosen by the researcher
122
what are the strengths of volunteer sampling?
-useful when there is no sampling frame
-good when there is a specific type of person needed-representative
-easy/quick can get a large sample- representative and generalisability
123
what are the weaknesses of volunteer sampling?
-not representative- no sampling frame
-sample will be made up of the same type of people -lowers representativeness
-baised/subjective-chosen by the researcher
