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Sociology Year 12 > Research methods (paper 2) > Flashcards

Research methods (paper 2) Flashcards

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1
Q

What is meant by the term positivism

A

-Collecting information about social facts using quantitative data.
-As data is collected , trends and patterns can be identified in these statistics
- use scientific approach

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2
Q

What is meant by the term Interpretivism

A
  • Refers to qualitative data being obtained
  • Enables the researcher to find out the participants feelings and attitudes and to find deeper meanings.
  • Do not look at trends and patterns
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3
Q

What is quantitative data

A

Data that can be expressed in numerical form
- official statistics
- can be expressed in graphs , tables , charts

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4
Q

What is primary data

A

Any data collected first hand by the sociologist
examples :
surveys , interviews , participant observation

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5
Q

What is secondary data

A

Information collected by someone else for their own purposes , but which sociologists can still use .
Examples :
• official statistics
• Documents
• Previous sociological research

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6
Q

What is qualitative data

A

Data that can be expressed in words and focuses on people’s opinions and emotions - helps to get deeper understanding .

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7
Q

What is validity

A

How truthful / factual the data is

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8
Q

What is reliability

A

A method when repeated by another researcher will produce the same results

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9
Q

What is representativeness

A

whether or not the people we study are typical of the group we are interested in.

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10
Q

What is generalisability

A

Data from a small sample can be applied to a whole population

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11
Q

What is objectivity

A

The researcher must always be impartial and act in a non bias way. To remain objective your values must not affect how research is gathered .

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12
Q

What is the Hawthorne effect and sociologist

A
  • Mayo
    Where the subjects of a research study know they’re being studied and begin to behave differently as a result , thereby undermining the study’s validity
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13
Q

What is going native

A

Researcher becomes too involved in their research - lose objectivity

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14
Q

what is social desirability bias

A

In questionnaires or interviewes. Changing answers to make it socially acceptable , decreasing validity

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15
Q

What is interviewer bias

A

Changing your answer due to the characteristics of the interviewer. Reducing validity

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16
Q

What is ethnography

A

A qualitative method where researchers observe and / or interact with a study’s participants in their real life environment

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17
Q

What are some studies for ethnography

A
  • Tearoom trade (1970) (Laud humphrey)
    • Secretly recording sex acts of gay men
    • Recorded number plate
    • Interviewed their wives
  • Black like me (1961) ( John Howard Griffin)
    • took medication to change his skin colour from white to black to experience if it was different
    • became depressed and tried to scrub it off
  • Endless pressure (1979) (Ken Pryce)
    • studied black communities in Bristol- participant observation and in depth interviews
    • He went missing whilst studying criminal gangs in Jamaica , his body was found washed up in a beach in 1987
  • Sarah Thornton (1995) Club cultures
    • London clubbing - youth subculture
    • Drug use - pills , ecstasy
  • Gang leader for a day - Venkatesh
    • Used a questionnaire but was held hostage overnight
    • He needed to hang out with the gang
    • spent eight years overtly observing them
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18
Q

What are close - ended questions

A

Respondents must choose from a limited range of possible answers that the researcher has decided in advance e.g. Yes , No - multiple choice questions

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19
Q

What are open - ended questions

A

Respondents are free to give whatever answer they wish , in their own words without any pre- selected choices being offered by the researcher

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20
Q

What are self- completion questionnaires

A

Respondents complete the questionnaire themselves and return it directly to the researcher

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21
Q

What are postal questionnaires

A

Respondents complete questionnaires and then return it to the researcher by post

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22
Q

What are interview questionnaires

A

Questions are read out to the respondent by the researcher , who then records the respondents answers

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23
Q

What are some studies that can be used for questionnaires

A
  • The census
  • Shire Hites’ study - low response rate
  • Gang leader for a day - Venkatesh
24
Q

What is a sampling frame

A

List of people in a total population e.g class register

25
Q

What is a target population

A

Whole group of people you wish to find out about

26
Q

What is probability sampling and what are some examples

A

Require a sampling frame
• quantitative research
• Random stratified
• Systematic

27
Q

What is non - probability sampling and what are some examples

A
  • Doesn’t require sampling frame
    • Qualitative research
    • Opportunity
    • Purpose
    • Snowball
    • Volunteer
28
Q

