RESEARCH METHODS

Question 1

why:

Answer 1

support theory’s(disprove or prove), create new theory, inform gov, raise profile of sociologist/institution carrying out research

Question 2

worsley social problems

Answer 2

effects large numbers of people>resulting in calls from public for gov to act (eg rape in marriages)

Question 3

worsley sociological problme

Answer 3

an issue in society we wish to make sense off or attempt to discover new knowledge about subject

Question 4

research methods involve

Answer 4

interveiw/experiment/media/diaries/statistics/questionnaires/observations

Question 5

primary data

Answer 5

collected by sociologist themselves

Question 6

secondary data

Answer 6

already collected , accessible sociologist can use

Question 7

quantitative data

Answer 7

numerical data - form of statistics
-structured data
-statistical analyse
-survey experiments
1 right answer

Question 8

qualitative data

Answer 8

non numerical data form of words eg interveiw
thermatic analysis (analyse all interviews>theme)
subjective conclusions , unstructured data

Question 9

qualitative data strengths

Answer 9

interviews aren’t restricted, feels are revealed/motivations , multiple methods inc validity

Question 10

qualitative data weakness

Answer 10

cant make population levels summary’s, hard to get people to speak out , interviewer bias , time consuming

Question 11

quantitative data strength

Answer 11

large sample , high in representive/generalisation, trends standardise methods in collecting, avoid bias as cant impose opinion

Question 12

quantitative data weakness

Answer 12

cant understand why something is changing , low validity , leading questions, truthfulness of findings, maybe vauge

Question 13

positivism

Answer 13

try use more scientific approaches>social facts in society can be descoverd.
favour quantitative data
correlations need to be tested, undercover correlations between social facts , change the cause lead to change in effects (1 exact reason)

Question 14

interpretivism

Answer 14

(anit pos) not possible to make cause/effect statement about human behaviour
people have free will and their behaviour can’t be explained over 1 overall true cause
favour qualitative data + primary
-truth only gained by understanding society from pov on indv

Question 15

choosing a topic/issue/problem to investigate

Answer 15

1.personal intrest
2.political beflis
3oppurtunitu and access
4funding
5invouge topics
6ethica and sensitivity of topic

Question 16

process of planning research

Answer 16

choose topic, gather bg reasearch, develop a hypothesis or q, decide on methodology/sampling frame, conduct a pilot study, conduct research, analyse data , draw conclusions, evaluation study

Question 17

why gather bg research

Answer 17

help form hypothesis
found out what has been done/add?
help determine research methodologies

Question 18

hypothesis

Answer 18

informed guess - statement can’t be tested either supported by evidence or refuted

Question 19

research

Answer 19

sets out what researcher is planning to investigate, clear focus to study

Question 20

factors that influence method
practical issues

Answer 20

time/money(qualitative more time/expensive>secondary cheap quick). personal skills/characteristsics(methods easier)
funding bodies(business funding rq results to be particular form)
research opportunity(certain rm)

Question 21

factors that influence method
ethical

Answer 21

consent/confidentiality/privacy/harm to research partiicpants/vunerable groups/covert research
(known of aims/can withdraw/idenity/speical care/hidden)

Question 22

factors influence choice of topic

Answer 22

sociologist perspective eg feminist, society values (influenced) practical factors eg inacccesability/ funding body

Question 23

why sample

Answer 23

make sure representative - make sampling frame of interested in studying

Question 24

random sampling

Answer 24

by chance

Question 25

stratified radnom sampling

Answer 25

breaks down population

Question 26

practical reasons that effect sampling

Answer 26

characteristics may not be known.not all criminals are convicted, rescue of participants

Question 27

theretical issues/factors that influence

Answer 27

validity (genuine) reliability(repeated)representivness(sample/genralisations)