research methods Flashcards
what is data?
- facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis
what is primary data?
- you collect it yourself
what is secondary data?
- collected from elsewhere
what is quantitative data?
- numbers and figures
what is qualitative data?
- feelings and opinions
what are factors to consider in research methods?
- practical
- Ethical
- Theoretical
what are types of practical issues?
- time and resources
- access
- money and funding
what are types of ethical issues?
- informed consent
- confidentiality/privacy
- effects on those taking part/danger
- covert research=deceiving subjects
what is a hypothesis?
- a possible explanation that can be tested by collecting evidence to prove it true or false
what is an aim?
- identifies what we intend to study
Do positivists prefer an aim or hypothesis and why?
- a hypothesis
- because they seek to discover cause and effect relationships
Do interpretivists prefer an aim or hypothesis and why?
- an aim
- because they’re interested in understanding actors
what is operationalism?
- the process of converting a sociological concept into something we can measure
why are positivists concerned with operationalising concepts?
- because they place more importance on creating and testing hypothesises
what is the pilot study?
- practice run
- smaller scale
- aim to finalise method and check issues
what is Young and Willmotts pilot study?
- they did over 100 pilot studies
- to decide on the design of their study
- to iron out or refine questions
what is sampling?
- the process of choosing your respondents and ensuring they are representative
what is a sampling frame?
- list of all members of the population you are studying `
what are the 4 sampling techniques?
- random
- systematic
- stratified
- quota
what is random sampling?
- sample is selected purely by chance
- everyone has a equal chance of being chosen
what is systematic sampling?
- every Nth person in the sampling frame is selected
what is stratified sampling?
- the researcher first stratifies the population in the sampling frame by age, class etc
- sample is created in the same proportions
what is quota sampling?
- population is stratified
- each interviewer is given a quota
what are theoretical advantages to questionnaires?
- reliable/easy
- useful for testing hypothesis
- representative
what are ethical advantages of questionnaires?
- limited interviewer intention or bias
- respondents are kept anonymous
- little danger for interviewer
what are practical advantages of questionnaires?
- quick and cheap
- easy to quantify and analyse
what are theoretical disadvantages of questionnaires?
- answers generally lack depth
- may not by truthful
- no room for respondents to explain
- leading questions
what are practical disadvantages of questionnaires?
- low response rate
- respondents cannot ask for clarification of questions
what is a study for low response rate for questionnaires?
- Shire Hite’s, study of love, passions and emotional violence in America
- sent out 100,000 questionnaires
- only 4.5% returned
what does Cicourel (1968) say about questionnaires?
- they lack validity
- we need to get closer to subject and share meanings
what are advantages of interviews?
- allow for a personal relations = more valid
- open answers
- ability to gain large amounts of quantitative data
what are disadvantages of interviews?
- may lie to hide truth on sensitive subjects
- can be time consuming
- could be bias
what are advantages of observations?
- validity= see how they act
- insight= gain empathy
- flexibility= open mindness
what does Whyte say about flexibility of participant observations?
- ‘I learned answers to questions I wouldn’t have had the sense to ask if I had been using interviews’
what are disadvantages of participant observations?
- time consuming
- deceives people in order to gain information
- researcher needs to be trained
- hard to replicate
- bias
what is a laboratory experiment?
- testing behaviour in controlled lab conditions
- preferred by positivists
what was Milgram’s study on obedience?
- testes obedience by asking subjects to give eclectic shocks to a ‘leaner’ behind a door when they got a question wrong
what did Milgram’s study find?
- 65% gave shocks of 450 volts (double UK power mains)
what is a practical disadvantage for lab experiments?
- expensive (have to pay the subjects)
what ethical disadvantages for lab experiments?
- paying the participants
they feel like they’re obliged to carry out the action
what are pros of lab experiments?
- very reliable
- scientific (variables strictly controlled)
- great for positivists
what are cons of lab experiments?
- impossible to control al factors
- cost
- time consuming/must be small scale
- lack of consent/sometimes deception
what is a field experiment?
- takes place in the natural environment of subjects
observing subjects responses to variables
what are pros of field experiments?
- more natural/valid
- no Hawthorne effect
- cheaper
what are cons of field experiments ?
- involve deception/lack of consent
- less control over variables
what is a comparative method?
thought experiment - involves researchers comparing 2 groups based on one variable
- test data to see how they compare
what was Durkeim’s comparative method study?
- study of suicide
tested which Christian group was more likely to commit suicide - Catholics or Protestants
what are the 4 types of observations?
- covert
- overt
- participant
- non-participant
what is a covert observation?
- the researchers real identity + purpose are kept concealed
- researcher takes on fake identity
what is a non-participant observation?
- the researcher simply observes the group or event without taking part in it
what is a participant observation?
- the researcher takes part in an event
- in the everyday life of the group while observing it
what is an overt observation?
- the researcher makes their true identity + purpose known to those being studied
what are official statistics?
- govt/official bodies
- e.g. divorce figures, GCSE results
what are advantages of official statistics?
- free data=more money for other factors
- collected at intervals=shows patterns
- representative=can be applied to a lot
- reliable
what are disadvantages of official statistics?
- cant always find what your looking for
- gevt definitions ay differ from sociological ones
- definitions change over time
what are hidden figures of crime?
- crimes committed but not reported
what is the British crime survey and what were the findings?
- asked a sample if they have been victims of crime
- in 2002 42% of crimes were reported
why do positivists like official stats?
- they’re objective (no bias)
- large scale
what are advantages of documents?
- personal documents= give qualitative insights
- best way to study the past
- cheap and quick
what are disadvantages of documents?
- historical=not always authentic/credible
- can be difficult to access
according to Scott, 1990 what are the 4 criteria for usefulness of documents?
- credibility
- representativeness
- authenticity
- meaning
