Research Methods Flashcards by Chantelle Mohepat

Positivist approach
What type
What methods do they use
Type of data

Top down approach- structure of society influences individuals behaviour
Hypothetico-deductive process
Questionnaires - closed question
Quantitative data

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What positivist assume

Believe society is more important to study as that influences individual behaviour shaped by social forces (Durkheim = social facts)
Society can be studied in the same way natural sciences are studied
People’s behaviour can be observed, counted and measured

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Patterns and trends

People behaving in similar ways and the behaviour can be seen and catalogued

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Objectivity

Research should not be bias but factual - not opinion led

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Reliability

Research is consistent and replicable

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Value freedom

Ability of the researcher to keep their own values, political preference and religious views from interfering with the research process

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Quantitative data

Numerical data not words or phrases

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Representative

Has characteristics that are typical of the larger population being studied

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Generalisability

If research findings can be applied to settings other than the ones it was originally tested in

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Evaluation

Pros of positivists

> Quantitative data makes it more reliable, easy to compare and spot patterns and trends
Replicable
no bias as it is objective so it increases validity
large scale methods so representative and generalised

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Evaluation

Cons of positivists

> Ignores subjective experiences of people as there is less detail - decreasing validity
too narrow mindset and straightforward
lacks rapport and verstehen ( don’t understand how participants feel)

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Rapport

A close and harmonious relationship where you understand each other’s feelings and communicate well

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Verstehen

Empathic understanding of human behaviour

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Meanings and experiences

Giving labels to things

Events that impact our lives

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Validity

The quality of being accurate

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Subjectivity

Influence of personal views

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Imposition bias

Personal interference

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Reflexivity

Form of self evaluation in the way of diaries (eg to document all stages of research)

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Interpretivists

Bottom up approach - individuals give labels to things which influences society
Qualitative data
Less scientific

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Interpretivists assumptions

Human beings cannot be treated like objects
People have free will
Interaction with people give meaning to their own behaviour
Can interpret what is going on

Evaluation

Pros of interpretivists

Increase in verhesten as it considered emotions which increases validity
High rapport increase validity as more likely to have honesty in an answer

Evaluation of interpretivists

Cons

Hard to replicate
Lacks objectivity - decreasing reliability as some may interpret it differently & increase in bias due to no value freedom
Less generalisable as they believe that everyone is individual
Small scale less representative

Hypothetico deductive process 
Stage 1 (Positivists)

Background reading + personal experience - theory 
Hypothesis formation 
Study 
Data collection 
Analysis of data using stats
Accept or reject hypothesis 
Theory confirmation

Is the hypothetical deductive process bias? or reliable ?

May have imposition bias - already have an idea of what they are looking for
Replicable can be more consistent and its factual

Grounded theory | Interpretivists

Coding - categorising and describing the details of the categories ~ there is open and selective Memoing - process for recording thoughts and ideas Integrative diagrams - used to pull all of the detail together

Is the grounded theory bias? or reliable ?

Experimenter bias - can unfounded the answer through facial expressions and body language Less reliable as it is often long so society may change Reliable as they au find consistency across the years

Pilot study

A small scale premliminary study conducted in order to evaluate feasibility , cost, time

Operationalisation

Defining key terms and concepts - need to define variables that facilitate accurate replication of research process

Evaluation of pilot studies | Advantages

Can make sure study’s accurate increase validity | Can use the results if findings are the same as it will increase reliability as the results are consistent

Evaluation of pilot studies | Cons

It is expensive | May be a waste of time if there are no significant results

Ethics

Set of principles of right conduct

Ethical guidelines in sociology

``` Informed consent Anonymity and privacy assured Confidentiality Participant and researcher safety Right to withdraw ```

Primary data

Data that can be collected by the sociologist themself

Secondary data

Data that already exists , collected by other sociologists not for the purpose of your investigations

Evaluation of primary data

✔️ collected for your research purpose = increased validity ✔️ better control over research process = ethical or valid ✖️time consuming ✖️researcher bias , Hawthorne effect

Evaluation for secondary data

✔️less time consuming, easy to find ✔️allows you to examine and compare sets of data for reliability ✖️data might not be valid or ethical - unfalsifiable ✖️not for you specific purpose ✖️a lot of data to analyse

Sampling frame

A list of most of the people in the target population | Eg registers

Random sampling techniques

Simple Stratified Systematic Cluster

Non random sampling

Quota Snowball Volunteer Opportunity

Gatekeeper

Someone who has the power to to let a sociologist have access to the sample

Simple random sampling

Every person has an equal chance of being selected usually done by computer

Systematic (random) sampling

Every nth name / unit

Stratified (random) sampling

Dividing the population according to the numbers of the social characteristics randomly selecting within those groups (proportional selection)

Cluster (random)sampling

Taking a random sample at various stages of the sampling process

Quota (non random) sampling

Sociologists malting a decision about the numbers of people they want from certain social characteristics and then selecting them personally

Snowball (non random) sampling

Sociologists Finding one person they’re interested in asking them if they know anyone else who would be willing to take part

Volunteer (non random) sampling

This involves a sociologist using volunteers for a study usually through responses to an advert

Opportunity (non random) sampling

Where anyone available I’m the right place at the right time is used to participate