Research Methods Strengths & Weaknesses

Question 1

Official Statistics =

Outline and explain two limitations of using official statistics in sociological research

Answer 1

Paragraph One = Lack depth

• Statistics give quantitative data which interpretivist argue it is hard to understand behavior and lack insight into human behavior

Paragraph Two = Statistics can be manipulated

• Statistics can be manipulated or misunderstood when determining the information and depends on different facts such as human processing and misinterpretation
• The statistics may be purposely misinterpreted to fit the aim of the research therefore being unreliable

Question 2

Official Statistics =

Outline and explain two strengths of using official statistics in sociological research

Answer 2

Paragraph One = Representative

• They are collected by research methods which are standardized, conducted on very large samples of the population
• This makes it more representative and allows generalizations to be made on the population

Paragraph Two = Readily Available

• The statistics are published on the government website meaning they are free to access
• They are cheaper and less time consuming as they then do not have to collect their information
• This means the analysis of the data can be carried out relatively quick

Question 3

Official Statistics =

Outline and explain two practical strengths of using official statistics in sociological research

Answer 3

Paragraph One = Readily available

• They are cheaper than other methods as they are often published online therefore often free to access
• This also makes official statistics less time consuming as they do not have to conduct their own research

Paragraph Two = Global Comparisons
- Governments are able to collect data across the world to compare different comparisons but to do so without visiting other countries
- This also ensures it is cost effective and quicker. There is more and more data available every year as globalisation is increasing

Question 4

Official Statistics =

Outline and explain two practical disadvantages of using official statistics in sociological research

Answer 4

Paragraph One = Manipulation
- Statistics can be manipulated due to political bias, this may mean that some statistics appear lower to benefit those
- An example is the conservative government manipulating statistics to make it appear better under their role

Paragraph Two = Unavailable information
- The required information may not be available in statistics meaning they cannot be used as a sociological method
- This may be due to making global comparisons which are not available as they are not recorded the same in each country

Question 5

Official Statistics =

Outline and explain two theoretical strengths of using official statistics in sociological research

Answer 5

Paragraph One = Reliability

• Positivists like official statistics as they provide reliable quantitative
• They follow a uniform standardized set procedure that means it is more reliable

Paragraph Two = Representative

• They are collected by research methods which are standardized, conducted on very large samples of the population
• This makes it more representative and allows generalizations to be made on the population

Question 6

Official Statistics =

Outline and explain two theoretical disadvantages of using official statistics in sociological research

Answer 6

Paragraph One = Lack Validity

• Interpretivists argue official statistics are not a valid source of information as they are the product of humans
• They may have errors or manipulation
• They are not valid and do not provide a true picture

Paragraph Two = Unreliability

• It will depend on the person for example in crime, there are many factors which will determine the report therefore they are unreliable
• This may mean they are socially constructed depending on the accused at the time

Question 7

Official Statistics =

Outline and explain two ethical strengths of using official statistics in sociological research

Answer 7

Paragraph One = Anonymous

• Data of official statistics do not use people’s data or invade their privacy as they are not named meaning it is confidentiality and the participants in statistics will remain anonymous
• The information is already published and remains anonymous

Paragraph Two = Will not cause psychological harm

• This secondary data is compiled through government agencies therefore will not cause any harm to participants

Question 8

Official Statistics =

Outline and explain two ethical disadvantages of using official statistics in sociological research

Answer 8

Paragraph One = Collection can cause harm
- The collection can cause harm as it increases surveillance and control. This can become more stressful for the participants
- This allows problem areas to be identified which has a harmful impact on the student

Paragraph Two = May reflect biases
- Official statistics may reflect the biases and prejudices of those in power which reflects stereotypes and impacts those labelled with this

Question 9

Documents =

Outline and explain two strengths of using documents in sociological research

Answer 9

Paragraph One = Allows a deeper insight

• Better insight into people’s lives and meanings to understand people’s motives for their behavior
• Interpretivists prefer this as you are able to understand meaning behind their behavior

Paragraph Two = Readily available

• They are cheaper and less time-consuming to analyze as they are a secondary source of data so they do not have to collect it themselves
• They do not have to conduct their own research therefore it is cheaper
• This also means the analysis can be carried out a lot quicker

