RESEARCH METHODS- OTHER RESEARCH METHODS Flashcards
What is a longitudinal study?
A longitudinal study follows the same sample over an extended period of time, interviewing them at regular intervals, e.g., every 5 years. An example is Douglas’s study of over 5000 children born in the first week of March 1946, examining the link between class and achievement.
What are the strengths of longitudinal studies?
P: Allows researchers to measure social change over time and identify causes, such as Douglas’s search for causes of educational underachievement.
What are the limitations of longitudinal studies?
P and T: Sample attrition is likely, where participants drop out over time due to death, loss of contact, or refusal to continue, making the sample no longer representative.
P: Expensive and time-consuming. For example, a 5-year study on drug use among over 1000 teenagers cost £380,000.
P: Data is qualitative and complex to analyze.
T: The Hawthorne effect may occur, where participants alter their behavior because they know they are being studied.
What is a case study?
A case study is a detailed examination of a single case or example, such as one school, family, workplace, or individual. For instance, Stacey conducted life history interviews with women in California to create case studies of postmodern families and divorce-extended families.
What are the strengths of case studies?
P&T: Gathers detailed, in-depth qualitative data, often through participant observation and unstructured interviews. This data is highly valid and allows the researcher to gain insight (verstehen) into the topic.
P: Case studies can illustrate the findings of quantitative studies with quotes from participants.
T: Useful for suggesting hypotheses for larger research projects, as studying one case may give ideas for broader studies.
What are the limitations of case studies?
T: Not representative, so generalizations cannot be made from a single case.
T: Not reliable, as data is gathered through unstructured interviews, which can vary widely.
What are life histories?
Life histories are a qualitative method used to collect individuals’ experiences through autobiographies or unstructured interviews. This method is favored by interpretivists.
What are the strengths of life histories?
T: Allows the researcher to gain verstehen and is valid because the researcher can understand the world from the participant’s perspective.
What are the limitations of life histories?
P: Time-consuming.
P: Difficult to analyze large amounts of qualitative data.
P: Requires excellent interpersonal skills from the researcher.
T: Unrepresentative, as life histories usually
have small samples.
T: Unreliable, as each interview is unique and cannot be replicated.
T: May be invalid, as it relies on people’s memories, which can change over time.
What is triangulation in research?
Triangulation involves using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods to overcome the weaknesses of each. An example is Barker’s study of the Moonies, where both questionnaires and participant observation (PO) were used.
What are the strengths of triangulation?
T: The data is both reliable and valid because it combines different methods for a more comprehensive understanding.
What are the limitations of triangulation?
P: More expensive and time-consuming to use multiple research methods.
