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SOCIOLOGY > RESEARCH METHODS > Flashcards

RESEARCH METHODS Flashcards

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Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

define gatekeeper

A

a person who allows you to access a difficult to study area

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2
Q

define observation frame

A

a list of behaviours researchers can tick off giving quantitative and qualitative data

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3
Q

how does an observation frame help

A

allows researchers to collect quantitative and qualitative data simultaneously which means it can be triangulated more quickly

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4
Q

define the hawthorne effect

A

an observation where participants know they are being observed and therefore change their behaviour

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5
Q

what experiment suggested the hawthorne effect

A

research into productivity at the hawthorne electrical works

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6
Q

what is a covert observation

A

require participants to be unaware they are taking part in

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7
Q

advantages of covert observation

A

behaviour is more valid because it is likely to be unchanged, less likely to be affected by the hawthorne effect

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8
Q

disadvantages of covert observation

A

totally unethical, unusual for the BSA to approve covert research, because it violates the ethical standards of consent

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9
Q

define overt observations

A

those where researchers have gained permission to watch the sampled group

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10
Q

advantages of overt observations

A

ethical, participants give consent and can withdraw whenever they wish to

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11
Q

disadvantages of overt observation

A

likelihood of hawthorne effect questions the validity and representativeness of research data

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12
Q

example of overt observations

A

paul willis : learning to labour

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13
Q

describe a participant observation

A

researcher acts like they are participant

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14
Q

advantages of participant observation

A

understanding of participants’ experiences, this gives the study much more validity, interpretivists describe the understanding you get from doing, rather than seeing, as verstehen.

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15
Q

disadvantages of participant observation

A

culpability, james patrick found that, after studying a gang in glasgow, he was in trouble both with the police and the gang, this means the research was not ethical

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16
Q

what is going native

A

one risk of participant observation is that the researcher can become too close to the group- they can gain too great an understanding, which will disrupt their data, their data collection may become too sympathetic to the group to be objective, this means that it will no longer be valid.

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17
Q

bronislaw malinowski’s work on trobriand islanders

A
18
Q

non-participant observation

A

where the researcher maintains a professional distance, observing but not participating, key examples are observations with children, where participation would clearly change behaviour and would create unrealistic factors to conside

19
Q

advantages of non participant

A

ethical, allows the researcher to take notes and record details, much easier for a researcher to do

20
Q

disadvantages of non participant observations

A

lack of understanding- seeing is not the same as doing, this creates a lack of validity

21
Q

key strengths of observations

A

validity: data is deep in information, deep levels of understanding
representativeness: if findings are only applied to sampled group, data is detailed and specific
triangulation: researchers can ask questions and use other methods to triangulate

22
Q

key weaknesses of observations

A

practicality: time consuming, difficult to gain access
ethics: unethical
reliability: most actions are open to interpretation
representativeness: the findings of one group can’t necessarily be applied to another

23
Q

what sampling methods do questionnaires use

A

opportunity, stratified, snowball

24
Q

great british class survey

A

collected data from 11,800 volunteers, investigated:
how much money and wealth people had
what people did in their leisure time

25
Q

types of question

A

closed questions, open questions

26
Q

advantages and disadvantages of closed questions

A

practical as more people will complete, quicker to complete and analyse
higher response rates means more representative
less understanding so less valid

27
Q

advantages and disadvantages of open questions

A

opportunity for in depth answers which give greater understanding
possibility for unconsidered answers
lower response rates

28
Q

what are considered good questions

A

simple, straightforward, reliable, brief

29
Q

what are considered bad questions

A

questions which can be interpreted differently

30
Q

the uk census

A

questionnaire which is completed once every decade by everyone in the uk

31
Q

advantages of questionnaires

A

quick and cheap
ethical
reliable if good questions
can be representative
preferred by positivists

32
Q

disadvantages of questionnaires

A

no access to certain groups
can ask upsetting questions
no depth or understanding
likely to have volunteer bias
rejected by interprevists

33
Q

why are interviews widely used

A

participants have presumably given consent and are able to withdraw, easy to find answers

34
Q

define rapport

A

participant trusts the interviewer and is prepared to give detailed answers

35
Q

why is it good to build rapport

A

more honest answers
may go into greater depth

36
Q

why are interviews practical

A

less time consuming
can be cheap

37
Q

why are interviews ethical

A

can easily stop if upset
participants are in a normal circumstance
participants have consented

38
Q

describe a structured interview

A

series of planned questions are asked, usually closed, they are quick and cheap and produce quantitative data

39
Q

describe an unstructured interview

A

no plans for discussion, resembling a conversation, advantageous for verstehen and discovering new areas of research that may not have been considered

40
Q

describe a semi structured interview

A

triangulate data, uses open and closed questions

41
Q

verstehen

A

understand in a deep way

SOCIOLOGY (11 decks)

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