Question 10

Documents =

Outline and explain two limitations of using documents in sociological research

Answer 10

Paragraph One = Lack of consent

• The original owner must be found and informed
• The owner may be deceased or untraceable therefore this is a practical and ethical issue of gaining consent of whether they can use it
• Informed consent cannot be given with historical documents therefore it is an invasion of privacy

Paragraph Two = Unrepresentativeness

• They focus on one individual or a small sample of people therefore being unrepresentative as they are not true to a wider population
• This means they cannot generalize any findings to a larger group of people

Question 11

Documents =

Outline and explain two practical strengths of using documents in sociological research

Answer 11

Paragraph One = Readily available

• They are cheaper and less time-consuming to analyze as they are a secondary source of data so they do not have to collect it themselves
• They do not have to conduct their own research therefore it is cheaper
• This also means the analysis can be carried out a lot quicker

Paragraph Two = Accessibility

• Provides a way to research topics which are harder to access such as personal accounts or dangerous activities
• It may be unsafe or hard to access certain areas so using documents allows a personal insight into these topics

Question 12

Documents =

Outline and explain two practical disadvantages of using documents in sociological research

Answer 12

Paragraph One = Lack of consent

• It can be hard to track the original owner of the document as they may be deceased or untraceable which may be a practical disadvantage as it may be time-consuming to attempt to find the owner

Paragraph Two = Limited access
- Certain types of documents may be inaccessible such as personal records
- Certain topics may have limited access to certain communities or groups

Question 13

Documents =

Outline and explain two theoretical strengths of using documents in sociological research

Answer 13

Paragraph One = Reliability

• The data is reliable as the research of the documents can be repeated by other researchers to see if similar results are found

Paragraph Two = Validity

• The researcher does not have to interact with participants meaning they cannot influence their behavior
• This makes it more valid as they do not influence any information gathered as the participants act more naturally unaware of the sociological research

Question 14

Documents =

Outline and explain two theoretical disadvantages of using documents in sociological research

Answer 14

Paragraph One = Unrepresentativeness

• They focus on one individual or a small sample of people therefore being unrepresentative as they are not true to a wider population
• This means they cannot generalize any findings to a larger group of people

Paragraph Two = Validity

• The researcher may interpret results differently meaning the data can be recorded incorrectly
• Furthermore the researcher may have bias and interpret the results to fit their research
• Also it relies on memory which can be inaccurate or faulty

Question 15

Documents =

Outline and explain two ethical strengths of using documents in sociological research

Answer 15

Paragraph One = Minimised risk of harm
- The use of documents minimises emotional risks compared to other sociological methods
- Participants are not exposed to potential harm from discussing directly with a researcher
- Sensitive topics can be studied through documents

Paragraph Two = Informed consent
- Some documents such as published records may not need informed consent from individuals as participants may not be identifiable
- However, they must still be cautious

Question 16

Documents =

Outline and explain two ethical disadvantages of using documents in sociological research

Answer 16

Paragraph One = Lack of consent

• The original owner particularly in personal documents must be informed and provide consent to use their document in sociological research which the researcher may be unable to find due to them being untraceable or deceased meaning they do not have consent to use the document therefore ethically wrong

Paragraph Two = Confidentiality and privacy

• Historical documents cannot give informed consent as is often deceased
• This means the researcher may raise the issue of invasion of privacy and a breach of confidentiality of their data

Question 17

Questionnaires =

Outline and explain two limitations of using questionnaires in sociological research

Answer 17

Closed Questionnaires:

Paragraph One = Lack of flexibility

• Interpretivists do not like closed questionnaires as are pre-determined questions and answers with a small amount of possible answers
• They provide quantitative data which positivist prefer as they give set answers and provide little opportunity to expand or explore more areas

Paragraph Two = Limited Insight

• Interpretivists do not like closed questionnaires as they provide little insight into answers meaning information gathered is limited
• This means they cannot understand the participant’s feelings or emotions

Open Questionnaires:

Paragraph One = Lack of response

• People may be more inclined not to respond to open questionnaires, questionnaires have a very low response rate meaning they hold little value
• They may not want to respond to open questionnaires due to a multitude of reasons due to lack of time or not being able to access longer answered questions meaning it may be more likely for an upper class to respond

