Research Methods: Key Concepts

Question 1

What are the two types of research?

Answer 1

• Qualitative
• Quantitative

Question 2

What are the two types of data?

Answer 2

• Primary data
• Secondary data

Question 3

What is qualitative data?

Answer 3

• Data produced textually and can include detail, exploring motivations and emotions rather than just factual descriptions and correlations

Question 4

What is what is quantitative data?

Answer 4

• data produced numerically and can be displayed as a table or a graph revealing patterns and trends but cannot reveal the reasons for them

Question 5

What are the uses of qualitative data?

Answer 5

• detailed response
• more insight
• ethically take more care

Question 6

What are the uses of quantitative data?

Answer 6

• no interviewer bias
• easier to compare
• larger sample size
• less time consuming
• better response rate

Question 7

What is primary data?

Answer 7

• data that sociologists collect themselves for the purpose of that specific piece of research

Question 8

What is secondary data?

Answer 8

• data that is already collected and available to sociologists

Question 9

What are the uses of primary data?

Answer 9

• relevant to your own research
• less ethical implications
• up to date (valid)

Question 10

What are the uses of secondary data?

Answer 10

• more efficient
• cost efficient
• easy to access and utilise

Question 11

What is validity?

Answer 11

• Where data provides the insight of the social reality of those being researched

Question 12

What is reliability?

Answer 12

• Ability to repeat the same research and gain the same or similar results meaning the research is replicable

Question 13

What is representativeness?

Answer 13

• The extent to which the sample reflects the characteristics of the target population

Question 14

What is generalisability?

Answer 14

• The ability to make wider claims about the target population from research findings

Question 15

What are the four key concepts?

Answer 15

1. Validity
2. Reliability
3. Representativeness
4. Generalisability

Question 16

What is the key word for validity?

Answer 16

• true insight

Question 17

What is the key word for reliability?

Answer 17

• replicable

Question 18

What is the key word for representativeness?

Answer 18

• characteristics

Question 19

What is the key word for generalisability?

Answer 19

• wider claims

Question 20

What are pilot studies?

Answer 20

• small scale studies that are a practice run for the main research

Question 21

What do pilot studies involve?

Answer 21

• a small sub sample that the main research tends to use

Question 22

Why are pilot studies useful?

Answer 22

• they can give early warning signs of any problems that may arise in the main research