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Sociology Alevel > Research Methods > Flashcards

Research Methods Flashcards

1
Q

Name the sampling methods

A 
Simple random 
Stratified 
Snowball
Volunteer
Opportunity 
Quota 
Systematic
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2
Q

Explain simple random sampling

A

Selecting names from a list at complete random

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3
Q

Explain stratified sampling

A

Splitting the group into smaller groups of gender, age etc and then picking one from each group at random

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4
Q

Explain snowball sampling

A

Ask one person to participate and then asking them to find others

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5
Q

Explain volunteer sampling

A

Letting people know or putting up an advert and seeing who comes forward

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6
Q

Explain systematic sampling

A

Choosing every nth from a list

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7
Q

Explain quota sampling

A

Opportunity sampling but ensuring you pick a range of people

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8
Q

Explain opportunity sampling

A

Approaching/asking people to participate

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9
Q

Give 2 pros of simple random

A

No bias

Quick, simple, inexpensive

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10
Q

Give 2 cons of simple random

A

Requires a sampling frame

Not representative

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11
Q

Give 2 pros of stratified

A

No bias

Representative

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12
Q

Give 2 cons of stratified

A

Requires sampling frame

Time consuming

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13
Q

Give 2 pros of snowball

A

Access without sampling frame

No bias

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14
Q

Give 2 cons of snowball

A

Time consuming

Not representative

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15
Q

Give 2 pros of volunteer

A

Access without sampling frame

No bias

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16
Q

Give 2 cons of volunteer

A

Not representative

Time consuming

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17
Q

Give 2 pros of systematic

A

Representative

No bias

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18
Q

Give 2 cons of systematic

A

Requires a sampling frame

Not easy/simple

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19
Q

Give 2 pros of quota

A

Access without sampling frame

Representative

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20
Q

Give 2 cons of quota

A

Time consuming

Biased

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21
Q

Give 2 pros of opportunity

A

Access without sampling frame

Quick, inexpensive, simple

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22
Q

Give 2 cons of opportunity

A

Not representative

Biased

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23
Q

Name the primary research methods

A 
Questionnaire 
Structured interview 
Unstructured interview 
Semi-structured interview 
Focus group 
Non-participant observation 
Participant observation
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24
Q

Name the secondary research methods

A

Official statistics
Personal documents
Mass media

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25
Q

Explain questionnaires

A

Written down closed questions given out to participants

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26
Q

Explain structured interviews

A

Asking pre-prepared questions face to face with participants

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27
Q

Explain unstructured interviews

A

Asking non pre-prepared questions, more open ended and conversation like

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28
Q

Explain semi-structured interviews

A

Asking pre-prepared but open ended questions and adding questions as you go

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29
Q

Explain focus groups

A

Interviewing a group of people at the same time

30
Q

Explain non-participant observations

A

Researcher is present with the group but not actively participating

31
Q

Explain participant observations

A

The researcher is active in the group, almost becomes a member of the group while researching