Paragraph Two = Socially desirable answer

• Respondents may give socially desirable answers that make them appear in a more positive light
• They may be less inclined to give truthful answers which decreases the validity

Question 18

Questionnaires =

Outline and explain two strengths of using questionnaires in sociological research

Answer 18

Closed Questionnaires:

Paragraph One = Reliability

• They are highly reliable as they are standardized and asked the same set of questions meaning they are objective
• There is no researcher bias to influence certain answers
• Questionnaires can be easily replicated to compare if their is similar results

Paragraph Two = Useful for hypothesis testing

• Data can be easily quantified in a numerical form meaning the data can be analyzed statistically
• Positivists prefer this as it produces quantitative data
• This can establish a relationship between variables

Open Questionnaires:

Paragraph One = Insight

• Open ended questionnaires allows participants to give a more in-depth answer to the questions which interpretivist prefer as it allows a deeper understanding into the questions

Paragraph Two = Increased validity

• Researcher bias is not a factor and therefore people may be more likely to answer honestly rather than face to face
• This is especially seen if the questions are sensitive and the lack of researcher may mean the participant feels more comfortable to open up

Question 19

Questionnaires =

Outline and explain two practical disadvantages of using questionnaires in sociological research

Answer 19

Paragraph One = Low response rate

• Postal questionnaires suffer from a low response rate meaning the results hold little value as people do not return or answer the questionnaires
• This also means the more educated are more likely to respond to these questionnaires

Paragraph Two = Additional Charges

• Researchers may have to use an additional incentive to get people to answer them meaning it may be expensive if this is needed
• Furthermore, the researcher may have postal charges when sending the questionnaires via post which would be expensive

Question 20

Questionnaires =

Outline and explain two practical strengths of using questionnaires in sociological research

Answer 20

Paragraph One = Cheap and quick

• They are generally cheap to administer and are able to send the questionnaire to a larger sample size meaning it is cost effective and time efficient
• The lower cost of electronic questionnaires means a larger sample size can be obtained meaning it has more ability to be generalized
• They are also cheaper than paying things such as interviewers even with additional costs of postage

Paragraph Two = Large Sample size
- The ability to distribute to a large number of people quickly
- The questions are standardised and can be sent to a large population to generalise

Question 21

Questionnaires =

Outline and explain two theoretical strengths of using questionnaires in sociological research

Answer 21

Paragraph One = Reliability

• They are highly reliable as they are standardized and asked the same set of questions meaning they are objective
• There is no researcher bias to influence certain answers
• Questionnaires can be easily replicated to compare if their is similar results
• This is mainly seen in close-ended questionnaires

Paragraph Two = Lack of researcher bias

• Increases the validity of the findings as respondents are not influenced by the researcher to select certain answers
• They have no contact with the researcher meaning it is very minimal

Question 22

Questionnaires =

Outline and explain two theoretical disadvantages of using questionnaires in sociological research

Answer 22

Paragraph One = Lack of validity

• Respondents might give a socially desirable answer to portray themselves in a more positive light rather than being truthful which can reduce the validity of the findings
• Furthermore, respondents may produce false information through lying or getting others to answer their questionnaires

Paragraph Two = Unrepresentative

• Questionnaires have a low response rate and therefore may have certain types of people who respond to questionnaires
• Even though a large sample can be obtained, it is often educated middle class people who respond as they have the time and means to respond

Question 23

Questionnaires =

Outline and explain two ethical advantages of using questionnaires in sociological research

Answer 23

Paragraph One = Confidentiality
- The respondent has the right to ensure information is kept confidential and cannot be identifiable as their data,
- It allows for an anonymous responses and protects their privacy. This is useful for senstitive topics

Paragraph Two = Informed Consent
- The respondent needs to give informed consent and if they have not then it cannot be used, they also have the right to withdraw
- They can voluntary participation to choose which questions they are comfortable with

Question 24

Questionnaires =

Outline and explain two ethical disadvantages of using questionnaires in sociological research

Answer 24

Paragraph One = Privacy
- The respondent has the right to ensure information is given and treated as confidential
- It should not be identifiable as theirs
- If condifentiality or anonymity cannot be guarrantteed, they should be warned of this

