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Sociology Mocks > Research Methods > Flashcards

Research Methods Flashcards

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Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What do positivist focus on ?

A
  • QuaNtitative data
  • patterns and trends
  • objectivity/value freedom
  • social facts
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2
Q

What is Quanitative data ?

A

Data expressed in a numerical form e.g graphs, table , bar graphs

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3
Q

What can you do with patterns and trends?

A

Can be compared to observe any correlation and links

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4
Q

What is objectivity ?

A

Free from bias , neutral and free from personal opinions so value free

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5
Q

What do Interpretivist focus on ?

A
  • meaning + expreiences
  • subjectivity
  • reflexivity
  • versthen
  • rapport
  • QuaLitative data
  • researcher imposition
  • reflexivity
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6
Q

What is meaning and experiences ?

A

Uncover important aspect of people lives

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7
Q

What is rapport ?

A

Trusting and open relationships participant and sociologist so can open up

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8
Q

Why is rapport good ?

A

More valid, details so can get real and true insight

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9
Q

What is versthen ?

A
  • understanding
  • empathetic and put yourself in their shoes
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10
Q

What is qualitative data ?

A

Form of words rather than numbers

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11
Q

What is subjectivity ?

A

Based on personal opinions, experience and biases values persons opinions

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12
Q

What is reflexivity ?

A

Researcher constantly reflecting on extent to which they themselves are impacting on their research and their findings , in other words the presence of the researcher has the potential to influence the shape of the research itself

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13
Q

What is research imposition ?

A

Research we may influence or shape research without being aware

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14
Q

Examples of how researcher can influence and shape study without being aware in research imposition ?

A

Through topics or the method

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15
Q

What are the key concepts ?

A
  • reliability
  • validity
  • generalisability
  • representativeness
  • and standardised procedure partly
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16
Q

What is reliability ?

A

If study is repeated by different or same sociologist it will produce the same results

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17
Q

What is validity?

A

True picture of those behind studied

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18
Q

What is representativeness ?

A

Groups or individuals behind studied are fair reflection of the target population

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19
Q

The bigger the sample size ?

A

The better

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20
Q

What is generalisability?

A

If it’s possible to apply finding from research sample to the wider population

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21
Q

What does generalisability focus on ?

A

Focuses on the findings and conclusions

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22
Q

What are the examples of QuaNtitative method ?

A
  • longtitudal surveys
  • questionnaires
  • structured interviews
  • secondary data
  • official and non official statics
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23
Q

What forms can questionnaires come in ?

A

Closed and open questions

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24
Q

What are closed questionnaires ?

A

Ticking a box and restricted on answers

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25
Q

How are open questionnaires like ?

A

Can see experiences , no limits and can express their feelings

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26
Q

What are the disadvantages of questionnaires ?

A
  • misunderstanding are more common
  • research imposition
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27
Q

What is the disadvantage of questionnaires, misunderstanding are more common ?

A

Interpretivist argue that due to the fact that sociologist is often not present when questionnaires are filled so many misunderstanding can be misinterpreted and affect the validity

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28
Q

What can the disadvantage misunderstand are more common of questionnaires affect ?

A

The validity

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29
Q

What is the disadvantage research imposition of questionnaires ?

A

Researcher may be put off by pre-coded questions and answers so may measure what the sociologist thinks is important rather than person completing it

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30
Q

What is longitudinal study/survey ?

A

Some surveys and questionnaires are longitudal and study a group over a long period of time

31
Q

What is structured interviews ?

A

Researcher reading out a list of closed questions from an interview schedule and ticking boxes

32
Q

What can the researcher not do with structured interviews ?

A

Cannot deviate from set questions

33
Q

What is a disadvantage of structured interviews ?

A
  • Cannot open up
  • social desirability : lie to be favoured
34
Q

What is secondary data ?

A

Data that sociologists did not collect themselves

35
Q

Examples of secondary data ?

A

Official and non official statics

36
Q

What is official statics ?

A

Numerical data collected by the government gathered through survey

37
Q

What is unofficial statics ?

A

Collected by non government sources e.g trade union

38
Q

What are the overall advantages of QuaNititave data ?

A
  • Reliable
  • standardised procedures
  • operationalisation
  • representativeness/ generalisability
  • patterns and trends
  • free from bias so free from personal opinion so makes research more reliable
39
Q

What are the overall disadvantages of QuaNitative data ?

A
  • Easier to lie = no one present so not feel guilty to lie
  • limited detail = responses are restricted in response but low validity , no versthen so no feelings, opinions and lacks truth
  • lacks validity
  • drop out rate
  • does not focus on the deep roots and the causes or factors leading to pattern in data
40
Q

Example of QuaLitiative methods ?

