Theoretical, practical and ethical considerations influencing research Flashcards
Topic 2, research methods chapter of year 1
PET acronym
Practical issues - like funding, ease of access, time, skills etc
Ethical issues - harmful consequences, consent
Theoretical issues - approach used
Ethics definition
principles or ideas about what is morally right or wrong
Informed consent definition
where those taking part in a study have agreed to do so, and have given this consent based on a full appreciation and understanding of the nature, aims and purposes of the study, any implications or risks taking part might have, and the uses of any findings of the research
Practical issues influencing choice of topic, choice of methods and conduct of research
- ease of access to participants (easier in open settings - public areas - rather than closed settings with restricted access such as schools)
- time and funding available (may limit the scale of research, different research may attract more government funding than others, the government tends to favour quantitative methods)
- availability of existing secondary data
- personal characteristics and skills of the researcher
Ethical issues influencing choice of topic, choice of methods and conduct of research
- whether participants have given informed consent
- values and beliefs of the researcher (eg Townsend (1979) saw his study of poverty as very important)
- Researchers’ desire for funding and promotion may influence choice of topic
- Pressure to publish findings and publishing deadlines
- Personal safety of researchers
- confidentiality
- anonymity of participants
Theoretical issues influencing choice of topic, choice of methods and conduct of research
- sociological perspective held by researcher (marxist, functionalist, positivist, interpretivist etc)
- functionalists tend to focus on how social institutions contribute to society
- marxists tend to focus on causes and impact of inequality
- feminists focus on gender inequality
3 key issues that should be considered in research
validity, reliability and ethics
Reliability definition
whether another researcher, if repeating the same method for the same research, would get the same or similar results
Validity definition
concerned with notions of truth: how far the findings of the research actually provide a true, genuine, authentic picture of what is being studied
Ethics - researchers should consider
- sensitivities of those helping with research (difficult topics)
- findings should be reported accurately and honestly
- physical, social and mental well-being of participants and how research may impact this
- confidentiality and anonymity
- privacy and interests of participants
- informed consent wherever possible
Operationalising concepts in social research
a concept is abstract (like class, cultural capital etc) and to research these it is necessary to convert them into something measurable (eg investigating class using measurements of income, health might be operationalised in terms of doctor or hospital visits)