Paragraph Two = Harm
- The researcher needs to ensure the questionaire and the way it is worded does not cause psychological stress
- Support must be made available if they are of a personal or senstive nature which is likely to cause distress
- They also must assure that the answers to personal questions do not need to be given

Question 25

Observations = Outline and explain two limitations of using observations in sociological research - Participant, Non-participants, Covert and Overt Observations

Answer 25

Participant Observation: Paragraph One = Unreliable - They are unreliable as they cannot be carried out in controlled and standardized settings - The observation is in the natural setting and cannot be replicated to see consistency Paragraph Two = Expensive and time-consuming - They can be expensive and time consuming as they need to find time available to observe and the funding available Non-Participant Observation: Paragraph One = Less validity - The data produced will be less valid as it cannot understand the way the participants behave in a particular way - Interpretivists do not like these as they cannot gain a deeper insight into behavior Paragraph Two = Informed consent - Participants are usually watched without their approval which creates a lack of consent and invasion of privacy - The researcher should gain consent of the participants afterwards in this case and ensure privacy Covert Observation: Paragraph One = Lack of informed consent - The participants are not told about about the research and aim of the study which involves deception and therefore they cannot give informed consent to take part in the study Paragraph Two = Difficult to document - The researcher may struggle to record their data as they may arouse suspicion therefore needing to rely on memory to record the data - Memory is unreliable and may create inaccurate information Overt Observation: Paragraph One = Hawthorne Effect - The presence of a researcher may influence the participants to act differently as they are aware of being watched - This creates the Hawthorne effect of changed behavior - This reduces the validity Paragraph Two = Access - Difficult to access a group that knows they are being watched if they are wanting to avoid investigation - Schools, deviant groups, sensitive nature

Question 26

Observations = Outline and explain two strengths of using observations in sociological research

Answer 26

Participant Observation: Paragraph One = Validity - Interpretvists prefer PO useful as it produces valid data - This is because it takes place in a natural everyday setting meaning they would often behave as they normally do - This allows a deeper insight into behaviour and reflects a true and accurate picture of what they are investigating Paragraph Two = Only method possible - Covert PO may be the only available research method to gain a valid picture - This could be in groups such as cults or gangs who are suspicicious of people from the outside - Other methods would not work in this situation Non-Participant Observation: Paragraph One = Data can be quantified - Positivits may prefer NPO as it produces quantitative data which can be put in a numerical form and analysed statistically - This allows them to assess the relationship between two variables Paragraph Two = Reliable - They are seen as reliable as another researcher can repeat the study using the same observational schedule - This allows them to see if the findings are consistent

Question 27

Observations = Outline and explain two practical disadvantages of using observations in sociological research

Answer 27

Participant Observation: Paragraph One = Hard to document - It can be hard to document without arousing suspicion - The researcher must rely on their memory to record the data which allows the possibility of inaccurate or distorted information - Therefore it depends on the researcher to see if they can remember without recording the data in the moment Paragraph Two = Access - It can be difficult to access the group especially if it is a deviant organisation - It is often down to luck or if anyone knows an inside way in to access the particular group - They will also feel uncomfortable with people prying on their sociologists especially if it is a sensitive Non-Participant Observation: Paragraph One = Paragraph Two =

Question 28

Observations = Outline and explain two practical advantages of using observations in sociological research

Answer 28

Participant Observation: Paragraph One = Only method possible - Covert PO may be the only available research method to gain a valid picture - This could be in groups such as cults or gangs who are suspicicious of people from the outside - Other methods would not work in this situation Paragraph Two = Non Participant Observation: Paragraph One = Data can be quantified - Positivits may prefer NPO as it produces quantitative data which can be put in a numerical form and analysed statistically - This allows them to assess the relationship between two variables Paragraph Two =

Question 29

Observations = Outline and explain two theoretical strengths of using observations in sociological research

Answer 29

Participant Observation: Paragraph One = Validity - Interpretivits find PO useful as it produces valid data, it takes place in natural settings and behave as they normally do - This reflects a true and accurate picture of what they are investigating Paragraph Two = Only method possible - Covert PO may be the only available research method to gain a valid picture - This could be in groups such as cults or gangs who are suspicicious of people from the outside - Other methods would not work in this situation - This produces valid data Non Participant Observation: Paragraph One = Reliability - The findings are seen to be reliable because another researcher can repeat the study to see if findings are consistent Paragraph Two = Unbiased Interpretation - The researcher will not be involved in the group so can study in a detached manner without the problem of going native - This increases the validity of the research findings

