Research Methods Flashcards
One strength of quantitative data is…
that it is likely to have a high level of reliability. This means that if repeated, the research would likely produce fairly similar results. This would be supported by positivists who believe that sociological research should always follow scientific research methods to understand society. (Insert data)
Another strength of quantitative data is…
that it is objective. This means that research will be unemotional, scientific and unbiased. This again would be supported by positivists as they believe sociological research should only focus on social facts and not on the feelings and emotions of individuals. (Insert data)
One weakness of quantitative data is…
the research will lack validity. This means that the research will not give a true, accurate picture of the reality of what’s being studied. This would be argued by interpretivists because the data does not tell us about the personal experiences of the lives of the individuals being studied. (Insert data) Therefore, the data does not provide any insights into the lives of those affected.
Another weakness of quantitative data is…
that it lacks verstehen. This means that sociologists will not be able to see the world from the standpoint of the participant. This would be again argued by interpretivists because it does not help us to explain the social actions taken by the individuals being studied. (Insert data) Therefore, it does not provide any insights into how the individuals affected feel about the results of the research.
