sociological methods Flashcards
what is primary data?
primary data is data collected first hand. some examples include interviews, questionnaires, observations and experiments.
what are advantages of primary data?
- brand new
- up to date
- you can choose the method to make your data as valid/reliable as possible
what are disadvantages of primary data?
- expensive
- time consuming
- can be unethical
- can be biased
- some methods can put the researcher in a dangerous situation
- you can’t always get access to the group you want to study
what is secondary data?
secondary data is existing information. some examples include official statistics, diaries, letters, memoirs, emails, TV documentaries and newspapers.
what are advantages of secondary data?
- quick
- easy
- can compare past and present
- don’t have to worry about informed consent
what are disadvantages of secondary data?
- may not be valid/reliable
- can be biased
- may not be authentic/representative/credible
- might not be able to find the information you need
what is quantitative data?
quantitative data is numbers and statistics. it is easily put into a graph or chart.
what are advantages of quantitative data?
- can test your hypothesis and look for cause and effect relationships
- easy to analyse tables, charts and graphs
- can repeat questionnaires and structured interviews to test reliability
- allow large samples so findings can represent the general population
what is qualitative data?
qualitative data gives a detailed opinion of what people do, think and feel. it involves opinions, meanings and interpretations.
what are advantages of qualitative data?
- lets you find out meanings and motives behind behavior
- you don’t have to force people into artificial categories like in questionnaires
- lets you build trust and research sensitive subjects
what are disadvantages of qualitative data?
- difficult to repeat
- they are not very reliable
- often on a small scale-so they might not represent the whole population
- can lack credibility as they are subjective and open to interpretation
- the researcher can get the wrong end of the stick and misinterpret the group/individual they’re studying
what is the difference between positivism and interpretivism?
positivism looks at institutions in society, which is called macrosociology. interpretivist sociology looks at the individual, which is called microsociology.
what do positivists say behavior is influence by?
external social factors.
how do positivists measure human behavior?
quantitative data.
what do interpretivists believe in?
they believe that you can really only understand human behavior using empathy.
what do interpretivists use to measure human behavior?
qualitative data
what are some practical issues that have an impact on method?
- time (some methods need more time)
- money (this affects length/method of the research)
- characteristics/skills of researcher (some researchers are okay with dangerous situations)
- access and opportunity (if researchers don’t have to certain groups then they would have to turn to secondary sources)
what 4 main areas can ethical issues be grouped into?
- consent (all participants must’ve agreed to take part)
- avoidance of deception (researchers should be open/honest about the study/implications)
- confidentiality (the details of all participants/their actions must remain confidential/private)
- avoidance of harm (participants should not be psychically or psychologically harmed by the research process)
what are covert methods?
covert methods are methods that involve not telling the group being studied that they are actually not being studied. they’re often criticised for their lack of honesty.
when taking part in a piece of research what do respondents have a right to?
they have a right to confidentiality. their personal details and data gathered must not be distributed to anyone outside the research process.
what do researchers have to make sure happens when carrying out a study?
they have to make sure nobody is harmed. emotional and physical harm is never acceptable in sociological research.
what is hypothesis?
it is a statement that makes a prediction. it acts as a starting point for research. it states a relationship between two factors.
what does it mean to make something “operationalised” ?
it means making it operational or workable by finding a way to measure it.
what is triangulation?
this is where sociologists combine methods or data to get the best out of them. it gives a more detailed picture than when only one method is used.
what is a pilot study?
it is a small scale practice run that lets you test the accuracy of your questions.
what are social surveys?
social surveys give quantitative data. they tend to be used by
what is representative sampling?
this involves picking out names of a “sampling frame”. a sampling frame is a complete list of the population being sampled.
what is simple random sampling?
this involves names being taken completely random so each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected.
what is systematic sampling?
this involves choosing a random starting point in the sampling frame an selecting every nth value.
what is multi stage sampling?
this means selecting a sample from within another sample.
what is stratified random sampling?
this is where the population is put into segments called “strata” based on things like gender, age or income.
what is quota sampling?
it is like stratified random sampling but it is not random. the selection is made by the interviewer who will have a quota to make. interviewers tend to pick people who look “nice” which can introduce bias.
what is non-representative sampling?
this is sampling for target populations that are difficult to access such as criminals.
what is snowball sampling?
this means finding initial contacts and getting them to give you more names for your research.
what is purposive sampling?
this is when researchers select non-representative samples often to falsify a hypothesis.
what is opportunity sampling?
this is when researchers need to select a non-representative sample quick and easy. researchers can use captive audiences- these are groups of people who are gathered together for another reason like school children.