Question 30

Observations = Outline and explain two theoretical disadvantages of using observations in sociological research

Answer 30

Participant Observation: Paragraph One = Paragraph Two = Non-Participant Observation: Paragraph One = Paragraph Two =

Question 31

Observations = Outline and explain two ethical strengths of using observations in sociological research

Answer 31

Participant Observation: Paragraph One = Paragraph Two = Non-Participant Observation: Paragraph One = Paragraph Two =

Question 32

Observations = Outline and explain two ethical disadvantages of using observations in sociological research

Question 33

Interviews = Outline and explain two strengths of using interviews in sociological research

Answer 33

Structured Interviews: Paragraph One = Reliable - They use standardized questions for each participant meaning they are all asked the same question - The questionnaire can be easily replicated by other researchers to compare results and data meaning it is reliable Paragraph Two = Quick to administer - They are quick to administer meaning a sample population can be reached quicker than other interviews - You can make generalizations from the research findings - The researcher does not have to be trained therefore it is quicker than unstructured interviews Unstructured Interviews: Paragraph One = Deeper insight - They produce more valid data as they are able to explore deeper into a topic understanding the respondents thoughts and feelings so it's close to actual experiences - It also allows clarification to probe deeper to the real meaning which increases the validity Paragraph Two = Build a rapport - If it is a sensitive subject, then trust and a rapport with the researcher and participant means they may be more likely to open up to the researcher - This may mean they give a true and more honest personal answer - This increases the validity of the findings

Question 34

Interviews = Outline and explain two limitations of using interviews in sociological research

Answer 34

Structured Interviews: Paragraph One = No flexibility - The questionnaires and answers are predetermined meaning there is little opportunity to expand or explore different topics Paragraph Two = Interviewer effect - The interviewer may unintentionally bias the participants response through age, gender, ethnicity, tone or gestures - This may mean the respondent does not feel comfortable answering truthfully to the interviewer which reduces the validity Unstructured Interviews: Paragraph One = Unreliable - Unstructured interviews can be unreliable as they do not have a set list of questions to answer but the researcher can ask any question they want - Therefore it is unreliable as it cannot be repeated easily and hard to compare answers, this then makes it hard to make a generalization from Paragraph Two = Unrepresentative - They take a long time to carry out due to their detail meaning the sample may need to be smaller which makes it hard to make a generalization from the sample, and to get a representative sample

Question 35

Interviews = Outline and explain two practical strengths of using interviews in sociological research

Answer 35

Structured Interviews: Paragraph One = Quick and cheap to administer - Structured interviews are quicker to administer as they have a set list of predetermined questions and answers - The interviewee requires minimum training meaning that they are cheaper to train and therefore quicker to administer Paragraph Two = Higher Response Rate - The response rate is higher than other methods - It is isually around 60%-85% which increases reliability of the findings Unstructured Interviews: Paragraph One = Only research method possible - Might be the only practical method of gathering information, the group may be deviant therefore observational research could be too dangerous Paragraph Two = Larger sample can be covered - Can cover larger samples than observations - This means it is quicker to do and cheaper

Question 36

Interviews = Outline and explain two practical disadvantages of using interviews in sociological research

Answer 36

Structured Interviews: Paragraph One = Problems of fixed responses - May suffer from language problems where words are interpreted differently by different people - There might not be a researcher present for clarification which reduces the validity and reliability Paragraph Two = No flexibility - The sociological issues under investigation are decided by the researcher in advance so there is little opportunity to expand or explore areas of interest Unstructured Interviews: Paragraph One = Difficult to analyse - Positivits do not favour unstructured interviews because they produce qualitative data which can be difficult to analyse so it is harder to generalise the data Paragraph Two = Need a skilled researcher - The researcher needs to be trained to ask techniques to draw respondents thoughts and meanings

Question 37

Interviews = Outline and explain two theoretical strengths of using interviews in sociological research

