Theory and Methods Topic 1 - introduction Flashcards
Primary data
Information collected by sociologists for their own purposes. These can include trying to gain first-hand pictures of a group or society to test a hypothesis
Examples of primary data (+/-)
Social surveys, written questionnaires, interviews, participant observations and experiments
+ gathers precisely for the needs of the study
- can be time consuming and costly
Secondary data
Information that has been created by someone else for their own purposes, which sociologists then use for their own research
Examples of secondary data (+/-)
Official statistics, documents (letters, diaries, newspapers etc.)
+ can be a quick and cheap way of doing research
- original researcher may not have researched exactly what is needed
Quantitative data
Information in numerical form. An example would be official statistics on how many girls pass 5 or more GCSEs.
- Information collected from opinion polls and market researchers often comes in the form of quantitative data
Qualitative data
Information using words, which can give you more of a detailed feel for what something is like, for example what it feels like to get divorced. This type of data can be collected using methods such as participant observations.
- Finds out what it’s like to be in ‘that persons shoes’
Practical factors influencing choice of method (five)
- Time and money - large scale surveys may employ lots of interviewers and data inputting staff which costs a lot of money, but small-scale research using participant observation may be cheaper but take longer
- Requirements of funding bodies - a research institute, business or any other organisation that is funding the research may require results in a particular form
- Personal skills and characteristics - each sociologists possesses different skills and this will impact on the method they use
- Subject matter - e.g. a male sociologist cannot conduct a participant observation in an all female group
- Research opportunity - opportunities may occur unexpectedly which means it may not be possible to use a structured method
Ethical factors influencing choice of method (5)
- Informed consent - permission to take part in the study, involves knowing all about the elements of the research so they have choice
- Confidentiality and anonymity - researchers should keep the identity of the participants secret to prevent possible negative side effects, respects privacy
- Harm to participants - researchers need to be aware of possible side effects e.g. psychological damage and exclusion
- Vulnerable groups - special care should be given when researching participants that may be vulnerable due to their age, disability or mental/physical health
- Covert research - when the researcher’s identity and purpose is hidden from the people being studied which causes ethical issues e.g. deceiving or lying
Theoretical factors influencing choice of method (3)
- Validity - how truthful is your data to society? Is it a true and genuine picture of society
- Reliability - how easy is it to consistently repeat the research and get the same result?
- Representativeness - Is the group you are studying an accurate look at the people within society? Essential to make sure you are representing all ages, genders, ethnicities, disabilities and sexualities
Positivist perspective
Prefer quantitative data and seek to discover patterns of behaviour and see sociology as a science. Functionalists and Marxists take a positivist approach as they see society as structural
- Value reliable and representative
Interpretivist perspective
Prefer qualitative data because they seek to understand social actors’ meanings and reject the idea that society can be scientific. Interactionists favour interpretivist approaches because they take a micro level view
- Value validity
Factors influencing choice of topic (4)
- Sociologist’s perspective - theoretical perspective is a major influence in what they choose to study
- Society’s values - sociologists are part of the society they study and as such are influenced by its values, as values change so does the focus of research
- Practical factors - inaccessibility of certain situations to the researcher may restrict what topic they study
- Funding bodies - most research requires funding from external bodies, as the funding body is paying for the research it will determine what is being studied
The process of research (6)
- Formulating aim/hypothesis - where the sociologist decides what they want to study
- Choosing a research method - weighing the positives and negatives for each method
- Pilot study - this is a pre-emptive study to see if the real study will work
- Choosing a sample
- Taking out the research
- Analysing the data - this helps to understand the data and writing it up to be understood in a paper
What is a sample?
A smaller group of people who will be studied, taken from a broader target population
Random sampling
When a researcher randomly selects participants for research from a list, out of a hat or randomly selected by a computer
Quasi-randomly/systematic sampling
When a researcher selects every ‘nth’ person on the sampling frame to be part of the sample. A method that involves regular intervals
Stratified random sampling
Researchers divide subjects into subgroups called strata based on characteristics they share, e.g. race, gender, once divided each subgroup is randomly sampled
Quota sampling
Non-probability method. Divide population into mutually exclusive subgroups and recruit sample units until quota researched
Snowball sampling
Non-probability method, existing study subjects recruit future subjects from among their acquaintances
Opportunity sampling
Sampling based on availability, standing on the street and asking passers by - quick and easy
