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
