Research Methods

Question 1

Advantages of questionnaires

Answer 1

Quick and cheap

Standardised so can identify patterns

Question 2

Advantages of structured interview

Answer 2

Allows interviewer to clarify anything participants do not understand

Standardised and reliable

Question 3

Advantages of unstructured interview

Answer 3

Detailed answers where participants can fully explain themselves

Telling truth by body language

Question 4

Advantages of semi- structured interview

Answer 4

Participants can fully explain themselves and check their understanding

Question 5

Advantages of focus group

Answer 5

More informative and revealing

Question 6

Advantages of non- participant observation

Answer 6

Quantitative data as can measure behaviour and not distracted by involvement

Does not rely on participants answering questions honestly as data records what actually happens in context

Researcher less likely to be involved in illegal behaviour

Question 7

Advantages of official statistics

Answer 7

Can see if patterns and trends change over time

International comparisons

Sample collected by government greater than what a sociologist could access

Question 8

Advantages of personal documents

Answer 8

Not affected by memory

Not expensive

Question 9

Advantages of mass media

Answer 9

Collects both qualitative and quantitative data

Not expensive

Question 10

Advantages of random sampling

Answer 10

Not bias

Quick and easy

Question 11

Advantages of stratified sampling

Answer 11

Representative data

No bias

Question 12

Advantages of quota sampling

Answer 12

Representative sample

Quick and easy

Question 13

Advantages of systematic sampling

Answer 13

Not bias

Representative data

Question 14

Advantages of snowball sampling

Answer 14

Convenient for studies with no sampling frame and difficult to access groups

Question 15

Advantages of volunteer sampling

Answer 15

Less likely to drop out

Little chance of bias

Question 16

Advantages of opportunity sampling

Answer 16

Easy and convenient

Question 17

Disadvantages of questionnaires

Answer 17

Cannot respond in detail and fully explain themselves

Not all participants interpret data the same way

Question 18

Disadvantages of structured interview

Answer 18

Participants cannot fully explain themselves

Bias

Question 19

Disadvantages of unstructured interview

Answer 19

Take longer to complete affecting sample size

Bias

Interviewers personal characteristics can influence the interviewer

Question 20

Disadvantages of semi- structured interview

Answer 20

Not reliable as not standardised enough

Bias

Question 21

Disadvantages of focus group

Answer 21

Group moderator needs to be highly skilled

Question 22

Disadvantages of non- participant observation

Answer 22

Hawthorne Effect

Researcher cannot fully understand participants behaviour

Question 23

Disadvantages of official statistics

Answer 23

Does not explain why something happened

Data collection cannot be controlled

Data not collected with sociologists research in kind so may not correspond with what they are interested in

Question 24

Disadvantages of personal documents

Answer 24

Misinterpretations

Not always representative

Question 25

Disadvantages of mass media

Answer 25

Data not collected with sociologists research in kind so may not correspond with what they are interested in Bias

Question 26

Disadvantages of random sampling

Answer 26

Not always representative Does not work well when sampling frames do not exist

Question 27

Disadvantages of stratified sampling

Answer 27

Practical time issues Does not work well for studies where sampling frames do not exist

Question 28

Disadvantages of quota sampling

Answer 28

Bias not representative of all groups Similar social circles

Question 29

Disadvantages of systemic sampling

Answer 29

Needs complex software Not always representative due to chance

Question 30

Disadvantages of snowball sampling

Answer 30

Unlikely to be representative because of similar social circles Takes time as relies on gatekeeper

Question 31

Disadvantages of volunteer sampling

Answer 31

Not representative as attracts certain people Difficulty finding people and if small sample cannot be generalised

Question 32

Disadvantages of opportunity sampling

Answer 32

Bias Unlikely to be representative because of similar social circles

Question 33

Example of questionnaire

Answer 33

Sullivan

Question 34

Example of structured interview

Answer 34

Crime survey

Question 35

Example of unstructured interview

Answer 35

Willis

Question 36

Example of semi- structured interview

Answer 36

Rate

Question 37

Example of focus group

Answer 37

Willis

Question 38

Example of non-participant observation

Answer 38

Humphries

Question 39

Example of official statistics

Answer 39

Durkheim

Question 40

Example of personal documents

Answer 40

Hudson and Bramhall

Question 41

Example of mass media

Answer 41

Fawbert