Research methods Flashcards
What does PERVERT stand for
- Practical
- Ethical
- Reliable
- Validity
- Example
- Representative
- Theoretical
Define reliability
Similar to replicability. A method in which when repeated by another researcher will give you the same results
Define representativeness
Refers to whether the sample used are a typical cross section of the group we are interested in. This makes it easier to generalise wider society and we can stereotype without studying every sample
Define validity
A method that produces a true or genuine picture. (qualitative methods achieve this to a greater extent)
What are the theoretical issues in Research methods?
- Reliability
- Representativeness
- Validity
- Verstehen
- Liked/disliked by positivists/interpretivists
What are the practical issues in Research Methods
- Time
- Access
- Money (cost)
- Personal skills
- Personal characteristics
- Subject matter - harder to study certain groups w/ certain methods
- Research opportunity - may have to use certain type
- Requirements of funding bodies
- Is is safe?
What are the ethical issues of research methods
- Effects on participant - should prevent harmful effects
- Vulnerable groups
- Covert research
- Informed consent
- Confidentiality and Privacy
- Right to withdraw
- Deception
- Sensitive topics
What should be taken into consideration when researching through documents?
- Authenticity - Who wrote it? Is it what it claims to be?
- Credibility - Is it believable? Was the author genuine?
- Representativeness - Is the document typical of others?
- Meaning - Can document be understood? Translation needed?
What are the overall issues with observation?
- Getting in - need access to entry/acceptance , sensitive groups don’t want to be studied
- Staying in - researcher must remain objective and unbiased and must avoid ‘going native’ (over identifying)
- Getting out - Hard to leave normal role and go back to ‘normal’, loyalty may prevent researchers from disclosing ‘guilty knowledge’
What are the types of observation?
- Non participation - simple observation, don’t take part
- Participation - Researchers takes part in everyday life
- Covert - Study is carried out under cover
- Overt - True identity and purpose is revealed
- Structured - Looking for set things
- Unstructured - Recording what you see
What are official stats and what are their strengths and weaknesses?
Official stats are quantitative data gathered by gov.t agencies. They’re presented in graphs, tables and figures.
STRENGTHS LIMITATIONS
- Easy access - Lack validity
- Representative - Can’t tell us why
-Covers a long time span - Not for sociological purposes
- Reliable - Stats might be ‘massaged’
- Trends and Patterns - Serves capitalism/patriarchy
- Comparisons - Definitions ay change overtime
What are public documents and what are their strengths and limits?
Secondary source of data which are government inquiries.
STRENGTHS
- Can gain insights from past events
- Allow comparisons overtime
-Useful when assessing outcomes of social policies
- Representative
LIMITS
- Questions validity
- Questions authenticity
- Documents are open to misinterpretation
What are personal documents and what are their strengths and limitations?
Secondary source data items such as diaries, photo albums, autobiographies etc.
STRENGTHS
- Validity
- Insights
- Cheap
- Provides extra check
- Insights into the past
LIMITS
-Positivists reject
- Unreliable
- Unrepresentative
- Questions authenticity
- May interpret data in unintended ways
What are Lab Experiments and what are their strengths and limitations?
Involve experimental groups (a group in which changes are made to) and a control group (kept constant)
STRENGTHS
- Are highly replicable
- Cause and Effect
LIMITS
- Impossible to identify all variables
- Cannot be used to study the past
- Small samples - unrepresentative
- Consent/Misleading - Unethical
- Unnatural conditions
What are Field experiments and what are their strengths and limitations?
Takes place in subjects natural surrounding. Subjects are not aware they are being experimented on.
STRENGTHS
- Valid (sort of)
- Reduce hawthorne effect
-Liked by interpretivists
LIMITS
- Unethical - deception/no consent
- Reduces control of variables
- Disliked by positivists
What is the comparative method and what are its strengths and limitations?
A thought experiment carried out in the mind of a sociologist
STRENGTSH
- Avoids artificiality
- Can be used to study the past
- No ethical problems
LIMITS
-Less control over variables
What are questionnaires and what are their strengths and limitations?
Self completed questionnaires most common form used. Can be close-ended or open-ended
STRENGTHS
- Quick/Cheap
- No training needed
- Data easy to quantify
- Reliable
- Representative
- Establish cause and effect relationship
- Objective
- Can test a hypothesis
LIMITS
- Inflexible
- Lack validity
- Lie/Forgetfulness
- Need to be brief
- Maybe need incentives
- Researchers impose their own meanings
- Sensitive/Vulnerable groups
What are structures interviews and what are their strengths and limitations?
Based on a structures , pre-coded questionnaire administered by an interviewer. Ask questions in same order each time and doesn’t probe
STRENGTHS
- Reliable
- Representative
- Cost-cheap interview
- Trends and Patterns
LIMITS
- Invalid
- Sensitive topic/No rapport
- Questions can be vague
- Interviewer led
- Social desirability effect
- Questions open to interpretation
What are unstructured interviews and what are their strengths and limitations?
Like a guided conversation, topics in mind to cover but a few preset questions. Aims to obtain depth and draw out feelings
STRENGTHS
- High validity
- More likely to open up (rapport)
- Avoids imposing ideas
- Flexibility allows follow up
- In depth responses
LIMITS
-May try to please interviewers
- Unreliable
- Unrepresentative
- Cost
- Relevance
- Interviewer bias - personality, age, ethnicity, expression, dress
What are group interviews and what are their strengths and limitations?
Interviews done in groups, where interviewers speak to a number of participants
STRENGTHS
- Detailed responses
- In depth
- Can build on ideas on others
- Interview can clarify responses
- Rapport
- Relaxed environment - validity
LIMITS
-Group think
-Social desirability effect
- Lacks reliability
- Unrepresentative
- Can go off topic
- Can’t generalise
- Peer pressure
- Hard to analyse data
What are overall strengths and limitations of observations?
STRENGTHS
- Valid
- Insight
- Provides an insiders view
- Flexibility
- Practicality
LIMITS
- Cost/Time
- Loss of objectivity
- Unreliable
- Unrepresentative
- Ethical considerations
- Replications
What are the strengths and limitations of overt research?
STRENGTHS
- Avoids ethical problems (deception)
- Allows to ask naïve questions
- Can take notes freely
- Can use interviews to check findings
LIMITS
- Group may refuse permission
- Risks of Hawthorne effect
- Less valid
- Unreliable
- Unrepresentative
What are the strengths and limitations of covert research?
STRENGTHS
- Avoids people changing behaviour - Hawthorne effect
- Practical with closed groups
-High in validity
LIMITS
- Researchers have to keep an act
- Requires knowledge before joining
- Cannot take notes openly
- Can’t triangulate or ask naïve questions
- May have to participate in illegal/immoral activity
- Ethical issues (Deception)
- Unreliable
- Unrepresentative