32
Q

Explain official statistics

A

Data from the government e.g. crime/work/unemployment/births/deaths

33
Q

Explain personal documents

A

Diaries/letters/photos from people who have experienced events

34
Q

Explain mass media

A

Newspapers/TV/radio reports of events

35
Q

Give 2 pros of questionnaires

A

Quick/cheap

It collects standardised answers so patterns/comparisons can be made

36
Q

Give 2 cons of questionnaires

A

Lacks verstehen

Questions may be misinterpreted

37
Q

Give 2 pros of structured interviews

A

Questions can’t be misinterpreted

The answers can still be standardised

38
Q

Give 2 cons of structured interviews

A

Lacks verstehen

The researchers presence can lead to participant lying

39
Q

Give 2 pros of unstructured interviews

A

Has verstehen

The questions can’t be misinterpreted

40
Q

Give 2 cons of unstructured interviews

A

Time consuming

Answers can’t be standardised

41
Q

Give 2 cons of semi-structured interviews

A

Answers can’t be standardised

Time consuming

42
Q

Give 2 pros of focus groups

A

Has verstehen

Being in a group can encourage more conversation

43
Q

Give 2 cons of focus groups

A

Requires highly skilled researcher

Time consuming

44
Q

Give 2 pros of non-participant observations

A

Authentic data

Researcher less likely to be involved in illegal behaviour

45
Q

Give 2 cons of non-participant observations

A

Hawthorne effect may occur

Deception

46
Q

Give 2 pros of participant observations

A

Has verstehen

Researcher can ask questions

47
Q

Give 2 cons of participant observation

A

Hawthorne effect can occur

Researcher could be involved in illegal behaviour

48
Q

Give 2 pros of official statistics

A

Can see patterns/make comparisons with data

Big sample - more representative

49
Q

Give 2 cons of official statistics

A

Can’t explain why something happens

May not correspond with sociologists research

50
Q

Give 2 pros of personal documents

A

Useful for events that happened in the past

Not overly expensive

51
Q

Give 2 cons of personal documents

A

Can be misinterpreted

Not representative - not everyone keeps personal documents

52
Q

Give 2 pros of mass media

A

Not overly expensive

Good for quantitative and qualitative data

53
Q

Give 2 cons of mass media

A

May not correspond with researcher

Reports could be exaggerated

54
Q

Name the practical issues

A

Time/money
Personal characteristics/skills
Subject matter

55
Q

Name the ethical issues

A 
Intrusion of privacy
Deception 
Informed consent 
The right to withdraw 
Protection from harm
56
Q

Name the theoretical issues

A

Validity/verstehen
Reliability/objectivity
Representative/generalisable

57
Q

Explain the time/money issue

A

Large scale research can be costly and time consuming

Ethnographic research is time consuming

58
Q

Explain the personal characteristics/skills issue

A

Some methods e.g. participant observations and focus groups require good social skills
Bias can affect observations/unstructured interviews

59
Q

Explain the subject matter issue

A

Sensitive subjects discussed in ethnographic approaches

60
Q

Explain the intrusion of privacy issue

A

Asking too in-depth questions

Ensuring confidentiality

61
Q

Explain the deception issue

A

Lying about what the research is used for/whether researcher is who they say they are

62
Q

Explain the informed consent issue

A

Ensuring the participants are consenting to being researched - covert studies

63
Q

Explain the right to withdraw issue

A

Participants shouldn’t be pressured/coerced into completing/taking part in the research

64
Q

Explain the protection from harm issue

A

Includes researcher and participants - not partaking in illegal behaviour

65
Q

Explain validity/verstehen

A

Viewing the world from the point of view of the participants
Researcher should spend lots of time with participants
Lengthy interviews - detail - qualitative

66
Q

Explain reliability/objectivity

A

All participants tested in the same way - closed and standardised questions
Can be repeated and get similar results
Quantitative
Longitudinal

67
Q

Explain representativeness/generalisability

A

Range of groups
No bias in selection of participants
High response rate and sufficient size sample - quick method needed

68
Q

Give 2 pros of semi-structured interviews

A

Has verstehen

Questions can’t be misinterpreted

69
Q

How do you write a research proposal

A

T - topic aims. Explain what you set out to do and justify using either quantitative or qualitative method

O - operationalise the concepts given in the question

M - method of research

S - sampling method

A - analysis

P - practical issues

E - ethical issues

T - theoretical issues

70
Q

What are the types of analysis

A

Interpretivist - for qualitative methods, noting down themes, make transcripts

Positivist - for quantitative methods, noticing patterns and trends, making graphs from data

71
Q

Explain methodological pluralism

A

2 different types of research repeated to check results are the same

72
Q

Explain triangulation

A

2 of the same types of research repeated to check the results are the same

Sociology Alevel (7 decks)

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