Sociological Methods Flashcards
Bias
where the views of the researcher affect the research
Generalisability
if the group studied are a rep of the pop then they will be able to make gens about whole soc
the larger the num of ppl in study & the m sophis the selection meths the m rep
Qualitative Data
information from a range of sources which are not statistical - observation
Quantitative Data
statistical numerical info
Correlation
a statistical rela between two things
Reliability
the quality of repeatability
if the findings are the same/ sim each time test = done
nature of socio menas uses dif meths - makes research dif to comp but same research should be repeatable if not then unreliable
Validity
the extent to which data gives a true pic of the subject being studied / the research instrument measures what is set out to measure
when eval socios will question whether meths used were the m likely to get to the truth
Representativeness
situation where the ppl the socios study are a cross section of the group they wish to gen about
Researching Social Life
socios aim to provide insights into the shared soc world that the ordinary person wouldn’t normally have
the interest in soc is shared by others - journalists - use common sense to explore soc - socios have rejected this - common sense based on own limited & biased ops already held which override obj
bias occurs - best way to study = uncover patterns normally hidden - then seek explans
Gathering Data
What does socio research set out to do?
- gather info about the soc world
knowledge can = stats / observs
need to be careful of accepting at face value - what is a fact for some might not be for others
Establishing Correlations
What does socio research set out to do?
- research can help explore rela between dif elements of soc - m basic = correl
socios describe correla as situ where 1 soc event occurs & another tends to as well
Developing Theories
What does socio research set out to do?
- research should support/ disprove a theory
info gathered helps explain why certain soc events occur - often involves providing explans for correlas
Primary Data
those collected directly be researcher
Secondary Data
those used by socios but = collected by other ppl
Evaluating Data
socios = v critical of meths & data
if meth = weak then research may be incaccurate
look at:
1. reliability
2. validity
3. representativeness
4. generalisability
5. objectivity
