Research Methods and Concepts Flashcards
Content analysis
Analysis of texts/media pieces; usually quantitative but may be qualitative
Disadv - subject to interpretation = low reliability
Official statistics
Secondary source
Some sociologists say they are socially constructive
Use normative definition of deviance
Useful as background info to inform research
Longitudinal
British Cohort Study
Longitudinal mixed methods, Positivist/Realist, methodological pluralism/triangulation
aims to uncover relationships between factors to improve social policy
Operationalisation
Breakup concepts into measurable indicators
Sample attrition
Dropout rate in a longitudinal study
Methodological pluralism
Use of two or more methods to add detail and/or range to a study
Triangulation
Use of two or more methods to check validity or improve reliability of a study
Documents
Public, personal, historical
Consider: authenticity, credibility (was it written FOR the research?), representiveness, meaning (interpretation/subjective)
Value freedom/laden
The belief that research can/cannot be separate from the researcher’s values and beliefs
What did Becker (interactionist) say about research?
He used a ‘committed approach’, asking ‘what side are we on?’. He was committed to giving powerless people a voice
What does reflexivity do?
Allow researcher to reflect on how their values impacted their research (subjective influence), make research more transparent, acknowledges that research affects both participant and researcher
Which approach thinks research is inevitably value laden?
Interpretivism
Name some practical issues
Time and money (scale of research, employees needed) Funding requirements (is it needed in a certain format?) Skills/characteristics of sociologist Subject matter (consider gender/literacy/background of participants and researcher) Research opportunity (may limit study type options)
Name some ethical issues
Consent Avoidance of harm Confidentiality Avoidance of deception Results (what happens to them?) Leaving the sample
Name some theoretical issues
Methodological perspective (realist/pos/int/fem)
Val/rel. rep/gen
FItness for purpose of study
Same some sampling types
Snowball
Cluster (series of places, researcher chooses a sample at random from the ‘cluster’ of people there)
Convenience
Quota
Probability/Random
Stratified
Systemic (every nth same from sampling frame)
Name some things which can raise validity
Researcher presence (for clarity) Positive researcher characteristics Well opperationalised indicators Pilot study Place/environment Anonymity and confidentiality Respondant validation
Name some things which can lower validity
Sensitive topics Unclear questions Leading questions Researcher imposition (value laden research) Social desirability (social bias) Subjective bias of researcher Interviewer effect/bias Group interviews
What is social desirability/social bias?
The respondant answering questions in a way that will make them seem ‘better’ due to worries about how they appear - lowers validity
Name some things which can raise reliability
Pilot study
Well worded questions
Standardized environment
Lower researcher involvement
Name some things which can lower reliability
Poorly worded questions
Researcher involvement
No standard environment
What does Lyotard (postmodernist) think?
Research is no more than one person’s view or interpretation - he rejects this as a metanarrative
Which Positivist believed in the scientific approach?
Durkheim - value free sociology - eg ‘suicide study’ (uses OCS)
Which factors may affect the values of the research?
Influences of funding body
Personal opinions and experiences of sociologist
Aim of sociologist (eg career progression)
Explain the process of research
Topic choice Literature review Hypothesis (Pos) or Research aims (int) Method and sample selection Operationalizing concepts Pilot study Research Collect, code and analyse Conclusion Evaluation
What is respondant validation?
Asking the sample to check results - eg Willis with the anti-school subculture
(increases validity, checks ethical issues, reflexitivity, overcomes prac/eth issues of leaving a group)
What is researcher imposition
Bias in research due to researcher’s own views, eg leading questions and non verbal cues
Overcome by pilot studies, triangulation, respondent validation
How can subjective bias be overcome?
Researcher triangulation
Data triangulation (to cross check results)
Reflexivity
What are two examples of researcher imposition?
Leading questions and non verbal cues
What is an example of a case study?
In depth study of one individual/group
e.g. Willis; Dawn Butler
What are some advantages/reasons to use a case study
Usually uses one than more method, increasing validity
High verstehen and validity
Allows voice of powerless to emerge
Can research a hard to access group
Name some researchers who used reflexivity
Lumsden; Valerie Hay; Mac an Ghaill
Name some researchers whose research was affected by access to sample
Hay
Mac an Ghaill
What are trends?
Patterns over time
Overcomes snapshot view, can see effect of social or policy changes/factors
What is cause and effect and who uses it?
A positivist data analysis technique which tries to find reasons for something - but difficult to know the direction of causation.
However may increase funding potential as preferred by government (can implement policies)
Name some examples of people who used personal documents?
Valerie Hey (notes) Dawn Butler
What are focus groups?
Group interviews but less formal.
Group dynamic may mean new ideas emerge; saves time and money; useful research starting point
What is ethnography?
Observation, usually participant
What is triangulation?
Using two or more methods to check and verify results
(researcher triangulation reduced bias)
Realist approach
What is methodological pluralism?
Using two or more methods to add breadth, depth and deeper understanding to a study
What is fitness for purpose?
When the method suits the aim of a study