A
  • unstructured interviews
  • semi - structured interviews
  • focus group interview
  • observation
  • ethnography
41
Q

What is unstructured interviews ?

A

Flexible open interview

42
Q

Why is unstructured interview good ?

A

It is ethnographic as carried out in natural settings of respondents to feel more comfortable

43
Q

What are semi - structured interviews ?

A

Closed questions to generate facts and open questions

44
Q

What are focus group interview ?

A

Unstructured interviews carried out in groups and encouraged to talk to one another

45
Q

What are the types of observations?

A
  • Participant and non participant observations
  • covert and overt
46
Q

What is non participant observation ?

A

Sociologists watches the behaviour of others and interprets it

47
Q

What is participant observation ?

A

Immersing themselves in the group to get in their heads so can understand

48
Q

Why is participant observations important ?

A

Ethnographic and rapport

49
Q

What is overt observation ?

A

Researcher joins in the study and group knows that researcher is researching and actively observing them

50
Q

What is covert observation ?

A

Researcher inserts themselves in a group and conceals the fact that they’re are doing a research

51
Q

What is a disadvantage of overt observation ?

A

Hawthorne effect : since know they’re being watched will not act naturally so lack validity

52
Q

What is ethnography ?

A

Involves the researcher inserting themselves into natural setting of the social group and observing their daily activities

53
Q

What is a disadvantage of ethnography ?

A

Going native

54
Q

What is going native ?

A

Observes can get too attached or too close to group

55
Q

Why is going native a disadvantage ?

A

Makes observation bias and researcher loses detachment , objectivity and identifies with the group

56
Q

Overall advantage of quaLitative data ?

A
  • validity
  • rapport
  • Versthen
  • participant control over content = respondent can express their own viewpoint
  • meaning, value
  • reflexivity
57
Q

Overall disadvantage of QuaLitative data ?

A
  • lacks reliability
  • unstandardised procedure/vague operationalisation
  • researcher bias : presents themselves in a favorable light
  • lack of control
  • representativeness/generalizability
  • social characteristics of the researcher
58
Q

What is unstandardised procedures ?

A

Researcher changes questions and alters what they are looking for in observation based on situation so hard to repeat research so lack reliability

59
Q

What is lack of control?

A

Researcher has little control over direction of the interview and respondents may wonder so lacks reliability due to freedom and difficulty in comparing

60
Q

What is vague operationalisation ?

A

Dufficult for another researcher to replicate the same study for same results so not reliable

61
Q

What is social characteristics of the researcher ?

A

Research is likely to impact the research depending on ethnicity, gender , social class which can influence relationship

62
Q

What is triangulation?

A

Multiple use of mix methods to cross check and verify the reliability of a particular research and validity of data collected
- more than one method

63
Q

Why are triangulation used ?

A
  • to cross check data from large survey to check consistency
  • re - examine the data which can bring them closer to the answer
64
Q

What is method pluralism/mixed method ?

A

Researcher will be flexible and select the method more suitable for collecting data required as long as it fits does not matter if it is qualitative or quantitative method

65
Q

What is the overall advantage of mixed methods

A
  • validity
  • words complementing numbers and numbers complementing words
  • triangulation
  • representative/generalizability
66
Q

Words complementing numbers and numbers complementing words , how is this an advantage of mixed method ?

A
  • quaLItative method adds meaning to numbers and adds feelings and gives life to patterns and trends
  • adds ‘why’ to ‘how’ questions
  • adding numbers to quaLititive methods allows for comparisons
67
Q

What methods is used when words complementing numbers and numbers complementing words ?

A

Qualitative methods and Quantitative methods

68
Q

Why is triangulation an advantage of mixed methods?

A

Multiple methods for cross Check so makes it more valid and reliable

69
Q

What Example is used for advantage of triangulation in mixed methods ?

A

If participants are less likely to be truthful in questionnaires by carrying out an interview too will make it more difficult to lie face to face

70
Q

What method is used in triangulation ?

A

Both Qualitative and Quantitative menthod

71
Q

Disadvantage of mixed methods

A
  • lacks validity
  • too complex
  • contradictory findings
  • lack reliability/ complicated standardised procedures
  • unrepresentative
72
Q

What is contradictory findings according to disadvantage of mixed methods ?

A

Mixed methods means different methods produce very different finding and conclusions

73
Q

Why is mixed method disadvantage complicated standardized procedure ?

A

Two or more methods so difficult for researcher to repeat and have similar results

74
Q

Why is the disadvantage of mixed Methods potentially unrepresentative?

A

Mix of Two qualitative method so unable to collect info from many people so not representative

Sociology Mocks (11 decks)

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