Research Methods

Question 1

Culture

Answer 1

the beliefs and practices of a particular society

Question 2

subculture

Answer 2

a group with a distinctive set of values who set themselves apart from wider society

Question 3

norms

Answer 3

set of informal rules or expectations for behaviour

Question 4

role

Answer 4

pattern of behaviour expected by individuals in different situations

Question 5

values

Answer 5

important beliefs held by individuals and social groups

Question 6

social construct

Answer 6

an idea that has been created and accepted by the people in a society

Question 7

society

Answer 7

a collection of people with territory, interaction, and culture

Question 8

open question

Answer 8

a question which requires an explained answer

Question 9

closed question

Answer 9

a question which requires a yes or no answer

Question 10

objective

Answer 10

not influenced by personal feelings

Question 11

subjective

Answer 11

influenced by personal feelings

Question 12

pilot study

Answer 12

a small scale study or experiment

Question 13

structured interview

Answer 13

an interview with a list of prepared questions that do not change

Question 14

unstructured interview

Answer 14

an interview which is more like a conversation.

Question 15

overt observation

Answer 15

research where the study is known to the subjects

Question 16

covert observation

Answer 16

research where the study is hidden to the subjects

Question 17

participation observation

Answer 17

research where you are actively involved

Question 18

non-participation observation

Answer 18

research where you are not actively involved

Question 19

ethical issue

Answer 19

when a study causes a question of morality

Question 20

primary source

Answer 20

information which has been found out by the sociologist

Question 21

secondary source

Answer 21

information which has been prepared by someone else

Question 22

what is an advantages of covert observation?

Answer 22

reduces the risk of behavioural change

Question 23

what is a disadvantages of covert observation? (any from list)

Answer 23

• have to keep up an act,
• ethical issues,
• cannot openly take notes.

Question 24

what is one advantages of overt observation? (any from list)

Answer 24

• avoids ethical issues,
• allows observer to ask naive questions,
• the observer can openly take notes

Question 25

what is a disadvantages of overt observation? (any from list)

Answer 25

• a group may refuse the researcher permission to observe

- possible behavioural changes

Question 26

random sampling

Answer 26

write a list of people in your target population, each member of this target population has equal chance of being selected.

Question 27

stratified sampling

Answer 27

organise target population into groups and select a certain number of people from each.

Question 28

snowball sampling

Answer 28

one participant brings people along and they bring people along etc

Question 29

systematic sampling

Answer 29

write a list of all the people in your target population and select every 4th person from that list

Question 30

quota sampling

Answer 30

take a tailored sample that’s in proportion to some characteristic or trait of population