Answer 37

Structured Interviews: Paragraph One = Reliable - They are highly reliable as they can gather data with questions that have been standardised. - Each participant is asked the same questions and can be easily replicated - This increases the reliability and validity if similiar results are found Paragraph Two = Representative - They are quicker to adminster meaning the sample population can be reached at a large scale. - This means it is possible to make generalisation from the research findings to the wider population Unstructured Interviews: Paragraph One = Deeper insight - Interpretivists prefer this as it produces valid data with wider explorations and depth of the topic - Respondents are given the opportunity to express their feelings which is meaninful to them - This ensures that it is closest to actual expierences and views Paragraph Two = Clarification is possible - Interviewers can probe deeper and expand on answers to find the deeper meaning or they can clarify what the people mean - This ensures greater validity

Question 38

Interviews = Outline and explain two theoretical disadvantages of using interviews in sociological research

Answer 38

Structured Interviews: Paragraph One = Limited insight - Interpretivists do not like structured interviews as there is limited opportunity to probe deeper beyond the limited pre-set answers - This prevents an in-depth account - This leads to limited data reducing the validity Paragraph Two = Interview effect - The interviewers may unintentionally bias the particiapant's response through their tone, age, gender, ethnicity, etc. - This may influence the answers given by the respondents Unstructured Interviews: Paragraph One = Unreliable - They are unreliable as they do not have pre-set questions or pre-determinded answers - The researcher is freely able to choose the questions which makes it harder to compare respondents answers - This makes it hard to generalise or conclude Paragraph Two = Social desirability effect - Respondents can give an answer which they believe the interviewer wishes to hear, this can be to present them in a positive light and give socially desirable answers - This affects the validity of the data

Question 39

Interviews = Outline and explain two ethical disadvantages of using interviews in sociological research

Answer 39

Structured Interviews: Paragraph One = Sensitive Nature - They cannot be useful when questions of a personal or embarrasing nature are asked - The presence of the researcher may influence how the respondent replies Paragraph Two = Pressure to answer - May feel pressured to participate and feel obligated to provide answers even if they are uncomfortable and unwilling Unstructured Interviews: Paragraph One = Privacy - The respondents has the right to ensure any information and will not be identificable as theres - If confidentality or anonymity cannot be guaranteed, they must be warned of this Paragraph Two = Consent - It may be difficult to explain how or what information will be used therefore cannot given true informed consent - The conversational nature may lead to directing to the researchers intentions which means they cannot consent

Question 40

Interviews = Outline and explain two ethical strengths of using interviews in sociological research

Answer 40

Structured Interviews: Paragraph One = Confidentiality - Using a standardised set of questions which ensures there is no sensitive or identifying information without permission Paragraph Two = Interviewer bias - Individuals are less likely to feel that they are facing bias from the interviewer as everyone is asked the same set of questions Unstructured Interviews: Paragraph One = Effective on senstive issues - An informal conversation may be more likely to generate trust and rapport. The interviewee is more likely to open up - This increases the change of giving true and honest answers which increases the validity of the findings - Seen in Dobash and Dobash Paragraph Two = Flexibility to vulnerable people - They are able to adapt questions to fit the needs of vulnerable particiapants - Interviewers can offer a comfortable space for sensitive topics

Question 41

Experiments = Outline and explain two limitations of using experiments in sociological research

Answer 41

Field Experiments: Paragraph One = Unreliable Paragraph Two = Laboratory Experiments: Paragraph One = Artificial environment - The setting is artificial and therefore not like real world therefore they may lack validity - They cannot be generalized to the real world as they are not true to life Paragraph Two = Deception

Question 42

Experiments = Outline and explain two strengths of using experiments in sociological research

Answer 42

Field Experiments: Paragraph One = Like real life Paragraph Two = Laboratory Experiments: Paragraph One = Reliability - They are easy to replicate when following the same conditions, they are seen as reliable and objective because they establish a cause and effect between relationships Paragraph Two = Control variables

Question 43

Experiments = Outline and explain two practical strengths of using experiments in sociological research

Question 44

Experiments = Outline and explain two practical disadvantages of using experiments in sociological research

Question 45

Experiments = Outline and explain two theoretical strengths of using experiments in sociological research

Question 46

Experiments = Outline and explain two theoretical limitations of using experiments in sociological research

Question 47

Experiments = Outline and explain two ethical strengths of using experiments in sociological research

Question 48

Experiments = Outline and explain two ethical disadvantages of using experiments in sociological research