topic 4: key stages in the research process

Question 1

1. why is it important when starting a research project to carry out a literature review?

Answer 1

The first stage in a research project is to read what others have published on the subject-called conducting a literature review. This has three functions:
1) the researcher can avoid repeating research that has already been done
2) reading may provide the researcher with ideas as to the direction their research should take
3) the ideas can be shaped into a hypothesis that the researcher wishes to test by carrying out sociological research

Question 2

2. explain aims/ hypothesis/ research question? e.g of hypotheses, aims

Answer 2

aims and objectives- that is, what their main research question or hypothesis are going to be and how they are going to incorporate these into their research design
The hypothesis/ research question- an informed guess, prediction or “hunch” that the researcher thinks might be true and can be tested by breaking it down into aims and objectives
example of hypotheses: “social class impacts upon educational attainment”
examples of aim:
“to explore the norms and values of goth subcultures”

Question 3

3. explain operationalisation?

Answer 3

operationalisation is the process of making something measurable
Most sociologists agree that social class is most easily operationalised by measuring people’s occupations
I also indicates other status factors such as income, level of education and whether people own their home

Question 4

3. explain two reasons why researchers operationalise?

Answer 4

1) Reliability- Research may be said to be high in reliability if method used to collect data is a standardised one
2) Validity- Operationalisation also avoids unclear, blurry or subjective definitions. If a researcher has an inaccurate or helpful idea of a concept, operationalising that concept can clarify and focus the research and data collection

Question 5

4. Explain data collection?

Answer 5

Data collection is the process of gathering and measuring information from targeted populations on specific topics
Data collection is either primary or secondary, and either quantitative or qualitative

Question 6

4. Explain what primary and secondary data is?

Answer 6

Primary data is data collected directly by the researcher themselves often through methods of surveys, questionnaires, interviews
Secondary data are those which are used by sociologists but collected by other people from internet, official documents, radio

Question 7

5. Explain Pilot Studies

Answer 7

Small scale rehearsals for the main research involving a sub sample of the main research intends to use.

Question 8

5. What are the four things a pilot study can check?

Answer 8

A pilot study is useful because it can check:
Whether questions are clearly understood, giving us a chance to improve validity and reliability
That questions don’t upset/ lead participants
That the sampling technique is successful
That the interviewing teams are well trained
That data produced is the kind that is wanted

Question 9

6. Explain Interpretation of data?

Answer 9

Once sociologist has gone through all the previous stages of the research process, they must then interpret their data. This means they must analyse and try to understand the general conclusions that could be drawn from the data

Question 10

7. Explain Respondent Validation?

Answer 10

Process by which the sociologists’ interpretation of the event or data is checked with that of those who took part in the event
The point of research validation is to reduce possibility of research applying their interpretation of the research data to the hypothesis because this might contain bias