Research Methods Flashcards
What is the importance of research in sociology?
Underpins the study of society and informs policy makers and academics on a variety of social issues.
What are the two types of research?
Quantitative and qualitative
What are the two types of data?
Primary data and secondary data
What is qualitative data?
Methods that produce data textually and is often based on opinions.
What is quantitative data?
Methods that produce data in a numerical format and often consists of closed questions.
What is primary data?
First hand research carried out directly by the researcher
What is secondary data?
Second hand research which consists of using other people’s or institution’s data.
What are some examples of quantitative research?
Surveys and structured interviews
What are some examples of qualitative research?
Observations and unstructured interviews.
What are some examples of primary data?
Questionnaires or observations and interviews
What are some examples of secondary data?
Government statistics or media
What are the 4 key concepts?
Validity, reliability, representativeness, generalisability
What is validity?
Where data provides the insight of the social reality of those being researched
What is reliability?
Ability to repeat the same research and gain the same or similar results meaning the research is replicable
What is representativeness?
The extent to which the sample reflects the characteristics of the target population.