What is random sampling

A

The researcher selects their sample by putting all the names from the sampling frame into a hat , generator etc and selecting the number of people they wish to conduct their research on

29
Q

What is systematic sampling

A

Where you select the nth person from your sample for frame . e.g. every 3rd person from a class register

30
Q

What is snowball sampling

A

The researcher builds a relationship with one participant and this person then puts the researcher in contact with friends , family who agree to participate in the study

31
Q

What is opportunity sampling

A

Select the people who are available at the time you are gathering your sample

32
Q

What is volunteer sampling

A

The researcher asks people to come forward to take part in your research. E.g. putting up a poster and asking people to come and get interviewed

33
Q

What is stratified sampling.

A

The researcher divides the research population into groups , boys and girls , then selects a number for each group that reflects the research population

34
Q

What is quota sampling

A

Often used by market researchers who require a certain number of a certain group of people e.g 50 females aged 22

35
Q

what is purposive sampling

A

The researcher sets out to find people that have characteristics that are relevant to the aim of the study , this saves time in approaching those who are unsuitable

36
Q

What are structured interviews

A

Ask standardised questions , under strict instructions , same order and tone of voice

37
Q

What are unstructured interviews

A

Guided conversation, interviewer had freedom to ask follow up questions

38
Q

what is semi structured interviews

A

Lies in the middle of both , each interview has the same set of questions but can probe for more info , follow up questions can be asked

39
Q

what are group interviews / focus groups

A

A dozen or so being interviewed at once

40
Q

What does the term Verstehen mean

A

(weber)
A deeper understanding

41
Q

What does rapport mean

A

Building a relationship

42
Q

What is participant observation

A

The researcher actually takes part in an event or the everyday life of a group whilst observing it

43
Q

What is non - participant observation

A

The researcher observes the group without taking part

44
Q

What is non - participant observation

A

The researcher observes the group without taking part

45
Q

What are covert observations

A

The study is carried out undercover . Researchers identity and purpose is kept concealed from the group they’re studying .

46
Q

What are overt observations

A

Researcher makes their true identity and purpose known to the group being studied

47
Q

What is triangulation

A

Combining / cross referencing research methods in order to check the validity of the research

48
Q

What are some studies used for mixed methods

A

Elien Barker (1984)
- The moonies , used participant observation , questionnaires and in depth interviews
Simon Winlow (2001)
- Stufy of bouncers and crine in the city , used participant observations, informal interviews and secondary sources
Teela Sanders (2004)
- Secondary sources , face to face interviews and observations in study of sex work
Laud Humphreys
- Used participant observation and unstructured interviews

49
Q

What is realism

A

Modern theory
Between positivists and interprestivists - bit closer to positivism
Believes sociology is a science
Focus on uncovering cause and mechanisms on observable behaviour you see
guided by scientific data
no commitment to quantitative data or qualitative data

50
Q

What are official statistics

A

Quantitative data gathered by government or offical bodies

51
Q

What are some strengths of official statistics

A
  • Usually up to date and cover trends over time and large populations
  • Allow researcher to see correlations
  • Can be used comparatively
52
Q

What are some weaknesses of official statistics

A
  • May be biased because they’ve been gathered for political purposes
  • Interpretivists - statistics tell us very little about people’s attitudes and feelings and experiences
53
Q

What are some examples of personal documents

A

Diaries , life documents

54
Q

what are some strengths of personal documents

A
  • Highly valid sources of data because they document how people interpret daily life .
  • Usually ethnographic
  • Can be used alongside primary research data
  • Cheap
  • Diaries are suitable for longitudinally studies
55
Q

What are some weaknesses of personal documents

A
  • Permission to use particular letters and diaries may be denied because it’s confidential
  • Not a representative source
  • Unreliable because can’t be cross-checked
  • Authenticity may be questionable
  • content may lack validity because writer is only giving their version of events
56
Q

What are some strengths of public and historical documents

A
  • Aims to provide an objective overview of events
  • Allow sociologu to access the past and document historical change
  • Easily accessible
  • Saves time
  • Cheaper
57
Q

What are weaknesses of public and historical documents

A
  • Authenticity can sometimes be questioned
  • Difficult to check and verify the credibility of historical documents
  • Documents may be biased
  • no guarantee that documents are representative or reliable

Sociology Year 12 (25 decks)

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