The Process Of Research

Question 1

Formulating an aim or hypothesis

Answer 1

Most studies either have a general aim or specific hypothesis. A hypothesis is a possible explanation that can be tested by collecting evidence to probe it true or false. E.g, we may suspect that family size affects educational achievement. If so, we can formulate a specific hypothesis as a cause and effect statement.

Question 2

The pilot study

Answer 2

Sociologists used social surveys (questionnaires and structured interviews) often carry out a pilot study before conducting their main survey. This involved trying out a draft version of the questionnaire or interview schedule on a small sample.
The aims of the pilot study is to iron out any problems, refine or clarify questions and their wording and give interviewers practise, so that the actual survey goes as smoothly as possible.e.g Young and willmott carried out just over 100 pilot interviews to help them decide ok the design of they’re study.

Question 3

Samples and sampling

Answer 3

Sociologists often aim to produce generalisations that apply to all cases of the topic they are interested in, for example, If we were interested in educational achievement, we would ideally want our theory to explain achievement levels of all pupils, not just the ones in our study
A sample is smaller sub Grigio drawn from the wider group that we are interested in. The produces of creating or selecting a sample is called a sampling. The basic purpose of sampling is usually to ensure that those people we chosen to include in the study are representative or typical, of the research population, including all the people we have not been bake to include in the study.

Question 4

The sampling frame

Answer 4

To choose a Sample, we first need a sampling frame. This is a list of all the members of the population we are interested un studying. It is important that the list we use as a sampling frame is as complete and accurate as possible is should also be up to date and without duplications otherwise it may not be trust representative of the population.,

Question 5

Sampling techniques - random sampling

Answer 5

Is the simplest technique, where the sample is selected purely by chance. For example, names may be drawn out of a hat. Everyone has an equal chance of being selected. A large enough random sample should reflect the characteristics of the whole research population. However not all random samples are large enough to ensure this happens

Question 6

Sampling techniques- random sampling

Answer 6

Is here very nth person in the sampling frame is selected.

Question 7

Sampling techniques- stratified random sampling

Answer 7

The researcher first breaks down the population in the sampling frame by age, class, gender etc. the sample is then created in the same proportions.

Question 8

Sampling techniques- quota sampling

Answer 8

The population is broken down and then each interviewer is given a quota of say, 20 females and 20 males, which they gave to film with respondents who fit these characteristics. The interviewer keeps at this task until their quota is filled

Question 9

Non representative sampling

Answer 9

For both practical and theoretical reasons, not all studies use representative sampling techniques

Question 10

Practical reason as to why it may not be possible to create representative sample

Answer 10

• the social characteristics of the research population, such as age, gender and class, may not be known. It would be impossible to create a sample that was an exact cross section of the research population
• it may be impossible to find or create a sampling frame for that particular research population.
• potential respondents may refuse to participate.
  Where it is not possible to obtain a representative sample sociologists sometimes use snowball or opportunity samples

Question 11

Snowball sampling

Answer 11

Involves collecting a sampling by contacting a number of key individuals, who are asked to suggest others who might be interviewed, and so on, adding to the sample ‘snowball’ fashion, until enough data has been collected. Although not representative, thus can be a useful way to contact a sample of people who might otherwise be difficult to find or persuade to take part.

Question 12

Opportunity sampling

Answer 12

Involves choosing from those individuals who are easiest to access,

Question 13

Theoretical reasons

Answer 13

Even where it is possible to create a representative sample some researchers may not choose to do so, because of their methodological perspective. Interpretivists believe that it is more important to obtain valid data and an authentic understanding of social actors meanings than to discover general laws of behaviour.